STATEMENT BY THE DELEGATION OF UKRAINE As delivered by HE Mr Yurii Vitrenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna 1544 th meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council Agenda Item 1, “The Russian Federation’s Ongoing Aggression Against Ukraine” (27 November 2025) Mr Chairperson, As the nation bearing the full weight of an unprovoked and unjustified war, Ukraine seeks peace more than any other country. From the very outset of Russia’s aggression, Ukraine has consistently demonstrated its firm commitment to a diplomatic resolution and has taken every possible step to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. We sincerely value the support of all nations that have stood with us on this path and continue to reiterate a simple truth: the war must end. We particularly appreciate the role of the United States, and President Trump personally, in efforts to halt the bloodshed and bring long-awaited peace closer. As before, we remain ready to work constructively with the American side, as well as with our European partners and the broader international community, to ensure that peace prevails. Ukraine’s leadership has made clear that we are prepared to work around the clock to advance a real path toward peace. Recent consultations in Geneva demonstrated this clearly. Now Ukraine has the framework developed together with partners, and we are ready to move forward – with the US, Canada, the UK, the EU member states, and with all partners who have the strength and capacity to help. As President Zelenskyy recently emphasised: “Ukraine will never be an obstacle to peace – this is our principle, a shared principle, and millions of Ukrainians are counting on and deserve a dignified peace.” The OSCE Secretariat bears no responsibility for the content of this document and circulates it without altering its content. The distribution by OSCE Conference Services of this document is without prejudice to OSCE decisions, as set out in documents agreed by OSCE participating States. PC.DEL/1319/25 3 December 2025 ENGLISH only
2 Distinguished colleagues, While Ukraine and the United States, in cooperation with partners, work to find ways to stop the bloodshed and restore peace, the Russian Federation continues to intensify its terror. Regrettably, unrestricted terror is the only response that millions of Ukrainians see from Russia. This is also the only response witnessed by the international community. Russian attacks repeatedly demonstrate that the Kremlin has no intention of ending its war of aggression against Ukraine. The false statements we hear from Moscow stand in brutal contrast to Russia’s actions on the ground. Over the recent weekend, Russian forces carried out a series of devastating attacks against Ukraine. On 22 November, Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region was struck by a “Smerch” multiple rocket-launch system. As a result of this strike, three people were killed and three others were seriously injured. A massive drone attack carried out on the same day against the city of Dnipro and the surrounding Dnipropetrovsk region injured 14 people, including an 11 -year-old child. The following day, 23 November, the city of Kharkiv was targeted in another large- scale attack, with at least 15 drones striking private homes and resulting in four deaths, 13 injuries, and significant damage to civilian infrastructure. Earlier this week, on 25 November, Russia launched another massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine, deploying 464 long-range drones and 22 missiles. Odesa, as well as the Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kyiv regions, came under attack. In Kyiv alone, the strike killed eight civilians and injured 34, including four children. Ordinary residential buildings and critical civilian energy infrastructure were damaged, further disrupting power, water, and heating supplies amid cold temperatures. Moreover, several Russian drones also violated the airspace of Romania and Moldova, once again proving that Moscow does not recognise state borders and does not care about the possible implications of its actions. In total, only during the past week, Russian forces launched nearly 1,050 attack drones, around 1,000 guided aerial bombs, and 60 missiles of various types against Ukraine. As a result of such actions and the so -called “Russian readiness for negotiations,” the death toll among civilians continues to rise sharply. The UN has already expressed serious concern over the alarming increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine, noting that the overall figure from January to October 2025 has already exceeded the total for the entire previous year. According to figures confirmed by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights , since the start of the Russia`s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 14,534 Ukrainian civilians, including 745 children, have been killed. 38,472 more civilians, including 2,375 children, have been injured.
3 Mr Chairperson, Ukraine remains fully committed to restoring a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. It is important to stress, however, that peace extends beyond a simple cessation of hostilities. What we seek is the restoration of the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. Yet Ukraine cannot achieve this alone. Reaching this goal requires unified international efforts to ensure that the Russian Federation ceases its obstruction of the peace process. As long as Russia fails to take genuine steps toward ending its war, we have no other choice but to continue our work aimed at safeguarding our collective security. We have to continue to protect lives, strengthen air defences, hold the front line, and maintain sanctions against the aggressor state. Russian missile terror clearly demonstrates how urgently Ukraine needs air defence and anti-missile systems to protect citizens and civil infrastructure from reckless Russian attacks, particularly during the winter season. We are very grateful for the actions our international partners are taking to enhance Ukraine’s combat capabilities, in particular within the Coalition of the Willing and the PURL initiative. The military assistance provided to Ukraine helps us save lives. We call on all countries to continue it until the long-awaited peace is restored. Thank you, Mr Chairperson.