Thank you, Mr Chair. On Monday, a Moscow court sentenced Russian journalist Veronika Belotserkovskaya in absentia to nine years in prison for spreading supposed "fakes" about the Russian army's actions in Ukraine. Therefore our statement will focus on Russian disinformation. On the distractions and lies Russia sought to proliferate in the build up to its illegal invasion and in the months since.
Ms Belotserkovskaya was convicted for her reporting of human rights abuses by the Russian armed forces against civilians, in Bucha and Mariupol.
Russia's persecution of journalists for reporting on the war contradicts the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists. This is a commitment that all participating States have freely signed up to in order to provide a safe, enabling environment for journalists, ensuring we fully comply with international human rights law and OSCE Commitments. Ms Belotserkovskaya's sentencing is just the latest in a series of Russian attempts to suppress the truth. When the Russian state punishes journalists who seek out the truth, it ceases to have any grasp of reality.
A year ago, on the 20th January, in this very room, the Russian Delegation claimed that "the myth of Russia's alleged 'imminent invasion' has been hyped up".
On the 3 February our colleagues stated that the West was "speculating obsessively about an alleged impending Russian invasion" which were "only unsubstantiated conjectures". On the 10th February, they said such claims were 'mythical'.
On the 17 February our colleagues said the West had "spread fake information and distorted the real state of affairs". Russia, in contrast, "would keep on calling for effective dialogue" as "conflict in eastern Ukraine can and must be stopped".
On the 21 February, they stressed that "the key to lasting peace, the restoration of civil accord in Ukraine and the defusing of the tension around this country lies in the implementation of the Minsk agreements in good faith".
That very evening the Russian Federation contradicted itself in recognising Luhansk and Donetsk as so-called "independent states", thereby abandoning the same Minsk agreements they had, just hours ago, claimed were the key to peace.
And on 24 February, having denied, week in, week out, their true intentions, Russia launched its horrific invasion of Ukraine's sovereign territory - a fellow participating State of the OSCE. Contravening the Helsinki Final Act and trampling on the foundational commitments of this organisation.
Mr Chair, Russia waged a campaign of disinformation throughout the build up to their illegal invasion. A campaign that they persist in pursuing to this day. This campaign of disinformation is recorded in the archives for posterity. No amount of disinformation can rewrite Russia's lies and deceit.
Nor can they silence the international community, as they have tried to silence their own country. Investigations by ODIHR, the Moscow Mechanism and the UN following the invasion attest to the Kremlin's continued failure to conceal its cruelty.
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine's October 2022 report details just some of the horrors of Russia's invasion. Civilians shot at while fleeing Russian armed forces; summary executions, torture and sexual violence in areas under temporary Russian control. The list goes on and on. There is no doubt as to Russia's culpability for atrocities and human rights violations carried out in Ukraine. We will hold perpetrators to account for the atrocities and war crimes they have committed. The truth will out.
Mr Chair, in the face of a concerted Russian disinformation campaign, one thing is certain. The United Kingdom will continue support those seeking the truth. President Zelenskyy's visit to the UK is a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries. Our commitments announced during the visit represent a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, ensuring our Ukrainian friends have the support they need to defend their territorial integrity, in the face of Russia's illegal invasion, for as long as it takes.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
