Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine
United States Mission to the United Nations
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
For Immediate Release
February 24, 2023
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine
A year ago today, Russia launched an illegal, unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine. Over the past year, the world has seen mounting evidence of Russia’s unspeakable atrocities. Members of the Russian armed forces have committed war crimes and, together with other Russian officials, crimes against humanity, including deporting Ukrainian children to remote locations in Russia.
I met personally with victims of these horrors when I visited Ukraine last November. I will never forget the pain on their faces and the tears in their eyes. At the same time I met with Ukrainian children and families who had hope for the future. If they still have hope and confidence in their future, then we should too.
Putin tried to break Ukraine, but the people of Ukraine stood up strong for their freedom and their country. As President Biden said, the United States stands with Ukraine because America stands for freedom. America stands for democracy. America stands against bullies. That’s us as a people. And a year into this phase of the war, our commitment has not waned. The people of Ukraine have demonstrated their skills on the battlefield and their determination to defend their country, and the United States and its allies and partners will continue to ensure that Ukraine has everything it needs to support its people and its people Defending territory against Russia’s aggression – for as long as it lasts, for example.
Over the past year, the United States and our partners at the United Nations have taken numerous actions to hold Russia accountable for its violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the UN Charter, and international humanitarian law. Days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UN General Assembly convened and 141 countries voted to condemn Russia’s invasion. And just yesterday, a year later, 141 countries demonstrated our unity and voted for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, a peace consistent with the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter of sovereignty and territorial integrity . The General Assembly reiterated its clear call for an immediate Russian withdrawal from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. The international community was clear. And Russia remains isolated on the world stage.
Here are the facts: if Russia stops fighting and withdraws, the war will end. When Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. That is why we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
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