I have the honour to speak on behalf of Australia, New Zealand and my own country, Canada.

Last week, on August 24th, we marked the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

We celebrated Ukraine as it is recognized under international law, within its internationally recognized borders.

Every temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine by the Russian Federation is Ukraine.

We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression violates the UN Charter.

It strikes at the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence that underpin this Organization.

We therefore firmly reject and will never recognize the illegal so-called 'elections' organized by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, nor any attempt to use them to legitimize Russia's unlawful occupation.

The planned September 2026 elections in these territories are the latest attempt to entrench and legitimize Russia's illegal occupation.

We call on all Member States to reject attempts to redraw borders by force.

Colleagues.

Ukrainians feel the consequences of Russia's brutal aggression every day.
Ukrainians have shown extraordinary courage, but they should not be expected to endure the unendurable without consistent, principled support.

In the temporarily occupied territories, human rights violations, repression, gender-based violence and forced re-education have become a grim reality of daily life.

Russia does not want the world to see what is happening in these territories.

Or how it uses coercion, forced assimilation and indoctrination to erase Ukrainian identity, to entrench its occupation.

Earlier this year, the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that the deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children, and their enforced disappearance, amount to crimes against humanity.

The Commission has also documented what appears to be systematic torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, exposing a system of abuse and impunity.

The international community must intensify all efforts to support the return of deported Ukrainian children, prisoners of war, and unlawfully detained civilians.

On September 28-29, my own country Canada, with Ukraine and Norway will convene in Toronto under the theme of Pathways to Peace the second ministerial conference on returning Ukrainian Children, detained civilians, and prisoners of war, in Toronto.

The conference reflects our determination to return those unlawfully taken, support survivors and their families, and ensure that human suffering never becomes normalized.

There can be no impunity for crimes committed in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
We recognize the increasing risks posed by drones strikes and other weapons on humanitarian workers who seek to help those harmed by Russia's aggression

We condemn all attacks on humanitarian workers wherever they take place, and we call on all States to support and implement the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. Russia must allow and facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

We call on countries that continue to support Russia's war effort to cease enabling its aggression and its violations of international law.

Russia's war extends far beyond Ukraine. Its consequences are felt in global food security, energy security, and the integrity of the international rules-based order.

We welcome efforts to advance a diplomatic path toward peace and support all credible initiatives aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.

Any peace settlement must be grounded in international law, including the UN Charter, uphold Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ensure that Russia's war of aggression can never be repeated.

We stand unwavering in our commitment to help Ukraine protect its freedom, restore its territorial integrity, and rebuild a stronger future.

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