Implementing international humanitarian law: prisoners of war, civilian detainees and foreign fighters, in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine - Security Council, Arria Formula

Good morning, dear colleagues. It is an honour to welcome you to this area formula meeting co-organised by Latvia and the United Kingdom and co-sponsored by Ukraine. And the theme of today's event is implementing international humanitarian law, prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and foreign fighters in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine. This year alone, the Security Council has convened 11 open briefings on Russia's aggression against Ukraine in response to numerous brutal attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, targeting of humanitarians and their aid infrastructure, attacks against diplomatic missions, reckless violations of neighboring airspace, and deliberate attacks on Ukraine's grain exports, disrupting critical food supplies and endangering global food and maritime security. Details on these attacks, including casualties, have been thoroughly documented because Ukraine provides full and unimpeded access to the United Nations system and the ICRC. But the purpose of today's meeting is to focus on the people who should be protected by international humanitarian law and international human rights law, but whose rights Russia violates every day. So today we focus on three issues. First, we're drawing attention to the violation of the Geneva Conventions against thousands of arbitrarily detained Ukrainian civilians. How can we ensure their freedom and protection? How can we ensure that Russia does not take political prisoners and instead complies with its obligations under international law? Second, we are highlighting the systemic torture, ill treatment, conflict-related sexual violence, and executions endured by Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian custody. What practical measures can be taken to facilitate the exchange and return of prisoners of war and civilian detainees? How can we ensure that ICRC has full access to fulfill its mandate? Third, we address the issue of foreign fighters. Many governments from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America are raising alarm and issuing warnings for Russia to stop the illicit recruitment of their nationals into its armed forces and military industry. How can we coordinate our efforts more effectively to stop this? And the goal is to examine what the Council can do to stop these violations of international law. And today we are giving the voice to the people Russia wants to silence. And I admire the strength and courage of the survivors who turn their harrowing experiences into testimonies. It is an honor to have you here and for sharing your story. I also thank the United Nations agencies and journalists who work tirelessly to expose these violations. enabling the Council to act on the basis of facts and verified data, including evidence of violations committed by Russia thousands of kilometers away from the battlefield. The goal today is to listen and to look for solutions. And with this, I will now give the floor to our co-organizers, Ms. Kate Foster, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations.

Thank you, Chair. The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by reports of systematic ill treatment of prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and vulnerable foreign nationals by Russian authorities as they pursue their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I also want to thank the briefers for joining us today to share their testimony and expertise. International humanitarian law and international human rights law are clear. Prisoners of war and civilian detainees must be treated humanely. Torture, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and arbitrary deprivation of life are prohibited. These are not optional standards. They are binding obligations. That is why UN reporting and the testimony that we will hear today is so concerning. UN reporting has documented arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture of civilians, detainees by Russian authorities and armed forces in areas under their control. It has also raised concerns that civilians appear to have been used as bargaining chips and exchanges, amounting to hostage taking, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law. The evidence on prisoners of war is equally troubling. UN reporting has documented a systematic, widespread, and consistent pattern of torture and ill-treatment amongst Ukrainian prisoners of war released from Russian captivity. According to the OHCHR, 96% of released prisoners of war provided accounts of torture or ill-treatment. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has documented accounts of stress positions, electric shocks, suffocation, and mock executions. Wider reporting, including by the Moscow mechanism, echoes these accounts. It has noted that this conduct may amount to widespread and systematic violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. They also document the denial of right to fair trial, unsafe detention and transfer conditions, and arbitrary killings. We're also concerned by findings of the UN mandated independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine on the deceptive and coercive recruitment of foreign nationals to fight with Russian forces. This has affected many countries globally and the Commission's investigations involving nationals from 17 countries. documented instances in which individuals were deceived or lured from abroad through promises of civilian work, transported to Russia, pressed into military contracts they did not understand, and deployed to hazardous frontline duties. Findings report their mistreatment and lasting trauma. Russia is bound by the same rules as every other state engaged in conflict. Russia has a responsibility to ensure prisoners of war and civilian detainees are treated humanely under the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions. The United Kingdom calls on Russia to end these practices, to allow meaningful international monitoring, facilitate exchanges and family contact, and comply fully with its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Colleagues, the issues that we will hear about today are yet another consequence of Russia's war against Ukraine. So I urge Russia to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire and engage in those negotiations for a just and lasting peace.

I thank the United Kingdom for the introductory remarks, and I will now give the floor to the co-sponsor, Mr. Volodymyr Pavlychenko, Charg d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations.

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to thank Latvia and the United Kingdom for sponsoring this event, organizing it, and also I would like to thank all the participating delegations today here present. I also would like to thank the ASG for Human Rights being here and our briefers, Ms. Umerova and Mr. Garcia, who will share their deeply personal stories about the topic today. The forthcoming testimonies will bring us directly to the heart of today's discussion. They will show in the most human terms why protection of the international humanitarian law is so important and why what happens when systematically disregarded. The treatment of prisoners of war and civilian detainees is one of the clearest tests for the international community and whether the international community is prepared to defend these fundamental principles. Because even in the wars there are rules that must be respected, which was numerously brought to the attention by different actors in international community. Russia's war against Ukraine has become one of the most thoroughly documented conflicts in history, as well as the disturbing pattern of grave violations committed against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees. Their findings leave little room for doubt. Torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and disregarding treatment are systematic. conflict related sexual violence has been documented against Ukrainian prisoners of war. Civilians are illegally detained, abducted, prosecuted on fabricated charges. And the Secretary General's latest report on the conflict related sexual violence marked another important milestone by listing the Russian armed forces for patterns of conflict related sexual violence committed against Ukrainian prisoners of war. It's another recognition by the UN the systematic nature of these crimes. Yet the documentation alone cannot be our end goal. Thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians remain in Russian captivity. Thousands of families still do not know the fate or where they are. Many individuals are believed to be held by Russia without any official acknowledged status. Others remain in captivity since before the full scale invasion. So we hope today discussion will both deepen our understanding of these violations, but also importantly, help identify practical ways forward. And here's the five points. First, we should continue strengthening the role of the UN in monitoring violations. Second, Russia must grant full access of ICRC to the detainees and other relevant international monitoring missions. Third, Greater international efforts are needed to facilitate prisoners exchanges, secure the release of unlawfully detained civilians too. Fourth, we believe that the situation calls for further collective action within the UN. And finally, accountability must remain at the center of our collective efforts. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of Ukraine for his statements and I will now give the floor to Ms. Claudia Fuentes Julio. Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights.

