We will not avert our eyes from the Kremlin’s unconscionable carnage.

The Russian Federation’s willful disregard for civilian life and infrastructure has been a hallmark of its military campaign since the very beginning of its war on Ukraine.

Russia remains the sole obstacle to peace in Ukraine.  Russia and Russia alone can end this war today.

The United States will continue to hold Russia and its enablers accountable for this unjustified and illegal war. 

But for most Ukrainians that I spoke with, there is a much simpler truth about this war, namely this: a heavily-armed, murderous regime is trying to kill them, erase their identity and colonize their land.  That is what they are living through right now.   

Early in the morning last Friday, Russia’s forces fired over 20 cruise missiles and two drones into Ukraine, killing 25 people. 

The attack killed fifteen people, including a two-year-old boy.  This carnage reveals the true face of the Russian Federation’s war effort.

Colleagues, over 400 murdered civilians were eventually discovered in Bucha.  

We can never keep silent about such crimes and never attempt to normalize what Russia is doing in Ukraine. 

For millions of people in Ukraine, in Russia and across the world, 24th February will forever mark a dark date on the calendar.   

As President Putin’s war enters its second year, we must stay united to keep exposing Russia’s crimes and to keep supporting Ukraine.

Russia needs to provide the international community with the lists of children it has taken from Ukraine and allow these children to be reunited with their families in Ukraine.

We all know Russia could end its unprovoked war today if it chose to do so.

Russia’s war of aggression continues to bring pain and suffering to Ukraine’s most vulnerable, including children.

What Russia is trying to do today is quite simply to wipe out the sovereignty of an entire, independent nation. 

We look forward to combining institutional strengths in support of sovereign, independent Ukraine, so that its people can continue on their chosen path of freedom and democracy.

Since we met last week, the Kremlin has continued to inflict on Ukraine the kind of unconscionable violence and destruction that has become its trademark.

For as long as it takes, literally for as long as it takes, the United States will continue to support Ukraine as it defends itself and liberates its territory.

As is now clear to all, this is an effort by the Russian Federation to weaponize winter, and these salvos again targeted Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.

Russia’s ongoing weaponization of winter also means many of Ukraine’s citizens will continue to struggle for warmth, for food, and for survival in the months to come.  

The Kremlin would like nothing more than to erode Ukrainian forces’ morale and the determination of the Ukrainian people to successfully resist Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine has our full support and we will continue to do whatever it takes to give Ukraine the capacity to defend itself. 

Russia has destroyed some 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including thermal energy plants that provide homes, schools, and hospitals with heat in wintertime, when temperatures can drop to 20 degrees below zero Celsius.

Putin is weaponizing food by playing games with Russia’s participation in the UN and Turkish-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative. 

Russia’s lack of success in using military force to impose its will on Ukraine is leading Putin to take increasingly desperate actions. 

Yet Russia’s contempt for the international community and its norms of civilized behavior continues unabated.

We declare our unwavering support for Ukraine and its brave people suffering from the ongoing Russian aggression, enabled by the Belarusian authorities.

Putin and his cronies in the Kremlin seem to relish taking every opportunity to demonstrate their willingness to violate international norms.

No one can witness this carnage and not be moved.  No person or country can equivocate in the face of such brutality.  No one should remain silent in the face of such horrors. 

I would suggest that the employees of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs might want to educate their political leadership on the existence of the UN Charter, or the Helsinki Final Act, or indeed the Geneva Conventions, or indeed the Genocide Convention.  

While Russia scrambled to cook up ersatz plebiscites in Ukraine, we saw real expressions of popular will in Russia. 

These Potemkin referenda do not fool us. They do not change the facts on the ground. Putin and his Kremlin cronies can lie to themselves and the Russian people, but the world sees the truth.

Wherever Ukraine liberates its territory, we see the horrors Russia leaves behind in its wake.

Russia’s forces lost the battle of Kyiv in March, and now we see them abandoning their tanks and BMPs and running – sometimes literally – back to Russia.

Any Kremlin claims that Ukraine’s people yearn to be annexed by Russia are flat-out lies and propaganda. 

Today, as the United States has and will continue to do, we stand with a sovereign, democratic Ukraine as it celebrates and defends its independence.

Since our Russia colleagues seem so eager now to view Amnesty International’s reports as evidence of potential misconduct, perhaps they would be willing to respond to some of the findings Amnesty has released since the war began on February 24.

Russia’s brutal attack on its peaceful, sovereign neighbor has now entered its sixth month and the human costs are quite simply staggering. 

Russia must end this war now before the moral and economic bankruptcy of this so-called “special military operation” causes more suffering. 

Are you appalled by the death of a four-year-old girl and seven and eight-year-old boys? Are those military targets? Did their lives have value to you? Does it matter that they are now dead?

You are engaged as a representative of the Russian Federation in propaganda on behalf of a regime that is consistently striking civilians and civilian objects across Ukraine

With every unconscionable strike hitting Ukrainian civilians, the Russian government reveals its true nature to the world. 

The United States and our partners will continue providing the humanitarian, economic, and security assistance Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russia’s barbaric and unprovoked aggression. 

