UK tells OSCE Russia should accept ceasefire to reduce security risks

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UK urges Russia ceasefire at OSCE

Highlights

UK Ambassador Holland tells the OSCE that Russia is solely responsible for the war against Ukraine and should accept a ceasefire and negotiations immediately.
UK states increased NATO defence spending and support for Ukraine are direct responses to Russia's actions since the February 2022 full-scale invasion, not provocations.
UK warns at the OSCE that undermining principles of sovereignty and non-use of force in Ukraine threatens security for all states and calls for de-escalation at the 9 July UN Security Council meeting.

UK position on war and ceasefire

As reported by GOV.UK, Ambassador Holland tells the OSCE that Russia alone causes the war through its illegal use of force against Ukraine and should now stop its attacks, accept a ceasefire and engage seriously in negotiations toward a just and lasting peace.

The UK says Russia's portrayal of international support for Ukraine as a product of Western hostility or alleged Russophobia is false. It says the present crisis stems from Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022, following the illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilisation of eastern Ukraine in 2014.

According to the statement, the use of force against a sovereign neighbour is a deliberate choice, as are violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity and commitments under the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. Those actions, it says, are the real source of the insecurity now under discussion.

Implications for NATO and European security

The UK says NATO is a defensive alliance whose purpose is to protect the territory and populations of its members. It adds that higher defence spending and readiness measures are reactions to Russia's conduct, and do not precede it.

Support for Ukraine should be viewed in the same way, the statement says, arguing that Kyiv is exercising its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter as it continues to face attacks on cities and infrastructure. The UK adds that states are not required to stand aside while rules protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity are broken.

The statement says the way to reduce escalation is already available, pointing to the UN Security Council meeting on 9 July, where members call for de-escalation, civilian protection and a ceasefire. It argues that if the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-use of force are weakened in Ukraine, they are weakened for every state, including Russia.

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