Thank you, Ambassador. Excellencies, dear co-sponsors, distinguished participants, I want to thank you for this opportunity to brief Council members and Member States. Since 2014, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has maintained a presence in Ukraine through the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission. Every day, my colleagues engage with victims and witnesses, conduct site visits where access is provided, and undertake other work to verify alleged violation of international human rights law and humanitarian law, regardless of perpetrator. Over the first six months of this year, they verified a 37% increase in civilian casualties as compared to last year. the result of increasing strikes against populated areas and large-scale use of drones along the frontlines. This deadly pattern has continued into July and August, prompting the United Nations Secretary-General to call for urgent de-escalation. Today, we hold in our thoughts those killed and injured. along with their families, as well as those in detention or captivity because of this war. Exchanges of prisoners of war are ongoing between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. This is welcome. However, in the interim, OHCHR's monitoring shows that widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees by the Russian Federation authorities continues. This includes sexual violence. OSCHR has also continued to document torture and ill treatment of Russian and third country national prisoners of war in Ukrainian custody, albeit on a fundamentally different scale. OSCHR's assessment of the situation is based on extensive and comprehensive monitoring in line with our well-established methodology. Since February 2022, our staff has conducted 2,129 confidential interviews with prisoners of war and civilian detainees. This includes 910 interviews with Ukrainian prisoners of war and 403 civilian detainees following their release from Russian captivity, as well as 816 Russian and 57 third country national prisoners of war while interned in official facilities in government-controlled territory of Ukraine, where OHCHR has regular and unimpeded access. OHCHR continues to urge the Russian Federation to provide access to facilities in occupied territory of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation. Excellencies, Since February 2022, OHCHR has documented the execution of 129 Ukrainian prisoners of war at the beginning of their captivity and the death of 48 Ukrainian prisoners of war in custody resulting from torture, denial of medical care or other inhumane conditions of detention. More than 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war interviewed by our office reported having experienced torture or ill treatment during captivity, often repeatedly over prolonged periods. More than half also reported sexual violence. We receive consistent account of severe beatings with objects such as batons, heavy belts and good electric shocks, dog attacks, mock executions and other forms of torture. Forms of sexual violence documented include rape, gang rape, beating while nude, beatings to the genitals, electric shocks to the genitals and ******* and the and the grading treatment of a sexualized nature. Those interviewed consistently described conditions of detention across facilities operated by the Russian Federation as inhumane and marked by severe deprivation of basic necessities. Released prisoners of war refers to chronic food deprivation, food deliberately contaminated with insects and other objects, inadequate clothing, prolonged exposure to cold, lack of basic hygiene, very limited medical care that led to the spread of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis and skin diseases causing painful wounds, and near total isolation from the outside world. Interviewees indicate that such conditions were compounded by harsh detention regimes, seemingly replicated across multiple facilities. This included prolonged forced standing, forced physical exertion, sleep deprivation, constant surveillance, severe restrictions of movement and communication with the outside world, and severe physical punishment for minor infractions. creating an environment of continuous and extreme physical and psychological abuse. OHCHR does not have information about the number or condition of third country nationals who serve in the Ukrainian armed forces and are currently interned by the Russian Federation. With respect to Russian prisoners of war and third country nationals held by Ukraine interviewed by OHCHR since February 2022, Approximately half reported torture or ill treatment, primarily during the initial stage of captivity and interrogation and capture at unofficial places of detention. Our monitoring indicates that once these individuals arrive in official places of internment, the conditionals generally comply with international humanitarian law and have improved since 2022. The situation of third country nationals held by Ukraine requires a specific consideration. These men, who were members of the Russian armed forces, not mercenaries, come from over 45 countries and face uncertainties about the future. Some have fears about what will happen if they are returned to the Russian Federation, while others fear returning to their country of origins where they may face criminal charges for fighting on behalf of another country. Many told us they have not intended to become soldiers, but were misled by deceptive recruitment practices. Excellencies, turning now to Ukrainian civilian detainees held by the Russian Federation after having been taken into custody in occupied territory. OHCHR conducts interviews with civilian detainees only after they have been released and reached places of safety, since the Russian Federation has not granted OHCHR access to places of detention. It is estimated that more than 16,000 civilians remain deprived of their liberty. OHCHR has found that many were detained arbitrarily and are held incommunicado under legal frameworks that do not comply with international law. Former civilian detainees held by the Russian Federation reported being subjected to the same patterns of abuse documented for Ukrainian prisoners of war. 85% of civilian detainees interviewed reported torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, while conditions of detentions were frequently inhumane, marked by food deprivation, inadequate medical services, and overall deplorable conditions of detention. We are particularly concerned that women detainees and prisoners of war reported similar abusive conditions. At least two pregnant women suffered a miscarriage following physical violence. In addition, the conditions were compounded by threats of sexual violence during interrogations, as well as gender-specific deprivations and degraded treatment. This included lack of menstrual health products in detention, invasive searches of bodily cavities, and forced nudity under the gaze of male guards and prisoners. Some women described being forced to be naked while menstruating as particularly humiliating. These gender-specific abuses intensify the women's sense of degradation, leaving them with a profound sense of vulnerability. Excellencies, looking forward, allow me to share some reflections on the challenges ahead and the steps needed to address them. Our office has established a comprehensive factual record of the treatment of prisoners of war and civilian detainees. and conditions of detentions in both the Russian Federation and Ukraine. We have documented violations, clarified the applicable legal frameworks, and provided detailed recommendations to end violation, strengthen protection, and inform future action. This work will continue. The challenge now is not simply to continue documenting what happens during detention. but to ensure that all those detained, both civilian and prisoners of war, are released safely and lawfully. Member States should begin preparing now for the challenges that will accompany any future political processes. This includes practical arrangements for the release, repatriation and safe return of civilians unlawfully detained by the Russian Federation, taking into account humanitarian considerations such the situation of pregnant women, the wounded and sick, older persons and those who have been detained for a long time. Arrangements should be made for the release by both the Russian Federation and Ukraine of prisoners of war, including the urgent release of those who are wounded, seriously ill or have endured prolonged captivity, followed by an all-for-all exchange. It extends to separate consideration of third country nationals held by both Ukraine and the Russian Federation, including protection against reform meant where relevant and post release protection, rehabilitation and family reunification for all prisoners of war. These are not issues that can be left until ceasefire or wider political settlement is reached. They required consideration now. including by many member states whose nationals are affected. OSTHR does not prescribe the political arrangement through which these issues should be resolved. We are ready to support the international community to identify procedural safeguards to ensure that arrangements are grounded international human rights, humanitarian law, provide independent monitoring and offer legal and technical advice. Collectively, we can ensure that protection of all prisoners of war and civilian detainees is not treated as an afterthought, but as an integral part of the ceasefire and political settlement process that is so desperately needed. With so many in detention for so long and enduring mistreatment, it is an imperative to join efforts now to secure their release. Thank you.

I thank ASG Fuentes Julio for her factual briefing, and I will now give the floor to Ms. Leni Umerova, a released civilian detainee and a Crimean Tatar activist.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, my name is Leni Umerova. I'm Crimean Tatar activist, human rights defender, and former political prisoner. In September 2024, I was released and returned to Ukraine as a part of prisoners exchange. This became possible thanks to the tremendous effort of coordination headquarters, Ukrainian activists, government representatives, international institutions, and everyone who refused to let the world forget about me. Today, I want to tell you how the Russian system of repression against Ukrainian civilians work. I'm Crimean Tatar, and we are the indigenous people of Ukraine with own language, culture, and history. And Crimea is our only homeland. After being deported in 1944, our people spent decades fighting for the right to return home. After Russia occupied Crimea, the persecution began again with arrest, repression, and politically motivated persecutions. Today, a new generation of Crimean Tatars continue to face persecutions. And today I want to share with you my story. After the end of 2022, I traveled to occupied Crimea to be with my seriously ill father who lived in Crimea. He was facing a difficult surgery and we did not know what he what the outcome would be. I wanted to be with my family during one of the most difficult moment of our lives. But instead of being reunited with my family, I ended up in Russian captivity. When I crossed the border between Georgia and Russia, I was detained. Border officer officers released that I was Ukrainian citizen from Crimea and I did not have Russian passport. Four men in civilian clothes arrived, forced me into a car and drove and drove me to an unknown location. I was interrogated for about seven hours. Then, based on fabricated charges, I was placed in a detention center for foreign nations. That was the beginning of what I can only describe as a carousel of repression. Over the six months, I was moved through the seven detention centers, detention facilities. One cell was replaced by another, and most of the time I was held alone. I was illegally detained through the series of fabricated administrative charges. And I was moved between detention center for foreign nations and pretrial detention facilities in Vladikavkaz and Beslan. I remember one of my first interrogations. It looks like a place-- it took place directly inside my cell. At the moment like that, you feel completely powerless. So powerless, actually, that sometimes you simply do not have the words to describe it. At one point, we even managed to obtain my release through them. Me, with my attorney who managed to obtain my release through the court of cassation. It was the third month of my captivity. But as soon as the prison gates opened, a bag was put over my head and I was taken away again to unknown location. The next day, I was back in prison, this time in a different one. But my story is not an exception. And this is what I want to emphasize here. What's happened to me is a part of the system. Russia used unlawful detention, isolation, fabricated administrative and criminal charges, torture, and so-called carousel detention to hold Ukrainian civilians in captivity in occupied territories. people are simply abducted they're held in communicando without contact with outside world without access to lawyers and without the possibility of telling their families where they are this what happened with hti abuj in the spring of uh 2025 she was traveling uh home by bus and never arrived she stopped answering phone calls and effectively disappeared. Only several months later was she identified in the Simferopol Pretrial Detention Center. She was abducted by Russian FSB officers. And while the system affects both men and women, there is an increase in the persecution of women is particularly alarming. In Crimea alone, at least 84 women have faced criminal prosecution and 60 are currently held in detention facilities or prisons. I want to share one more story about Diana Havrylyuk. She traveled to Crimea to see her sick father. She was denied at the border and subjected to system of carcel detention. She was tortured so severely that her post-surgery wounds began to reopen. And what I want to do, want to tell you that in occupied territory, it doesn't matter how old are you or whatever you are, man and woman, or where you work in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including my home Crimea. Everyone knows that they could be next. I want to called the names, Helena,, Bogdan,, Hasan,, and more and more people. We can sit and tell the names till the morning. All of them now in Russian prison. And neither I or these people don't need pity. We need justice. And justice means not only remembering the names of the victims, but also naming those responsible for their persecution and crimes. Every person who ordered, carried out, or facilitated their crimes must be identified and held accountable. Every preparation must be faced justice. Russia must be recognized as a terrorist state. At the international level, all Ukrainian civilians who are being unlawfully detained must be released. Thank you for your attention.

