GITANAS NAUSĖDA, President of Lithuania, recalled that the Pact for the Future reaffirmed commitment to multilateralism.  While the international rules-based world order was never perfect, it helped to search for joint solutions, he said, emphasizing that more than 10 years ago, something entirely different happened.  “A permanent member of the Security Council began military aggression against a peaceful Member State,” he noted, adding that finally the Russian Federation started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  “Today, even though we face yet another distressing crisis in the Middle East as well as rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, the Russian war of aggression is the most dangerous threat,” he stressed, calling for paying attention to the words of Russian leaders and their representatives at the United Nations Security Council:  “How many times they have openly admitted that the Kremlin intends to wipe Ukraine from the face of Earth!”

If any sovereign nation is under the threat of complete destruction, no country is truly safe anymore, he stated, adding that what Russia presents to the world is a return to the era of imperial conquest, colonial domination and genocide.  He said that Ukraine is not only fighting a war of self-defence but also fighting for the future of all those countries who believe in the Charter of the United Nations and its principles.  “Ukraine is fighting for us all, and yet our joint collective response to this day has been insufficient — we have not been able to stop this madness,” he stressed, citing the reason — the aggressor is hiding under the cover of the Security Council’s permanent membership.  “Hiding in plain sight, mocking every one of us with its unrestricted veto power — it is a terrible blow to the very credibility of the United Nations system,” he said, urging to support Ukraine, restrict Russia’s ability to wage war, ensure the accountability of those responsible for the crime of aggression and crimes against humanity, reform the Security Council and rebuild the credibility of the Charter of the United Nations.

Recalling that deliberate Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure have destroyed more than 80 per cent of Ukraine’s thermal energy generation and a third of its hydro generation, he urged prevention of a humanitarian catastrophe, as assistance should be swift and focused on the energy sector.  He also called on other parties, including Belarus, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and China, to stop providing Russia with military support, including dual-use materials.  “There is only one path towards comprehensive, just and lasting peace — Ukraine’s Peace Formula,” he stressed, spotlighting that it is based on the universal principles of the Charter of the UN and urging all peace-loving countries to actively engage in these efforts.  “Justice will have to be served.  Russia will have to atone for its many crimes and pay damages,” he said, reminding that President Vladimir Putin is already under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for his crimes.

“We must all join forces in pushing for a comprehensive Security Council reform — there is simply no place for Russia in the Security Council, which was created to maintain international peace and security,” he emphasized, adding that his country will not recognize Russia’s illegal annexation of any Ukrainian region, be it Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk or Zaporizhzhia.  “Today, as political divisions deepen and democracy seems to falter all around the globe, multilateralism remains our greatest hope,” he said, highlighting for the United Nations a crucial role to play not only in Ukraine but also in the Middle East, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.  He called on all Member States to unite in securing a better future where every sovereign country is protected from imperialism and every human being from arbitrary violence and war.