19 May 2026
Mr. President,
I would like to thank Ms. Kayoko Gotoh, Director for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, as well as Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, for their valuable briefings, as always.
Once again, we deeply regret another missed opportunity to establish a lasting ceasefire. This ceasefire could have helped reduce the suffering endured by the Ukrainian population, and also advance peace negotiations.
Indeed, after pretending to advocate for a temporary ceasefire covering the May 9 celebrations in Moscow, Russia refused to extend this truce.
The consequence has been the continuation of the war on the front line — where Russia has been bogged down for months — as well as the resumption of bombardments on an unprecedented scale against Ukrainian cities, particularly the capital. These attacks claimed more than twenty lives on the night of May 14 alone and involved more than 650 drones and 50 missiles.
On that same day, an OCHA humanitarian convoy in Kherson was targeted by drones, in blatant violation of international humanitarian law, which must be respected under all circumstances.
It must be repeated tirelessly: attacks against civilians are illegal, attacks against humanitarian personnel are illegal; they may constitute war crimes.
Mr. President,
One month ago, in this very chamber, we made the same comment regarding the lack of follow-up to the Easter truce, which was broken by massive bombardments against Ukraine, despite the extended hand of the Ukrainian President, who had proposed making the cessation of hostilities permanent. After more than four years of a high-intensity war of aggression, this Council cannot resign itself to accepting temporary ceasefires used by Russia at its convenience in order to conduct its illegal offensives against Ukraine as it sees fit.
Together with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and with the vast majority of Member States from every continent, we call for the implementation of an immediate, comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire.
Russia must hear this message, which is being conveyed from all corners of the world. It is the responsibility of this Council to lead efforts in that direction.
Mr. President,
Ukraine is defending itself, it is defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is acting within its rights, and our collective support for its legitimate self-defense remains unwavering. This support will continue to be expressed in tangible ways, whether through financial and military assistance or through our backing for initiatives aimed at combating impunity, such as the establishment within the Council of Europe of a Special Tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine, complementing the work of the International Criminal Court.
France and its partners will not accept the continuation of war in Europe. Together with the Coalition of the Willing, we are preparing the security guarantees that are needed for a lasting peace.
We seek a dialogue conducted in good faith in order to build a just and lasting peace on our continent, for Ukraine and for Europe, because that is our responsibility. It is time for Russia to engage fully in this effort.
Thank you.