I thank Ms. Merva for sharing her story, and I will now give the floor to Mr. Juan Alberto Garcia, a released prisoner of war.

Thank you. Mr. English and honorable guests, it's a big honor for me to be here today. My name is Juan Alberto Leiva Garcia. I'm a Ukrainian of a Cuban descent and an active military serviceman of the armed forces of Ukraine. I have spent 1,183 days in Russian captivity as a prisoner of war. I was born in Ukrainian city of Mariupol to a Ukrainian mother and Cuban father. As a result, I inherited a very unusual for Slavic countries Latino name. For a few years, I attended college in the United States, but in the fourth year of the Russian war on Ukraine, back in 2018, I returned to Ukraine to defend my country from the occupation. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I was already on the front line on the outskirts of Mariupol. For three months, I witnessed how Russian forces were wiping down residential blocks of my hometown, using civilians as a life shield, killing hundreds of men, women, children, elderly. Eventually, together with other Ukrainian servicemen, I defended the famous Azovstal steel plant. Our surrender was the result of international negotiations. We were given assurances that the defenders of Azovstal would be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law and prioritized in prisoner exchanges. What follows was very different. More than 2,400 people were placed in overcrowded barracks without adequate conditions. There was almost no water and extremely little food. It came to a point when almost all POWs were ill with dysentery. Many were starving, having an extreme weight loss, collapsing multiple times during a day. When I was later transferred to occupied Luhansk region, another aspect of Russian captivity became clear to me. Prejudice based on nationality and ethnicity. My Spanish name caused many Russian authorities to suspect me of being a mercenary. They could not comprehend that Ukrainians could be of interethnic heritage without losing Ukrainian identity. That meant that their narrative of Ukraine as a Nazi state is collapsing in front of them. Russian prison and investigative officials were pursuing the goal of making me confess to being a foreign mercenary. I would be more humiliated than the others, escorted to private interrogations and beaten up with batons. I was well known in my brigade for my skills as a specialist, so I was already their target even before getting into captivity. After a year and six months, they transferred me to the famous detention center number two in the city of Tahanrok, where I immediately faced brutal treatment because of my name and ethnicity. Non-Slavic name was a big red flag for the captors and meant that they got to show particular hatred. After my arrival, I was told to strip down naked and was being beaten up every single second in every place on my body. On the same day, I was escorted to a separate interrogation courtyard in the jail, tortured, beaten up by three prison guards with fists and batons. They accused me of being a mercenary and an American spy because of my college years spent in the USA. After I refused to admit this, I was electrocuted. I was being treated harsher than other POWs. When my cellmates and I were escorted to a shower, I was the only one with handcuffs on my wrists. During daily security checks, I was being beaten up more, not only for being a Ukrainian Marine, not only for being a drone specialist or being an Azovstal defender, but mainly because of my Latino name and my Cuban background. Russians were outraged that someone with a connection to Cuba, whom they perceive as an ally, would fight against their occupational army. Here's a picture from a blackmail video that was sent to my father, my Cuban father, from the FSB. I was approximately 52 kilograms here. I have been living like this for nine months. This has been also happening for almost a year during my stay at the next location in the detention center number three in the city of Kizel. For three years and three months in Russian captivity, I've never had a chance to speak to my family. It is fair to point out that such prejudice existed not only towards me, but to any people who were standing out from the crowd. In the city of Taganrog, Russians have killed during interrogation a citizen of Poland. Also, they were holding in solitary cells and tortured citizens of Georgia and Belarus, other countries as well. Some Russian citizens who were held in suspicion of sympathies for Ukraine were also treated the same as us. Almost all Ukrainians who were held in detention center number two in Tahanrog were exposed to torture through freezing, beatings and electrocution, verbal, physical and sexual abuse. Russians were tying POWs, locking them in handcuffs, and carrying out sexual violence with foreign objects. The goal was to break their mental state and force to confess to falsified crimes. Similar prejudice and hatred were expressed over citizens of Belarus and Georgia who were held in detention center number three in the city of Kizel. And this is how I looked the day I returned back home. I was 55 kilograms in this picture. This experience shows that no one is protected in Russian captivity. People can be easily executed, killed during interrogations, starved, beaten up to death, transferred to an unknown location, sentenced for a fake crime. Russian captivity kills everyone at every step at any level. There is no immunity, no passport that can protect from being tortured and killed. I address this issue to you, honorable speakers and representatives, because it is in your power to protect international law account of these crimes to maintain the international humanitarian law. Thank you all for this opportunity to speak and for your attention and I wish you every success in this fight for justice. Thank you.

I thank Mr. Leyva Garcia for his testimony. And I will now give the floor to Mr. Ole Guscin, legal expert of the coordination headquarters for the treatment of the prisoners of war of Ukraine.

Thank you. Distinguished and honorable guests, my name is Oleg Gushchin and I represent the Ukrainian governmental institution, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs, which is principal state body in the field of international humanitarian law implementation. Frankly, along this path that ultimately brought us here, we have heard that the issue of Ukrainian POWs and civilians is no longer actual. that there are many other problems in the world right now and that no one will want to listen to us. That's why, on behalf of all Ukrainians, let me express the words of gratitude for the organizers and sponsor of this meeting and also the UN staff for your efforts that made possible this event. That's why I'm also thank for all states representative who are present in this hall today. Your involvement and attention clearly demonstrate that the issue of safeguarding fundamental human rights is not just empty rhetoric. It is an effort to put an end to Russian atrocities. It is an effort to ensure accountability and preventing this from happening in the future. This is precisely that not divides but unites us. Right after the Russian full-scale invasion, Ukraine established a comprehensive framework of prisoners' treatment according to the Third Geneva Convention. We created the POW camps and National Information Bureau. We trained designated personnel and provided information about prisoners to the ICRC. We granted full access of all human rights monitoring mechanisms to the places of detention and detained persons. Did you expect the same from Russian side? Could we expect this from the state that torture and kills even its own citizens? Frankly not. We had no illusion about Russia, but like any civilized nation, we still couldn't imagine Russian scale of violence to those who appeared in the captivity. Ukrainian prisoners are being killed and tortured, used as human shields and demining tools in the battlefield. Thousands of civilians are still being held incommunicado. We counted more than 300 places of detention both in Russia and Ukraine's occupied territories, both temporary and permanent, but no any POW camp was established within Russia. All those places do not provide access to the monitoring mechanisms, including the ICRC. So to save their life, to save Ukrainians' life, we have already returned back more than 9,000 Ukrainians within prisoners exchange process. And we think, we thank to all states and organizations involved in help to bring Ukrainians home. However, thousands still remains in Russian captivity. That's why our main goal is to bring Ukrainians back as well to achieve an access to them to break Russian black hole of uncertainty. That's why I call to take all necessary force to bring all Ukrainians back, civilians and prisoners of war, and as Ukraine proposed many times to engage all to all exchange process. Otherwise, as Juan emphasized, most Ukrainians will be faced death in captivity. That's why following today's testimonies and speeches, I want to tell you my personal adaptation on German pastor Martin Luther words. Firstly, they came for the Chechens. I remain silent, I wasn't Chechen. They came for Georgians. I remain silent, I wasn't Georgian. Then they came from Ukrainians. I remained silent, I wasn't Ukrainian. But one day they will come to you. But by then, there won't be anyone left who can help you. It is up to you how you come out of this event today. It is up to you whether you will continue to shake hands with the devil, pretending doing business as usual, or demand that people suffering be stopped and they be brought home. Remember that impunity breeds evil. Remember that silence emboldens evil to continue killing and torturing. And remember that together, united, we can stop this and prevent it from happening again. I thank you.

