Thank you, Mr Chair. In recent months, the Russian Federation has escalated its military operations against Ukraine, launching an unprecedented number of drone attacks, maintaining a sustained offensive with missile strikes, and consistently targeting Ukrainian cities, energy infrastructure, and civilian facilities. Concurrently, Russia has expanded its disruptive activities beyond the Ukrainian borders, impacting the airspace, infrastructure, and security of neighbouring European states.
This surge in aggression does not signify confidence; rather, it underscores the ongoing inadequacies of the Russian Armed Forces in converting substantial financial investment and manpower into meaningful achievements on the battlefield. Despite the heavy toll in human resources, reported to be around 1.5 million casualties—42,000 of which occurred in August alone—Russia’s military advancements have notably decelerated in 2026 compared to their already sluggish pace in 2025. The costs of these stagnating advances are becoming increasingly unsustainable, as Russia concentrates forces in eastern Ukraine yet fails to secure a decisive victory. Meanwhile, Ukraine remains resilient, effectively conducting counteroffensive operations.
Misguided Assumptions About Patience
The Russian government appears to operate under the erroneous belief that it can outlast Ukraine’s supporters. This assumption is fundamentally flawed. The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine and will continue to furnish the necessary support to uphold its sovereignty, freedom, and territorial integrity.
Mr Chair, it is crucial to examine Russia’s military posture in conjunction with its diplomatic actions. Ukraine has consistently expressed its willingness to pursue peace through diplomatic avenues, repeatedly proposing an immediate and unconditional ceasefire—an offer that Russia has resolutely rejected. In stark contrast, Russia continues to press for demands tantamount to Ukraine’s capitulation while intensifying its aerial assaults on Ukrainian urban centres.
The inescapable conclusion is that the Russian government lacks genuine interest in peace. A nation genuinely prepared for meaningful negotiations would not dismiss a ceasefire while simultaneously escalating its attacks on civilian infrastructure. It would not insist upon the surrender of sovereign territory that its armed forces have been unable to capture after years of conflict.
Escalatory Patterns Beyond Ukraine
The situation extends beyond Ukraine, revealing a broader pattern of aggressive behaviour from Russia. With its military progress stalled, the Russian state has increasingly resorted to airspace violations, acts of sabotage, cyberattacks, and strikes against critical infrastructure. These reckless maneuvers not only threaten security across Europe but also cannot be viewed in isolation from Russia’s overarching war against Ukraine. They represent a broader strategy to impose costs on Ukraine’s allies, test our responses, and undermine our collective resolve.
Such actions have repercussions throughout the OSCE region, compelling participating states to allocate additional resources for airspace protection, safeguarding critical infrastructure, investigating sabotage incidents, and bolstering resilience against cyber and other disruptive threats. Each violation of airspace or unexplained occurrence heightens the risk of misinterpretation and miscalculation. This deliberate expansion of insecurity contradicts Russia’s assertions of seeking stability or peace, as well as its claims of posing no threat to Europe.
Commitment to Ukraine’s Sovereignty
The intensification of Russian assaults in Ukraine, coupled with its disruptive activities elsewhere, does not indicate success. Expanding the geographical dimensions and economic burdens of insecurity will not alter the fundamental conditions on the battlefield, nor will it diminish the United Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine or our unity within NATO.
Mr Chair, the pathway to peace remains unequivocal. Russia must agree to an immediate ceasefire and engage earnestly in negotiations aimed at achieving a fair and lasting peace. Despite attempts to depict the UK as a proponent of conflict, I wish to reiterate—our aim is not conflict, nor is it the objective of NATO as an Alliance. However, we will steadfastly support Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defence, collaborate with our partners to ensure our collective security, and maintain pressure on the Kremlin as it persists in its unlawful aggression.