All those responsible for forced transfers of Ukrainian civilians to Russia will be identified and held to account for violations of international law.

Only by ending Russia’s aggression once and for all will the people of Ukraine ensure that their children no longer have to fear the shriek of a Russian missile in the night sky.

Russia continues to deploy far-right ultranationalism in service of subjugating Ukraine, and in service of supporting neo-Nazi and extreme right-wing nationalist movements throughout Europe.

We should never forget that the people of Ukraine are fighting for the survival of their country, of their families, of their cultural identity, and of their communities.

The unimaginable suffering of the men, women, and children of Kherson at the hands of Russia’s forces starkly illustrates the existential stakes of this war.  

Fifteen weeks of violence, with so many reports of executions, forced deportations, rapes, filtration camps, and destruction that it is becoming difficult to fully grasp the enormity of the carnage being perpetrated by the Russian Federation. 

Members of the Special Monitoring Mission have been detained and some have gone missing in eastern Ukraine.  This is completely unacceptable. No one should be a target because of their unbiased and loyal service to this Organization. 

The sheer barbarity, sadistic cruelty, and lawlessness of Russia’s military campaign is now plain for all the world to see. 

Russia’s long track record of accusing others of the violations it itself is perpetrating, or plans to perpetrate, raises the possibility that the Kremlin may be laying the predicate for a false flag operation using biological or chemical weapons.

Ukraine must win so that we do not ever give in to a “might makes right” world order. And it must win so that Ukraine’s farmers can again feed the world.  The stakes could not be any higher.

It is the collective duty of our countries to continue our unprecedented support to Ukraine as it fights for the freedom of its country and its people and the values we share.

We are committed to using every available tool to ensure Russia is held accountable for its monstrous atrocities.

Mr. Chair, in spite of Russia’s brutal aggression, the people of Ukraine know who they are. No bullets, no mortars or missiles can ever purge Ukraine from the hearts of its people.

As we enter the third month of Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression, Ukraine stands as strong, united, and resolute as ever.

This is a war for sovereignty against subjugation, for independence against imperialism, for the principles of international law against the brute force of a predatory power.  The task before us is to rise to the moment and provide Ukraine with the capabilities it requires.

The United States will continue to use the full range of its tools and resources to support documentation and accountability efforts, together with our allies and partners.

We are committed to using every tool available to ensure those responsible are held accountable for atrocities.

Mr. Chair, let there be no doubt: Russia’s war on Ukraine – the death and trauma that Putin’s regime is inflicting on Ukraine’s next generation – will never be forgotten. 

We will help the people of Ukraine fight for this future for as long as it takes.

We call on Russia to cease its aggression, observe the ceasefire, fully implement its Minsk commitments, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s sovereign territory.

Russia’s long-standing efforts to hinder the work of this Mission are a clear demonstration of Moscow’s unwillingness to take its Minsk commitments seriously.  

The United States welcomes Head of Mission Varga to the Permanent Council. Ambassador, we commend you and your team for your continued efforts under particularly challenging conditions. 

The United States has on numerous occasions expressed regret over Russia’s continued blockage of efforts to expand the geographic scope of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk.

Ceasefire violations rose in eastern Ukraine as Russia unilaterally massed troops along its border with Ukraine and in Crimea.

Joint Statement on Ukraine Statement Delivered by H.E. Anne-Kirsti Karlsen, Ambassador of Norway to the OSCE Ministerial Council Tirana, Albania (remotely, via Zoom) December 4, 2020 This Statement is delivered on behalf of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, …

Statement by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council

Statement by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council

Interpretive Statement by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council

Statement by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council

Statement by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council

Statement delivered by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council on July 23, 2020

Statement delivered by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III at the Permanent Council on July 9, 2020.

Statement delivered by Lane Darnell Bahl to the Permanent Council on July 2, 2020.

ASRC 2020 statement delivered during the Special Session: Ensuring Security and Stability in the OSCE region in light of developments with respect to Ukraine

Statement delivered by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III on June 18, 2020 at the Permanent Council.

Statement delivered by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III on June 11, 2020 at the Permanent Council.

Statement delivered by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III on June 11, 2020 at the Permanent Council.

Statement delivered at the June 4, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Statement delivered at the May 28, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Permanent Council statement delivered by Ambassador Gilmore on the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints.

Right of Reply delivered at the Permanent Council on May 21, 2020 to the Russian Federation

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on May 21, 2020 on Forced Conscription in Crimea

Statement delivered at the May 21, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Statement delivered on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine at the May 14, 2020 at the Permanent Council.

U.S. Interpretative Statement on the Decision to Extend Deployment of OSCE Observers to Border Observation Mission.

Statement delivered on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine at the May 7, 2020 at the Permanent Council.

Statement delivered on April 30, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Statement distributed to the OSCE on April 2, 2020 On Russia’s Ongoing Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea

Statement distributed to the OSCE on March 26, 2020 on Russia and its Proxies’ Restrictions on the Movement of the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

Statement delivered on March 12, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine

Statement delivered on March 5, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine.