I thank Mr. Gushtin for his remarks. I will now give the floor to our last briefer, Ms. Shaida Keeran, a documentary filmmaker and producer of the BBC iInvestigations film, Into the Void.

Thank you. Distinguished and honorable delegates, it's an honor to be here today to talk about our findings from our BBCI investigation, Putin's Foreign Fighters. I want to start by talking about how we came across the story. So in May 2024, my team and I began receiving voice notes from a group of young Syrian men on the front lines in Ukraine. They said they had been offered backline non-combat work in the Russian army, but instead found themselves on the front line of a war they knew nothing about. This was the start of our investigation, our year-long investigation into how Russia recruits foreign men into its ranks, tracing the recruitment pipelines from the Middle East, Asia, Central Africa, and beyond to the front line. We identified recruiters from different countries, but our investigation centred on one key person in Russia, Polina Alexandrovna Azanyeva, the woman responsible for recruiting these Syrian men we were speaking to. So Polina is a businesswoman and former teacher from Russia. And before the war, she was running a kind of account helping foreign students, often Arab young men, join Russian universities. So she would help them with their visas, their transport, et cetera. And this is a platform she later repurposed for recruitment where she started posting adverts to join the Russian army. And this is exactly how the Syrian group found Polina through these platforms. So what they were offered, as we are told, is a one-year contract with the Russian army, Russian citizenship, $2,500 a month, and a signing bonus of $5,000. And Polina told them that if they paid her a $3,000 cut, they would not be fighting on the front lines and doing non-combat support roles. However, over the course of our year-long investigation, we found that what happened was, in fact, different. Recruits received as little as 10 days of training before being deployed to the front lines. Military contracts were issued in Russian, a language most of the recruits didn't understand or speak. And most of them weren't able to leave after a year due to a decree that meant their contracts were automatically renewed, so they were not kept to their promises again. So after these findings, we started investigating the scale of Polina's operations. We found that her Telegram channel grew from 4,000 followers to 21,000 followers. And we identified nearly 500 cases where men were issued invitations to come to Russia and join the Russian army, mainly from Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, but also across Asia and Central Africa. And only today, Polina posted a further 35 names who signed up for recruitment. So this goes to show it is still ongoing. We also identified 12 families who told us their sons had died after Polina had recruited them to join the Russian army. And another thing we found by speaking to families was that Polina targeted very vulnerable student communities who were desperate for money. They told us their sons were struggling to pay their university fees, they were really struggling financially and Polina offered them a helpline. But I think what's also important to mention that Polina is one in a much larger transnational recruitment network. And we found that there are very different layers of recruitment. So one is what we just talked about, which is the online scouting on Telegram channels and social media platforms. So we found two other Telegram accounts in Arabic making similar offers to Polina. And our BBC India team also traced a blogger who was making similar and professions. And then there's also local smaller scale recruiters. So we identified a local Syrian broker who was tapping into more local Syrian networks through WhatsApp and working with middlemen in Russia by sending them there. And then also local but larger scale companies. So we found a company in Oman who were offering hospitality and security jobs to men, but in fact sending them to the Russian army. And according to local lawyers, over 400 men from Yemen were sent to Russia this way. And they confirmed to us that at least 24 of them had died. And in our journey of tracing these men, we also found that two of them had in fact been reported as dead to their families, but ended up in a prisoner of war facility in Ukraine. So when we also visited this prisoner camp, prisoner of war facility, we saw men from all over the world, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Egypt. And until this day, we're still receiving messages from families all over the world who are asking us to help find their sons. And this is because once they lose touch with families while they're in Russia, there is no way of finding out what happened to them. The recruiter is no longer in the picture, and they are either dead or prisoners of war. And some of those prisoners of war who we spoke to were unable to reach their families when we met them, and none of them were included in the prisoner of war exchanges. So all to say, the scale of this transnational network of recruitment remains large, and it is an estimated 27,000 foreign fighters that we have seen that has been recruited since 2022. So our findings point to three areas for further discussion and potential gaps. Firstly, information sharing between affected countries on known recruiters and networks to understand the complex layered systems and forming national and international interventions. Secondly, a sustained scrutiny of platforms hosting this recruitment. So we know Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube have all been platforms used for this. So just looking at how it can be monitored further. And thirdly, a discussion of how to treat foreign fighters in prisoner of war facilities. Thank you very much for your time and to all of the briefers. Thank you very much.

I thank Ms. Karen for her briefing and I give the floor to the representative of France.

Madam

Chair, co-chair, I thank Latvia and the United Kingdom for convening this important meeting with the co-sponsorship of Ukraine. I also wish to thank Ms. Lenny Omerova, Mr. Juan Alberto Garcia, both for their testimony. I also thank other briefers for their accounts. As we are well aware, since unleashing its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has committed countless violations of international humanitarian law against prisoners of war and Ukrainian civilians. Indeed, these violations have been rigorously documented by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mechanism in Ukraine. These violations include torture and sexual violence. France urges once again Russia to uphold its obligations pursuant to international humanitarian law. France also calls upon Russia to provide the ICRC with comprehensive, immediate and unfettered access to civilians deprived of liberty and prisoners of war wherever they may be located, including in Ukrainian territory illegally occupied by the Russian Federation and on the territory of the Russian Federation itself. France calls for this access to be provided in full compliance with conditions enshrined in the Geneva Conventions. In this connection, France wishes to underscore the fact that Ukraine does provide access to its prisoners of war, that is access to competent international organizations. We welcome cooperation between the Ukrainian authorities and the ICRC in providing access to Russian prisoners of war. France wishes to recall that the path towards a just and lasting peace must include humanitarian measures, including exchanges of prisoners of war, the release of civilians, and the return of all Ukrainian children and all civilians that have been deported or illegally transferred to Russia. In this connection, we hail the continuation of prisoner of war exchanges. These have been rendered possible by the facilitation efforts of several states. Chair, Co-Chair, France is equally concerned by the forced and deceptive recruitment of foreign nationals by Russia. Not satisfied with forcing its own people to shoulder a heavy burden in service of its war of aggression, Russia is increasingly relying on nationals from other nations and using them against their will, as has been documented by the most recent report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. France urges Russian authorities to abandon these practices. These practices deliberately exploit people in vulnerable situations. France calls upon the international community and most specifically upon the states targeted by these practices to step up their vigilance in order to prevent their people from such practices. Chair, Co-Chair. France's position remains unchanged. War crimes and the other most serious crimes committed as part of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine must not go unpunished. In this connection, we reiterate our full support for the International Criminal Court and for Ukrainian courts in their fight against impunity. We also extend such support to United Nations bodies and the Council of Europe, as well as civil society organisations working to document crimes and provide victims with support. we will continue to resolutely support Ukraine and work towards a just and lasting peace in accordance with the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter. Thank you.

I thank the representative of France and I give the floor to the representative of Panama.

