Mr. President,

 Since this is the first time I am taking the floor under your Presidency, I would like to start by extending my warmest congratulations to you on the assumption of your duties and wishing you every success in this challenging endeavor. Allow me to also convey our gratitude to the US delegation for outlining the plans of the Third Presidency for its tenure, as well as for the unwavering solidarity with Ukraine against the backdrop of the Russian aggression expressed in the statement delivered just now by Assistant Secretary of State Dr. Yleem D.S. Poblete.

Before I proceed, I would also like to use this opportunity to commend Ambassador Liddle of the United Kingdom and his team for their tireless efforts, as the Second CD Presidency, aimed at pathing the way towards finding a breakthrough in the Conference on Disarmament, reflected in the very timely, appropriate and balanced initiative outlined in the document CD/WP.619/Rev.2.

Mr. President, Distinguished delegates,

I have to highlight that the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is indeed of ongoing nature. It has been lasting for over 5 years. We continue to register deliberate shelling by Russian armed formations, including with the use of Minsk-prohibited weaponry, of the Ukrainian soil in the South East of my country. Throughout the occupied parts of Donbas, aerial imagery available to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reveals the presence of dozens of multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, mortars, self-propelled and towed artillery. Furthermore, Russia continues to maintain uninterrupted resupplies of weapons and ammunition to the illegal armed groups, operating in the South East of Ukraine. We, therefore, once again urge the Russian side to seize these hostilities and implement in good faith its commitments on security aspects of the Minsk agreements.

Moreover, Russia has been carrying out progressive militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. These disruptive actions include, inter alia, destabilizing transfers by the Russian side of weapon systems, in particular, nuclear-capable aircrafts and missiles, other weaponry, ammunition and military personnel to the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Pursuant to the Agreement between Ukraine and the IAEA for the Application of Safeguards in connection with the NPT, on the whole territory of Ukraine it is prohibited to deploy nuclear weapons or divert nuclear materials and facilities of Ukraine for military purposes. Therefore, Ukraine calls upon the international community to urge Russia to abstain from any actions connected with the violation of the nuclear-free status of the part of the territory of Ukraine – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

Multiple military exercises of Russian armed forces in Crimea undermine regional security and entail considerable long-term negative environmental consequences in the region. Russian Federation’s ongoing actions in parts of the Black Sea surrounding Crimea and the Sea of Azov, including their militarization, pose further threats to Ukraine and undermine the stability in the broader context. The international community continues to strongly condemn the dangerous increase in tensions and the unjustified use of force by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including against three vessels of the Naval Forces of Ukraine on November 25, 2018 in the Black Sea. We welcome the decisions of the United States, EU, Canada and some other countries to launch a new Azov package of sanctions for the above-mentioned open and blatant act of armed aggression against my country. The Ukrainian sideurges Russia to release the vessels, their 24 crew members and equipment unconditionally and without delay.

At this particularly critical juncture the strict implementation of UNGA Resolution 73/194 of 17 December 2018 titled “The problem of militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine), as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov” is of paramount importance.

Mr. President, Distinguished delegates,

 In the current volatile security environment, we have to carefully reflect upon not only our immediate duties to elaborate new international disarmament instruments, but the state of adherence to existing relevant multilateral and normative mechanisms. These new instruments cannot be separated from the broader security context, and global security is unachievable without ensuring proper verification and implementation of existing disarmament and non-proliferation agreements.

Let’s look at the current situation in this field. I was repeatedly outspoken in this Chamber about the blatant violation by the Russian Federation of the Budapest Memorandumand its negative impact on the global security architecture. On November 27, 2018 Ukraine once again appealed to the signatory states of the Budapest Memorandum and demanded urgent consultations to ensure full adherence to the commitments and immediate halt of the external aggression against our country. Unfortunately, the Russian Federation once again just ignored this Ukrainian appeal. We are convinced that the situation with the Budapest Memorandum has to be duly reflected in the context of preparation for the 2020 NPT Review Conference. The efficient steps are required to restore confidence in the Memorandum, which would facilitate the efforts by the worldwide community to strengthen the international non-proliferation regime.

Further, let me reiterate our deep concern with regards to the systematic violations by the Russian Federation of the INF Treaty, which pose a direct threat to international security. It is especially disturbing that the Russian Iskander-M operational tactical missile system, with expanded combat capabilities, in breach of the Treaty, was spotted during the military drills in the occupied territory of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. 

We cannot but mention also the situation with the realization by the Russian Federation of the provisions of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Russia continues supplying illegal armed groups in the South East of my country with weaponry, prohibited by the Convention. The Ukrainian side has been providing explicit evidence of these violations over the past years during the Meetings of the CCW States Parties and Experts. 

Next in the list is the issue of implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention, which was elaborated, by the way, in this Chamber. Ukraine continues to be seriously worried about the collections of microorganisms which were located at a number of crucial facilities of Ukraine’s biosecurity system currently not under control of the Ukrainian Government because of the Russian aggression, namely: the Ukrainian anti-plague station in the city of Simferopol, the Crimean republican diagnostic laboratory, as well as Donetsk and Luhansk regional sanitary and epidemiological stations. Their illegal take-over by the Russian side seriously undermines the regime established by the BWC.

Another violated instrument, also developed in the Conference on Disarmament, is the Chemical Weapons Convention. I would like to reiterate herewith Ukraine’s condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, of the March 2018 attack in Salisbury. We agree with the assessment of the United Kingdom Government that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible for this attack and we commend the UK for its transparency and the progress in the investigation, which we hope will soon lead to the prosecution of the perpetrators of this abhorrent act.

Ukraine also expresses grave concern that Syria has not engaged substantively with the OPCW Technical Secretariat to resolve the numerous gaps and discrepancies contained in its CWC Declarations. Even today, more than five years after Syria’s accession to the Convention, the list of outstanding unresolved issues, questions, and ambiguities remains long. To date, the Syrian Arab Republic has failed to provide clear evidence that it has irreversibly dismantled its chemical weapons programme and put its chemical weapons beyond use. The Syrian Arab Republic must immediately cease any use of chemical weapons, and declare all relevant information concerning its chemical weapons programme and stockpiles to the OPCW.

Mr. President, Distinguished delegates,

The picture I have just depicted is quite worrisome. The CD cannot turn a blind eye to that. Our august body doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it has to maintain a constant connection with the reality, even though a vexing one. Looking forward to resuming work on negotiating legally binding disarmament instruments, our Conference, at the same time, has to look behind and analyze how its own products and other disarmament agreements are being implemented. The holistic approach in this respect has to be applied. Only this way we can succeed. 

Ukraine will continue making its input ingenuine endeavors aimed at achieving the goals and objectives of the CD, as a vital element of the rules-based international order, and is looking forward to working, as a reliable and responsible partner, closely with you, Mr. President, and all willing Member States.

I thank you.

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