Speaking at the UN Emergency Session of the General Assembly on Ukraine, the High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, that Belarus is trying to create confusion in the process of adopting a resolution on Ukraine.

Borrell noted that this week marks one year since Russia started its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“Everyone knows. This was and remains a clear-cut case of aggression by a permanent member of the Security Council. This is Russia. Everybody knows. A blatant violation of international law and the principles of the UN Charter. The world needs peace in Ukraine and the people of Ukraine deserve peace, after so much suffering. But not just any peace. We need peace grounded in the principles of the UN Charter. This is why we are in this very hall. That is what the resolution, presented by Ukraine, is about. To reiterate our support for Ukraine and to set out the principles for peace,” he said.

Borrell stressed that the war in Ukraine is not only a “European issue” and is not about “the West versus Russia”.

“No, this illegal war concerns everyone: the North, the South, the East and the West. The whole world. We are here today to reiterate our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as for any member of the UN. Sovereignty. Territorial integrity. These are the principles that Russia is attacking in Ukraine, every day. These are also the principles we have to uphold everywhere, every day. If we do not condemn and stop Russia’s actions in Ukraine today, this increases the risk for any other country, elsewhere in the world, to face a similar aggression. No one can feel safe in a world where the illegal use of force would be normalised,” he said.

“Indeed, all of us have a responsibility to work for a just and lasting peace – as this resolution, tabled by Ukraine, sets out. The UN Secretary General has offered his good offices to bring an end to this war. And we support him. Others have also contributed to the diplomatic efforts. The purpose of this resolution is to support and encourage the efforts to look for peace,” he added.

Borrell stressed that, by putting forward additional amendments right now, “Belarus tries to create confusion on the process, when the text before the membership is a simple call for peace in line with the UN Charter.”

“These amendments are not made in good faith. They are manipulative since they do not reflect the situation on the ground, which is the unjustified and unprovoked aggression by one MS against another. We will vote against these amendments and call on all UN Member States to do the same and to support the draft resolution as tabled by Ukraine,” he said.