Statement by Ireland

Rotenturmstrasse 16-18 1010 Vín, An Ostair | Rotenturmstrasse 16-18 1010 Vienna, Austria T +43 1 715 76 98 26 | F + 43 1 715 57 55 | Ireland-OSCE@dfa.ie www.dfa.ie 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/830/25 25 August 2025 ENGLISH only Statement by Ireland at the 1530 th Special Meeting of the Permanent Council The Russian Federation’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine 25 August 2025 Thank you, Chair. Ireland fully aligns with the statement delivered by Denmark on behalf of 26 EU Member States. I would like to make the following remarks in our national capacity. Chair, We take this opportunity to congratulate Ukraine on its independence day. Independence is a core tenet underpinning the Helsinki Final Act, the 50th anniversary of which we marked earlier this month. By launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has shown blatant disregard for this document. Its continued refusal to acknowledge the right of other states to exercise their independence is an affront to the principles on which this organisation is built. Chair, Multiple international mechanisms, including ODIHR’s Ukraine Monitoring Initiative and the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, as well as civil society organisations, have documented Russia’s systematic attempts to change the character of the territory it illegally occupies. These measures are a blatant violation of international law and the perpetrators must be held accountable. We reiterate our call for the return of all abducted children and the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained by Russia. This includes the three SMM staff members Vadym Golda, Maxym Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov. Chair, We all want to see peace in Ukraine. But how we make peace matters. Any agreement must uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and protect Ukraine and Europe’s vital security. That means strong, credible guarantees that ensure Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and ward off future aggression. Today we pay tribute to the courage of the Ukrainian people in defending their freedom and our shared values. The time for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine is long overdue. We call on Russia to engage seriously in peace negotiations. Russia is the aggressor in this conflict, and can end its aggression at any time. Ireland will continue to work to achieve a peace that fully respects international law, including Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, and the inviolability of its borders. Thank you.