Thank you very much. Madam Chair, we thank the organisers for convening this ARIA Formula meeting and we also thank the briefers who are with us today for their participation. Their briefings have shed a light on the conflict, the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine that has now raged on for more than four long years. Here, we should point out that a significant number of Council members have consistently spoken out about the need to put an end to the conflict through diplomatic channels, through dialogue and through negotiation between the parties. We have also reiterated the need for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, which will foster progress towards a peaceful resolution of this conflict. Moreover, throughout the conflict, the situation of prisoners of war and civilian detainees has been a source of particular concern. This reality has been made clear by the reports of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry in Ukraine. These reports have documented grave violations of both international law and international humanitarian law. Panama reaffirms the inalienable obligation that all states have That is all states without exception in terms of enforcing due process guarantees so that prisoners of war and civilian detainees are always protected from violence and so that they receive necessary healthcare and so that access is allowed to the ICRC that has the legitimacy to ensure that the full enjoyment of human rights is always guaranteed and that all relevant standards are upheld. We value agreements reached between parties for prisoner of war exchanges, and we encourage the continuation of such humanitarian measures. Moreover, we should here state that we are concerned by the recruitment of people of various nationalities, including people from our region, Latin America. They are being recruited to join the ranks of this conflict. This is a reality which regrettably continues to increase the number of victims. is a reality which deserves greater attention from the international community. Chair, Panama reiterates that the conflict in Ukraine is raging on with grave humanitarian consequences, consequences which would deserve our attention and action. We reaffirm that there is no military solution and that only diplomacy, dialogue and political will on both sides and both their leadership will allow us to reach a lasting peace. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Panama and I give the floor to the representative of Liberia.

Thank you, Chair. Liberia thanks the permanent missions of Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine for convening this briefing. We express our deep appreciation to the Assistant Secretary General Miss Omarova and Junior Sergeant Leva Garcia for their really heart wrenching comments. Their testimonies remind us that behind every legal article and statistical index is a human heart and a family waiting for answers. Today, Madam Chair, Liberia speaks from the quiet authority of experience. Having known the agony of conflict and the grueling path to post-war recovery, we know this truth above all. A peace that forgets the humanity of captives of war is not peace. It is merely a postponement. The Geneva Conventions contain no expiration date and certainly no exceptions clause. They apply precisely when humanity is most at risk. Yet, The documented facts before us demand immediate moral and legal clarity. When UN monitoring reports that over 90% of interviewed released civilian detainees endure systematically severe ill treatment, and when summary executions of captured personnel rise, international law is being actively eroded. There are only two principled responses to such grave allegations. One, refutation through transparency or two, correction through accountability. They really is no third option. We therefore call on the parties to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross full, regular and unimpeded access to all detention facilities. Access is the oxygen of protection. A prisoner unseen is, in truth, a prisoner unprotected. To move from words to action, Liberia proposes four practical pillars. One, an all for all humanitarian framework, prioritizing the immediate release of the seriously ill, the wounded, and unlawfully detained civilians, and for third country nationals, including Africans, to be returned to their country of origin. Two, a consolidated ICRC detainee registry guaranteeing that no human being vanishes into institutional darkness. Three, decoupled humanitarian channels Establishing permanent exchange mechanisms that continue operating even when political diplomacy stalls. Humanity must never be held hostage to a political timetable. Dismantling predatory foreign recruitment. UN reports confirm foreign nationals from dozens of sovereign states are being lured into combat largely through economic coercion. This is the exploitation of vulnerability. States must cooperate across prevention, consular protection, and the prosecution of these trafficking networks under the Palermo Protocol. Chair, international humanitarian law is not preserved in the comfort of diplomatic chambers like this. It is preserved in cell blocks, in transit camps, and at exchange points, or it is not preserved at all. Let us ensure that our resolve here gives light to those waiting in the dark and brings every missing soul back home. I thank you for your kind attention.

I thank the representative of Liberia, and I give the floor to the representative of Bahrain.

Thank you, President. At the outset, we wish to extend our thanks to the briefers, and we look forward to an open and constructive discussion during this session. President, the Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms the need to abide by the provisions of international law, including the international humanitarian law at all times, to protect civilians and alleviate humanitarian suffering resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war, including for prisoners of war whose treatment must remain humane at all times. They must be protected from all forms of mistreatment such as torture, intimidation, inter alia, in accordance with the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 on the treatment of prisoners of war. President, The Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes all humanitarian initiatives that can contribute to the alleviation of humanitarian suffering resulting from war, to find common ground and build confidence amongst the parties to pave the way for a ceasefire and a durable solution to the conflict. In this regard, we commend the efforts made by the UAE to ensure humanitarian mediation on prisoner exchanges, the last of which was in June 2026. The total number of captives exchanged through these mediation efforts reached 7,791 since the outbreak of the war. This reflects the importance of humanitarian diplomacy to build confidence amongst the parties and improve humanitarian circumstances. We stress the need to seize opportunities provided by the US-led mediation efforts, and we encourage the parties to engage in negotiations in good faith to pave the way for practical outcomes that end the conflict and help foster stability and security in Europe. In conclusion, we renew our steadfast position in support of dialogue and diplomacy as the only means to end the Russia-Ukraine war and pave the way for a full-fledged ceasefire in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter to foster to foster stability and security and pave the way for an end to humanitarian suffering. I thank you, President.

The representative of Bahrain, and I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Chair. I want to thank Latvia and the UK for organizing this ARIA and DPR Pavlichenko for his remarks. would like to thank Assistant Secretary General Fuentes, Julio, Mr. Garcia, Ms. Umerova, Mr. Gushin, and Ms. Kieran for their briefings. We have closely followed the reports of foreign nationals from the Middle East and Africa being coerced or recruited under false pretenses into the Russian armed forces. We are also aware of credible reports that thousands of Cubans have traveled to Russia to fight in Ukraine. Yet again, the Cuban regime has failed to protect its citizens, this time from being used as pawns in the Russia-Ukraine war, a war whose cost continues to mount. President Trump has condemned the humanitarian toll of the war, and we echo his calls for immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiated settlement. We witnessed concrete results in April and May when Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange hundreds of prisoners and additional civilians. The United States supports such exchanges as steps towards durable peace and calls for continued efforts to return both civilians and prisoners of war to their home countries. As a further step, the United States will continue to work with the governments of Russia and Ukraine to safely return children to their families and communities. The United States dedication to the safe return of children is unwavering. On July 30, First Lady Melania Trump helped reunite a fifth group of Ukrainian and Russian children with their loved ones continuing her humanitarian work on behalf of those affected by the war. Concurrently, the United States continues to support the $25 million assistance program to aid the return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia and Russian-controlled territories. The United States will continue to do whatever possible to reunite families torn apart by war and support the negotiations and confidence building measures necessary to achieve lasting peace. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States and I give the floor to the representative of China.

Chair. As the Ukraine crisis continues to drag on, the situation on the battlefield is escalating. Ordinary people are suffering profoundly. Early cessation of hostilities and realizing political settlement to the crisis are the common aspirations of the international community. About the theme of the meeting today, I would like to share three points. First, international humanitarian law must be complied with in earnest. Recent fighting has caused massive casualties and damage to infrastructure, which is deeply saddening. China once again urges the cessation of any attack against innocent civilians, calls on parties to the conflict to remain calm and exercise restraint, strictly comply with IHL, and protect the security of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Second, fundamental rights of prisoners of war must be respected. The Third Geneva Convention provides for POWs' right to humane treatment and protection from torture, abuse, and other forms of harm. China previously issued a paper entitled China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, calling for protection of civilians and POWs and respect for POWs' fundamental rights. We call on two parties to the conflict to strictly comply with the relevant IHL, ensure living conditions of POWs and detainees, their access to medical care and their dignity. Third. Parties should continue to carry out confidence-building measures. This year, Russia and Ukraine have had multiple rounds of exchange of prisoners, returning thousands of soldiers to their motherlands. China welcomes this and appreciates the mediation and coordination efforts of countries such as Belarus and the assistance provided by ICRC in visiting the POWs and providing humanitarian supplies. China hopes parties concerned can continue to exchange prisoners, enhance mutual trust, and remove any, enhance mutual trust to build up momentum for peace talks. Chair, China's position on the Ukraine issue is consistent. We always follow the four shoots proposed by President Xi Jinping as our fundamental guidance. and welcome all efforts dedicated to peace and hope that relevant parties can work in the same direction, properly address each other's legitimate security concerns, and remove the root causes of the crisis with a view to reaching a comprehensive, lasting, and binding peace agreement. China stands ready to continue working with the international community to play a constructive role in promoting political settlement to the crisis at an early date. Thank you.

