Ambassador Holland has commended Ukraine’s willingness to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, emphasizing that this move demonstrates Ukraine’s commitment to peace. However, Russia has yet to agree to these terms, and Ambassador Holland urges President Putin to do so without further delay.
The international community, including the United States, has been working tirelessly to broker a ceasefire. Talks were recently held in Riyadh, and while progress has been made, Russia’s cooperation is crucial to achieving a lasting peace. Ukraine, under President Zelenskyy’s leadership, has shown its commitment to peace by proposing a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire. The only condition attached to this proposal is that Russia must also agree to it.
Unfortunately, Russia has not yet agreed to the ceasefire, and Ambassador Holland emphasizes that the ball is now in Russia’s court. To demonstrate its sincerity in seeking peace, Russia must remove conditions that hinder and delay US-led efforts to end the fighting. Russia must also cease its attacks on innocent civilians, which continue to result in loss of life and injury. Furthermore, Russia must show that it is committed to honoring past agreements, including the Geneva Conventions, which provide rules for minimizing civilian casualties and protecting healthcare facilities.
The Russian State’s disregard for these laws has been evident since the launch of its full-scale invasion. This attitude continues to this day, and Ambassador Holland stresses that the international community must not lose sight of the fact that this remains an illegal and unprovoked war against an independent, sovereign nation. The war is a clear violation of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.
Ambassador Holland also took the opportunity to address the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine. The SMM was established between 2014 and 2022, and its members performed their duties with integrity and professionalism, despite facing significant risks to their safety. Unfortunately, Russia and its proxies restricted the SMM’s movements and mandate, making it impossible for the mission to provide independent and objective reporting on the security situation in Ukraine. Ambassador Holland emphasized that blaming the OSCE for these flaws is disinformation and distraction, and that the organization and its staff deserve better.
