PRESS RELEASE : The UK will support a better future for Ukraine – UK statement to the OSCE [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 February 2023.
Deputy Ambassador Brown says that the UK, together with partners, will accelerate efforts to ensure Ukraine wins the war and secures a just and lasting peace.
Thank you, Mr. Chair,
This time last year, Russia had assembled a military force of over 130,000 troops and a massive accumulation of weaponry and equipment along Ukraine’s borders and in illegally annexed Crimea, preparing to invade its sovereign neighbour. Since then, Russia has committed atrocity upon atrocity: indiscriminate strikes on civilian areas and critical infrastructure; human rights abuses, childhoods stolen; sexual violence and abuse; “filtration centres”; attempted illegal annexations. Most recently this morning we woke up to reports of missile strikes in central, Western and northern Ukraine. Throughout, the United Kingdom has stood firmly with the Ukrainian people as they resist this brutal and unprovoked invasion. Our enduring commitment to Ukraine was exemplified during President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK last week. My statement today will focus on this support to Ukraine.
As Ukrainians enter their second year living under relentless and full-scale bombardment, the UK, together with partners, will accelerate our efforts to ensure Ukraine wins the war and secures a just and lasting peace.
Firstly, on the battlefield, the UK is proud to be the largest European supplier of military aid to Ukraine, with support of £2.3 billion in 2022. As announced last week, the UK will be expanding our training for Ukraine’s Armed Forces to include fighter jet pilots and marines.
Secondly, we will support a better future for Ukraine. In the short-term, the UK has pledged £1.5 billion in economic and humanitarian support, which has funded the delivery of more than 11 million medical items. In June, we will co-host with Ukraine the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. And we will continue to pursue justice and accountability initiatives to ensure those responsible are held to account.
Thirdly, we will continue to defend the values of the international system that Russia is shattering with no remorse, including the Helsinki Final Act principles which are the cornerstone of this organisation.
Mr Chair, next week we will mark one year since the start of this unnecessary and horrific war. A day we hoped would never come. President Putin himself did not calculate the war would last this long. He believed his forces would be welcomed with open arms, that Ukrainians would not fight, and that the West would get tired, bored, and fragmented. He has been proved wrong on all counts. Putin has backed himself into a corner with strategic error after strategic error. The path to peace is clear: Putin must unconditionally withdraw all Russian troops from the entire territory of Ukraine. Russia must pay for the damage it has inflicted. And those individuals responsible must be held to account. Russia will not succeed. The international community is united, and the United Kingdom will not tire. Ukraine will prevail and see a brighter future.