I thank the representative of China and I give the floor to the representative of Denmark.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Let me also thank the briefers for their interesting and relevant presentations and their powerful testimonies.

Denmark has consistently demanded that international law, including international humanitarian law, be fully respected without exceptions in Russia's unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. This includes the treatment of prisoners of war and civilian detainees unjustly deprived of their liberty. Multiple UN bodies have concluded that Russia subjects Ukrainian POWs to systematic torture and ill treatment, including conflict related sexual violence. Reports of captured soldiers being summarily executed are particularly alarming. Denmark condemns these abuses in the strongest possible terms. All prisoners of war must be treated humanely and in accordance with international humanitarian law at all.

Times and by all parties. We demand that Russia grants the International Committee of the Red Cross unrestricted access.

To its prisoners of war camps and other areas of detention, just as Ukraine does.

Both Ukraine and Russia have signed the Geneva Conventions.

Only one is respecting this obligation. We welcome the POW exchanges so far and the return of human remains recovered from the battlefield, and we hope more exchanges can take place, as highlighted by Ms. Gutschera. We will also not allow Ukrainian civilians in the temporarily occupied territories to be forgotten.

Credible reports state that civilians have been forcibly disappeared for weeks, months, or years at a time, as we also heard about today. because their children spoke Ukrainian in school, because they refused to acquire Russian identity documents, because they disapproved of this senseless war?

Once unjustly detained, these civilians are often subjected to the same horrors as Ukrainian prisoners of war.

But without the protection, procedural safeguards and international oversight that they must be provided under international humanitarian law. Denmark condemns Russia's unjustified entertainment of Ukrainian civilians and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. Madam Chair, Russia's sustained and well documented military cooperation with the DPRK is a stark illustration of the increasingly global dimension of this war. Both Moscow and Pyongyang admit that this cooperation is ongoing with North Korean troops actively supporting Russia's war against Ukraine. There are also reports that several DPRK missile units have been deployed, which would constitute a further flagrant.

Violation of the UN sanctions regime.

We are also concerned by reports of Russia recruiting third country nationals, particularly from states across the Middle East and Africa, into its armed forces through the use of misleading claims and false advertising, as we have also heard about today.

Luring unsuspecting foreign nationals to fight at the front is unacceptable and must cease.

This shows Russia's willingness to further exceed legal, moral, and geographical boundaries in its war against Ukraine. Madam Chair, in closing, we once again call on Russia to heed the calls of the Secretary General and the international community to stop this deadly spiral of violence. As a first step, there must be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire leading to a just and lasting peace.

In line with the UN Charter.

