Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho, at the UNSC debate on the Question of Ukraine - February 27th, 2022

Mr. President,

Last Friday, my delegation laid out before this Council a comprehensive view of its concerns regarding the security developments in and around Ukraine.  Nothing in the intervening period has led us to having had those concerns allayed.

On the contrary, in fact. As we speak, the number of casualties, the human suffering and the risks to international peace and security keep increasing by the hour. UNHCR already places the number of refugees at 422,000.

We have voted in favour of the draft resolution before the Council despite misgivings about its timing and its contribution to achieving peace. These misgivings stem ultimately from our unyielding commitment of respect for, and interest in upholding, the Charter and the role of the Security Council itself.

The urgency of the situation has convinced us of the need to add the voice of the General Assembly to that of the Security Council in seeking solutions to the crisis in and around Ukraine.

This in no way detracts from our firm belief that the Council, with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, has not yet exhausted the instruments and mechanisms at its disposal to contribute to a negotiated and diplomatic solution towards peace.

Therefore, we reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, for full respect to humanitarian law, and for a renewed attempt within the Council for the promotion of, and support to, a process of dialogue between the parties involved, a role that the Council is inherently better equipped to provide in order to bring a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian conflict. The Security Council and General Assembly must work together.

As we renew our calls for an immediate ceasefire, we also appeal to Ukraine and Russia to facilitate the withdrawal of all persons who want to leave the Ukrainian territory. Brazil already wishes to express its gratitude to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and others who are facilitating the exit of people fleeing the conflict, in particular Brazilians and Latin Americans.

Let us be exceedingly cautious in moving forward in the General Assembly. The supply of weapons, the recourse to cyberattacks, and the application of selective sanctions, which could affect sectors such as fertilizers and wheat, with a strong risk of famine, entail the risk of exacerbating and spreading the conflict and not of solving it. We cannot be oblivious to the fact that these measures enhance the risks of wider and direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. It is our duty, both in the Council and in the General Assembly, to stop and reverse this escalation. We need to engage in serious negotiations, in good faith, that could allow the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, security guarantees for Ukraine and Russia, and strategic stability in Europe.

I thank you.