Thank you, Mr. President. Let me start by thanking Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for briefing us on the current situation in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories, and Ukraine, who called and is here for this critical meeting.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield has condemned Russia's recent missile attacks on Odesa, which resulted in at least 14 deaths and numerous injuries. She linked this violence to the ongoing issue of what she described as "sham presidential elections" in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories.
"For those who have questions about Russia’s intentions in Ukraine, there is an old saying you may have heard before: Once is a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. And three times is a pattern," Thomas-Greenfield stated. She referenced past events such as Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea as part of this pattern.
She emphasized that Russia's current actions are part of a broader strategy to legitimize its control over Ukrainian territory through these elections. "Russia’s tactic of holding sham elections in Ukraine’s occupied territories is, in fact, a pattern," she asserted.
The ambassador highlighted that Russia's Central Election Commission is conducting elections not only within Russia but also in parts of Ukraine it occupies: Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea. She labeled these actions as a "blatant propaganda exercise" aimed at bolstering Russia's claims to these areas.
Thomas-Greenfield called for international unity against such practices: "UN members need not agree on everything to stand together and stand up for a simple tenet: Holding elections in another sovereign UN Member State’s territory without its consent is in manifest disregard for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The United States has imposed sanctions on individuals supporting Russia's war efforts and called upon the global community to do likewise against those organizing these elections. The ambassador urged so-called election observers to resist being used to legitimize the process.
"The United States will never recognize the Russian Federation’s claim to any of Ukraine’s sovereign territory," she declared unequivocally.
In closing remarks, Thomas-Greenfield reiterated the importance of upholding the UN Charter principles and seeking accountability for actions taken by Russian officials in Ukraine: "We continue to condemn this sham election in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territory for what it is: One in a pattern of failed attempts to justify the unjustifiable."
Thank you, Mr. President.