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on the Sixth Anniversary of Russian Occupation of Crimea.

Statement delivered on February 27, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Statement delivered on February 13, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine.

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on the Report on the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints.

Statement delivered on February 6, 2020 at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine.

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea

“I fear that the dozens of Ukrainian political prisoners Russia still holds may be experiencing the same severe mistreatment,” Gilmore assessed.

Interpretative statement delivered on the Mandate of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

Joint statement on Euro-Atlantic security delivered at the closing of the 2019 OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea

Right of Reply delivered at the Permanent Council in Response to the Russian delegation

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea.

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and illegal occupation of Crimea.

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea

Point of Clarification delivered to the Permanent Council on the situation in Ukraine

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea.

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine and Illegal Occupation of Crimea

Right of Reply delivered at the Opening Session of the 2019 HDIM.

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on July 4, 2019

Annual Security Review Conference: Special Session on Ensuring Security and Stability in the OSCE region in Light of Developments with Respect to Ukraine As delivered by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Christopher Robinson, Vienna, June 25, 2019 With the conflict in Ukraine now in its sixth year, we should collectively …

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on June 20, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on June 6, 2019

Statement in Response to Chief Observer of the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on May 30, 2019

Statement delivered on the Occasion of the Farewell to OSCE SMM Chief Monitor Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan on 30 May 2019

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council in Commemoration of the Expulsion of Crimean Tatars

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on May 16, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on May 9, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on May 2, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on April 11, 2019

Statement delivered at Permanent Council on Report by OSCE Chief Monitor and CiO’s Special Representative in Ukraine

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on March 28, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on March 14, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on March 7, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine on February 28, 2019

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine

Statement delivered at the Permanent Council in Response to the OSCE Mission at Russian Checkpoints Chief Observer

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council On Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine

Statement at Permanent Council In Response to OSCE Chief Monitor and CiO Special Representative to Ukraine

Statement delivered to the Permanent Council in Response to Project Coordinator in Ukraine

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles in Ukraine.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles in Ukraine.

Statement to a special session of the Permanent Council on the Illegal “Elections” in Donbas.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments in Ukraine.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments in Ukraine.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments in Ukraine.

Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Interpretative Statement on the Extension of the Observer Mission to Two Checkpoints on the Russian-Ukrainian Border.

On the Hunger Strike of Imprisoned Ukrainian Film Director Oleg Sentsov.

Response to the OSCE’s Chief Monitor in Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Ambassador Martin Sajdik.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations of international law and defiance of OSCE principles and commitments in Ukraine.

Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Harry Kamian to the Permanent Council, Vienna June 14, 2018 Mr. Chair, intense fighting near the Donetsk Filtration Station led to a temporary suspension of its operations last week, jeopardizing the …

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Statement to the Permanent Council in response to the report by the Chief Observer of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk, Ambassador György Varga.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s Ongoing Violations in Ukraine

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations of international law and defiance of OSCE principles and commitments in Ukraine.

Statement to the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations of international law and defiance of OSCE principles and commitments in Ukraine.

Response at the Permanent Council to the peports by OSCE’s Chief Monitor in Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, and the Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative, Ambassador Martin Sajdik.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

We stress, once again, that attacks, threats, and intimidation of any kind against SMM monitors are unacceptable, inconsistent with this mandate, and must end.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Statement at the Permanent Council rejecting the Russian Federation’s conduct of a sham election in Crimea.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing, four-year occupation of Crimea.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Statement at the Permanent Council in response to the head of the observer mission at two checkpoints on the Russia-Ukraine border.

Statement at the Permanent Council: Response to Ambassadors Ertugrul Apakan and Martin Sajdik.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations in Ukraine.

Interpretative Statement delivered at the Permanent Council on the Extension of the Observer Mission to Two Checkpoints on the Russian-Ukrainian Border.

Statement at the Permanent Council on Russia’s ongoing violations of international law and defiance of OSCE principles and commitments in Ukraine.

Ceasefire violations have now returned to higher levels than those recorded before the August 25 truce.

The United States joins the people of Ukraine in honoring the memory of the Revolution of Dignity and those who gave their lives to build a more just, democratic, and European Ukraine.

Russia’s willingness to exploit the vulnerabilities of critical civilian infrastructure leaves the civilian population exposed to unconscionable danger.

Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine As delivered by Deputy Political Counselor Darren Perdue to the Permanent Council, Vienna November 16, 2017 Thank you, Mr. Chair. The conflict in the Donbas seems to have returned to an established pattern as we enter the …

We note with great concern that the fighting fomented by Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine is again on the verge of causing a significant humanitarian disaster.

The so-called renewed “Back to School” ceasefire effort in eastern Ukraine appears to be collapsing.

The United States does not recognize the legitimacy or the outcome of the elections that took place in Russian-occupied Crimea on September 10.

Reported ceasefire violations in Ukraine have decreased, but the use of heavy weapons violations still exceeds 100 per week.

OSCE monitors in Ukraine continue to face serious restrictions, violence, and harassment in territory controlled by the forces Russia arms, trains, leads and fights alongside.