Ukraine has long been ready to engage seriously and in good faith. We call on Russia to do the same. Russia alone started this war. Russia alone could stop the suffering today if it so chooses. It is long past the time to do so.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of Denmark and I give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Madam President. Today's event is quite clearly part of the regular campaign that is well funded by a number of NATO countries that are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine. It is a disinformation campaign against Russia, the aim of which is to derail efforts towards a peace settlement and to justify strikes on the territory of Russia and against civilians. We suggest that everybody who is interested in and wants to learn the truth, to break away from these Russophobic cliches and to listen to common sense and analyse different sources. Unfortunately, that is going to require more than the three minutes speaking time that has been established, so I trust that my statement is not going to be interrupted. I'm sure that everyone has come here to listen to what Russia has to say. Let's start with Azov and with the root causes of the conflict. Everyone knows that Western countries in 2014 brought people to power in Ukraine that declared the population of the southeast of the country to be terrorists and launched a full-scale war against them using tanks and air power and also killings and torture. The residents of Donbas were punished for wanting to speak in Russian and for wanting to exercise their own self-determination. that tragedy was not given any objective assessment by the UN or by any of those that are today calling for upholding human rights and IHL. And the Western backers supported that tragedy and did not just give it moral support. Currently these terrible events are the subject of consideration within the ICJ where Kiev is a respondent in the case of a violation of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide and I suggest that you follow those proceedings since the population of Donbas did not support Ukraine entering into NATO's orbit their elimination was beneficial to the countries of the alliance so as to drag Ukraine into this aggressive bloc which for decades methodically and regularly inched towards the east towards Russia's borders. Moscow firmly and patiently asked the members of the alliance to keep to the principle of indivisible security in Europe that they had agreed to. However, in response, we consistently came up against cynical deception or against attempts to exert pressure and blackmail while the bloc's military machine steadily moved right up to our doorstep. One of the steps of this deception was the Minsk agreements, the conclusion of which was necessary, on the Western signatories own admission, to rearm Kiev. The culmination of all of this was the armed escalation in Donbas in 2022. Everyone who's interested, we suggest that you look at the registers of ceasefire violations from the OSCE SMM at that time in Donbas. They are publicly available. From those registers, you can clearly see that it was Kiev that attacked Donbas. And it is in that context, after an official request from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics for assistance in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, that Russia took the decision to conduct the special military operation. The crisis in Ukraine was orchestrated and continues to be inflamed by the countries of the West, who, allegedly are concerned by the fate of people who are affected by the conflict. The UK is prominent among those countries. Back in 2016, the UK signed a memorandum on military cooperation with Kiev, according to which the parties began to exchange intelligence information. Britain began to train Ukrainian soldiers. In that regard, it is no surprise that in the spring of 2022, when during the Istanbul negotiations the parameter for a peace settlement had practically been determined, the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson derailed the agreement and ordered Kiev to wage hostilities. And now the representative of the United Kingdom is talking about de-escalation. Well, where was that statement in 2022? London is one of the biggest suppliers of arms to the AFU and has already spent more than 13 million pounds sterling on that aim. Since 2024, it has been implementing Project Breakstop, as part of which it is now testing British long-range systems. And make no mistake, today's event is an attempt to justify the use of those systems against Russia and its civilian population. In 2020, Britain signed an agreement on a political, commercial and strategic partnership with Ukraine, and in 2024, an agreement on security cooperation. I think that there is no one in this room who believes that this is a form of charity. In Ukraine, a time-tested colonial policy is being carried out and the Ukrainians have to earn their place within a mandate territory. And then there's Latvia. To properly understand the situation, it's important to know that Baltic companies are providing Ukraine with tens of thousands of drone components, those self-same drones that are then used to hunt the civilian population. For example, the Latvian Elko Group AS has supplied Ukraine with 2,100 remote controlled drones from the 1st of November 2025 to the 1st of April 2026. However, discussing these issues is not why London or Riga is convening the members of the Security Council. Their aim is to continue labeling the armed forces of Russia, which are complying with their obligations under international humanitarian law. In this context, we suggest comparing the results of the armed confrontation, for example, in Gaza, where, as a result of the hostilities there, the landscape has become a lunar landscape, and where, for that conflict, a number of the countries that here are expressing concern about IHL are supplying weapons, and then the situation in Ukraine, where the Russian side is using high precision weapons to strike military targets. It is the scrupulous observance by Russia of international humanitarian law that explains the fact that achieving the goals of the special military operation is taking time. By contrast, Kiev is abusing the humanitarian subject not only in meetings and in the public space. Let's remember about recorded cases of the use of ambulances with Red Cross markings to move soldiers to the front line or the official statement of the Ukrainian Red Cross itself about the wide scale misuse in the country of their emblems while the western countries representatives in this room are speculating about the secretary General's blacklist the Ukrainian armed formations convinced of their impunity are continuing to intentionally attack the civilian population of Russia we regularly provide the UN with information about the deaths of children about hunting of a civilian vehicle torture and other violations by the AFU. Here is one latest example. On 3 August, a drone nosedived onto a beach in Archipovo-Osipovsk, where dozens of people were on holiday. As a result, seven people died, including four children. In this context, I would refer to the statement by the representative of Denmark, who said that only one party to the conflict is complying with IHL. Madam President, you want to talk about upholding international humanitarian law? Well then tell that to the parents of the five-year-old girl that lost her life on that beach, having only just seen the sea for the first time in her life. Tell it to the parents or the relatives of the around 300 Russians who are missing after the AFU incursion into Kursk Oblast. Their fate has still not been established. Or the 4,500 people who today are living in basements in druskovka awaiting the arrival of Russian soldiers in conditions when the so-called Ukrainian evacuation group the White Angels is trying to forcibly take them to Ukraine in response to statements from one local resident saying that she wanted to go to Russia the Ukrainian police suggested that she should talk to the Red Cross volunteers so that she could be put on the list to be exchanged and that's clearly how they're putting together those President today there were concerns voiced about the internationalization of the fighting through the involvement of foreign citizens but for some reason we are not being given any information about the participation of soldiers from NATO countries that are directly involved in the planning and conduct of operations against Russia There is full information about this in public. We have not been told that the United Kingdom has trained 58,000 Ukrainian soldiers. The representatives of Kiev did not share with us statements by the military ombudsman of Ukraine Olga Reshetilova saying that on Kiev side now, according to Ukrainian data, there are around 16,000 foreign volunteers from 72 countries. and they are involved in violations of IHL on the same level as Ukrainians themselves. But unfortunately, a BBC film isn't being made about that, and there's no UN data about it either. But we can provide that. It's all publicly available. According to the most recent reports, a whole group of mercenaries is now deployed in a children's sports camp in Sprynia in Lviv Oblast. The parents of those children are directly complaining about that on social networks. Moreover, at this purely civilian facility, there is an arsenal with arms from several AFU special units. You won't learn from the organizers who are allegedly concerned about IHL about the sophisticated torture and degradation and moral and physical abuse, including using electric chairs and other instruments that Russian soldiers are subjected to. There is ample testimony of sexual violence and threats of violence, torture in the form of deprivation of sleep, water, food and a number of other forms of torture. In this regard, I would like to draw the attention of those here present who truly want to form an objective understanding of what is happening to the report of the Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry into the crimes of the Kiev regime, Mr. Miroshenko. That report is called Secret and both parts of it are published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry and you can find the link in the text of my statement. It's on the website and anybody who wants to can take a look at those reports. You will learn from those reports that neither the ICRC nor the UN has access to those places where the torture of Russian soldiers is being carried out and perhaps that is what the United Kingdom is training Ukrainian soldiers to do. They certainly have a lot of experience in that regard. Contrary to the politicised speculation, real humanitarian work on the exchange of POWs and civilians is not stopping for even a single day. That is being done by the Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Yana Valeryevna Lantratova. She replaced Tatiana Moskalkova, who in the final month of her term organized two large exchanges, 175 for 175 and 193 for 193. In 2026, in total, there were seven Russian-Ukrainian POW exchanges. As a result, 1,575 Russian soldiers returned to the territory of the Russian Federation. The Ombudsperson is also actively cooperating with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC in 2026 received more than 200 letters and it got verified information about the captivity of 269 soldiers. The open and public nature of Russia's dialogue with the ICRC is indicated in particular by the recent visit of the ICRC president, Mirjana Selyanich, to Moscow, as well as verification visits of Red Cross delegations to Starobelsk and Belgorod oblasts. In this context, the interference of European countries, including in the form of this sort of event, well, event in particular, is an attempt to hinder this sort of cooperation in this area. As part of the plan for mutual visits or joint visits of Russian and Ukrainian POWs that are detained during the special military operation is something we continue regular inspections for. Detention conditions have been verified for more than 3,900 Ukrainian soldiers in 15 facilities. Following those visits, we can say that the detention conditions for this category of persons, as well as their food, clothing and necessary medical care, is fully in accordance with the norms and standards of international humanitarian law. And incidentally, I would like to recall that the detention facilities of Ukrainian prisoners of war, you know, the situation in Lenovka, where a detention facility for prisoners of war was bombed by Ukrainians and then a plane was shot down. You need to remember these things. At the end of July, Yana Valeryevna Lantratova reported another exchange in two categories, POWs and civilians who are on the territory of Ukraine and aren't able to to independently return home. However, the success of this depends directly on the Ukrainian side, which is extremely selective in its approach to this process and is not choosing all of the soldiers that Russia wants to put forward for exchange. For example, Kiev is intentionally not including in the exchange process soldiers from the LPR and DPR and the Republic of Crimea. Crimea, it calls them traitors just for the choice that they made. In conclusion, I would like to say a few words and make a few comments about the statements by the distinguished briefers. We note that all of the briefers had an opportunity to come here. They got visas. They were able to come to the United States and they're here on the podium and we are listening to their statements. But when Russia attempts to organize a meeting and bring people here who have been tortured and persecuted, they're just not given visas. And so It's very easy just to not listen to them. But we are, of course, trying to provide information, including online. I'd like to begin with the statement by Ms. Claudia Fuentes Julio from OHCHR, I noted that your statement said that Russian prisoners of war are subjected to torture. Unfortunately, you didn't go into detail and you hastily concluded that it was on a smaller scale. But I fear that you do not know the scale of this and these conclusions are very hasty. They should not be made so hastily. You need to study the situation in more detail and probably hold an event, and we hope that you will participate in such an event where we can talk about torture committed against Russian prisoners of war by the AFU and their law enforcement agencies. We hope to see objectivity in that regard, but for the time being, we haven't. Next, I would like to comment on the statement by Ms. Umierova. It's an interesting story. I'll start with what you said about the fate of the Crimean Tatar people after Crimea became part of Russia. Here, I would like to note that this specific accusation was considered by the ICJ, where all of the information was laid out, allegedly that Russia was persecuting the Crimean Tatars. How many do you think of those accusations were upheld by the court? None of them. So please read the court decision from January 2024. All of those accusations were refuted. None of them was upheld and we are still hearing about this. Second, I do not know Ms. Umerova's personal story, but according to publicly available information, she was detained because she came to the territory of Russia through the territory of Georgia without a visa, without a Russian passport and without a visa. So you would need to have one or the other, but she didn't have either, if I'm correct. Then Ms. Umerova had photographs of military hardware and the location of the deployment of the Russian armed forces on her phone. So that was the situation. And I think everyone heard that Ms. Umirova had a lawyer and there was a legal process. Perhaps someone here may recall Yelena Berezhnaya. She also addressed the Security Council, a citizen of Ukraine. She was arrested and she was kept incommunicado. And her fate at present is unknown. We saw one episode where she was brought before the court. She was in a very poor condition, she had suffered medical problems, she had been treated poorly, tortured, but no one is interested in her fate and unfortunately she's not able to come here and tell us about what's happened to her. So please pay attention to that sort of information. Please also pay attention to the fact that Mr. Juan Garcia was a defender of Azovstal, as I understood from what he said. He was a defender of Azovstal, the people who were at Azovstal. This is the Azov battalion, the infamous battalion that engaged in torture and abuses against people in Donbas. Something was said here about Russia's shattered illusions about neo-fascism, but if anybody wants to look at the emblem of the Azov battalion, you can look at it for yourself. I've got a little phone, but if you want to Google it, you can see this is the emblem. It has a swastika on it, in case you can't see. So you can see that swastika there. That is the sort of unit that we are talking about. And incidentally, in the United States, for quite some time, it was on a list of organizations that could not be supplied with weapons. So that's the sort of organization that we're talking about. And now I'll just say a few words, although slightly less, about Mr. Guo Xian, who is also talking about 300 places of detention. The same figures come up time and again every few years. the territorial scope of where these are exactly located changes, but the number remains the same. This is a person who works for the government of Ukraine, so it's hard to expect much objectivity from him. And lastly, I would like to say Um, Ms. Umierova, uh, I think has relatives in Crimea, I would just like to point out that Crimea currently is being bombed by Ukraine, people have been deprived of electricity and water, thanks to the actions of Kiev itself. Kiev that you are now supporting at this event. It's very difficult for the people of Crimea and the government of Russia is doing everything it can to ensure that their lives can go on as normal for civilians. In conclusion, I would like to draw attention to the fact that propaganda events like today's event are an indication of the crisis in the work of our organization. Unfortunately, I can't provide all of the information I would like to provide here. The distorted picture of the crisis and its root causes is a barrier on the path to a peace settlement. Such an event is only misleading people and compounding the crisis. Thank you, and thank you for not interrupting me.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation. I give the floor to the representative of Greece.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I thank the permanent missions of Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine for convening this meeting. I also thank ASG Fuentes Julio for her remarks and the briefers for their invaluable yet sobering accounts. Greece remains deeply concerned by the mounting body of credible evidence verifying grave violations committed by the Russian armed forces against Ukrainian military personnel and civilians, as well as against foreign nationals. Successive reports by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and other credible organizations continue to document patterns of systematic torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, sexual violence, denial of adequate medical care and deaths in captivity. The latest report documents 129 summary executions of captured Ukrainian military personnel since February 2022, while nearly all of the released Ukrainian prisoners of war reporting torture or other forms of ill treatment. Equally alarming are the findings concerning arbitrary detention of civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and forced disappearances and transfers of protected persons into the territory of the Russian Federation. According to this year's Secretary General conflict related sexual violence report and reports of the UN Human Rights Office, hundreds of men and women in service but also civilian detainees and civilians in residential areas have been subjected to sexual violence. Ukrainian combatants are denied prisoner of war status, while civilian detainees are denied the right to a fair trial, including the principles of presumption of innocence and non-retroactivity of laws, as well as the right to be tried by an independent and impartial tribunal. Illegal Russian courts in the occupied territories apply Russian criminal law contrary to Russia's own international obligations, as an occupying power. Many detainees are deported to Russia and tried before military courts, which is a war crime. All these practices constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. International humanitarian law in this case, the third and fourth Geneva Conventions, establish clear obligations that are not optional or reciprocal. They apply in all circumstances and must be respected by all parties. Greece is also deeply concerned by reports concerning the recruitment of foreign nationals from at least 17 countries into the Russian army. Madam Chair, we call on Russia to abstain from further violations of international law, to ensure humane treatment of all prisoners of war and civilian detainees, grant unhindered access to independent international monitors, release unlawfully detained civilians, and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. In this regard, we take note of the readiness of competent Ukrainian authorities to conduct investigations, take action against human rights violations attributed to them, and improve detention conditions. In conclusion, Madam Chair, respect for human dignity is a legal obligation and a moral imperative. Greece fully subscribes to national and international efforts to ensure accountability for all violations perpetrated during this war and bring those responsible to justice. In this context, we fully support the work of relevant international judicial mechanism. We firmly believe that only by upholding international law and the principles of the UN Charter will we ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and that it is essential that the issue of the humane treatment of POWs and civilian detainees is included in any peace talks. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Greece and I give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

