Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho, on Ukraine - January 13th, 2023
Mr President,
I thank USG Rosemary DiCarlo for the detailed and comprehensive briefing, which unfortunately confirms prevailing sombre expectations. We are sorry to hear, once again, that there are no prospects for opening peace negotiations while the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate and the number of civilian casualties increases every day.
Brazil understands that initiatives such as the temporary ceasefire during orthodox Christmas could pave the way for the resumption of dialogue. It is heart-breaking to see that even in such moments it is impossible to reach an agreement, and yet another opportunity to build peace was lost.
We urge the parties to break this senseless dynamic. At the same time, we expect all countries directly or indirectly involved to start showing genuine interest in a dialogue for achieving peace. The exclusive pursuit of military solutions will inevitably stoke long-lasting resentments and a post-conflict situation of fragility and instability.
Mr President,
We regret the disbanding of the fact-finding mission set up by the United Nations to investigate the incident of 29 July 2022 in Olenivka, even before it was able to initiate its work. Impartial scrutiny is essential to contain the proliferation of false narratives and prevent such atrocities from happening again. We encourage the parties to increase efforts to ensure the security of future missions of this nature and the Secretary-General to reconsider the decision.
Mr President,
Brazil reiterates its commitment to the preservation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to a political solution to the conflict that takes into account legitimate security concerns. We also reiterate the call for the well-being of the civilian population on both sides of the front line to be everyone’s priority. We welcome Türkiye’s renewed mediation efforts and encourage other members of the United Nations to engage in initiatives that will allow for the prompt cessation of hostilities, in order to abbreviate the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
I thank you.