Madam Chair, At outset, I thank Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine for convening this area formula meet. We also acknowledge the previous for their contributions to today's meeting. The treatment of prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and foreign nationals remains a fundamental concern for the international community. Such matters touch upon core principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the obligations enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols. The protection of all individuals deprived of their liberty during armed conflict represents a non-negotiable duty under international humanitarian law. These obligations are not optional. They reflect minimum standards of human treatment that must be guaranteed in all circumstance and across all territories. We acknowledge the indispensable role played by the ICRC and the UN in monitoring detention conditions, assessing treatment and facilitating humanitarian access. In that vein, We welcome the ongoing prisoners exchange and vital humanitarian measures. This transfer spring much need relief to thousands of prisoners of war's family. We encourage all parties to accelerate dialogue and build upon diplomatic frameworks to facilitate regular comprehensive exchanges and returns of prisoners of war and detainees. Madam Chair, we remain convinced that there is no military solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Sustainable peace and protection of civilians, civilian lives can only be achieved through genuine diplomatic commitment, open channels of communication and strict adherence to international obligations. We urge all parties to prioritize de-escalation, exercise utmost restraint, and commit to an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. Every opportunity for peace must be seized and built upon through sustained diplomatic engagement. To conclude, Somalia reaffirms its commitment to supporting all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a just, durable, and peaceful resolution in accordance with international law. We stand ready to work with Council members and the wider international community to uphold humanitarian principles and ensure that human lives remain at the center of all peace processes. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Somalia, and I give the floor to the representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Madam Chair, the Democratic Republic of the Congo would like to thank Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine for organising this important meeting in the AREA formula. We also thank all of the briefers for their contributions. The subject that brings us here today is of particular importance and reminds us that even in situations of armed conflict, the most complex situations, international humanitarian law remains applicable and must be respected by all parties in all circumstances. The DRC reaffirms its commitment to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their 1977 and 2005 Additional Protocols. The protection of human dignity cannot be subordinated to political, military or geographical considerations. While the prospects of a rapid solution to the conflict remain uncertain, the DRC remains deeply concerned by the continued hostilities and their human, political and security consequences. Indeed, every additional day of war brings with it its share of victims, it exacerbates the suffering of the civilian population, it worsens international divisions and poses a consistent threat to the maintenance of international peace and security. In line with its As a consistent position within the Security Council, my country remains convinced that there can be no military solution to this crisis. The longer the conflict goes on, the prospects for a lasting solution diminish. Only a steady de escalation, sincere commitment by the parties to dialogue and diplomatic efforts on a constant basis will be able to open the door to a ceasefire, which is an essential precondition for a definitive cessation of hostilities and a lasting peace. Chair. My country's government feels that it is particularly important for today's debate to not further polarize positions. We are aware that this conflict continues to give rise to sometimes profoundly different readings and interpretations. Regardless of the issues around this crisis, it is essential that we recognize an unquestioned reality, which is that international humanitarian law is incumbent upon all parties and must be applied in all circumstances. My delegation would like to underscore that the protection of civilian detainees, prisoners of war and humanitarian access must be at the heart of any international response. In that regard, the conditions must be created for humanitarian workers to be able to fully do their job in accordance with international humanitarian law. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols remain the universal basis for the protection of persons that are not participating in or no longer participating in hostilities. Prisoners of war and civilian detainees, as well as all persons out of combat, must be treated with humanity and dignity, regardless of the circumstances of the conflict. No violation of international humanitarian law can be contextualized. Any violation deserves to be considered with incredible, impartial, and independent mechanisms so that the facts can be established and that who is responsible can be determined in accordance with international law. It is in the light of these principles that the question of prisoners of war, civilian detainees and foreign fighters is of particular importance today. Beyond its strictly humanitarian dimension, it is an indicator of the parties' capacity to preserve spaces for dialogue and to maintain channels of communication, without which no credible political prospect can emerge. Madam President, the DRC welcomes the exchange of prisoners that have taken place between the parties in recent months. These initiatives show that, despite the ongoing fighting, progress remains possible when humanitarian imperatives prevail. It also shows that dialogue is never entirely broken, even within the most testing conflicts. It is precisely this ability to achieve individual one-off agreements that the international community should encourage in order to have a more substantial impact on the path towards peace. Madam Chair, the issue of foreign is also a cause of concern. Contemporary conflicts go beyond the borders of the states that are directly involved and affect the nationals of third countries, including African countries, that may find themselves involved, captured or trapped in hostilities in various different circumstances, sometimes due to their economic vulnerability or deceitful promises. Their protection, identification, the effective exercise of consular assistance, as well as as of course when circumstances allow their repatriation must be the subject of strengthened cooperation among the parties concerned, states of origin and the relevant humanitarian organisations. The Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that this cooperation is also a tangible way to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable persons and to limit the internationalisation of this conflict. Madam Chair, respect for international humanitarian law is a legal obligation, it also represents an investment in peace. Every prisoner exchanged, every family reunited, every person found and every humanitarian measure that is implemented helps preserve confidence and trust, without which no peace process can prosper in the long term. The DRC's experience in the area of armed conflicts in the Great Lakes region teaches us that when the rules designed to protect people are weakened, it is the civilian population that pays the price. That is why we call upon all parties to put the protection of life and human dignity above immediate political considerations. For the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the recent exchanges show that even amidst this test, dialogue remains possible when there political will. This reality should be built upon today so that it can steadily lead to a more structured dialogue, a ceasefire and ultimately a lasting cessation of hostilities. It is with this in mind that my delegation will continue to support any initiative in accordance with international law that can bring the parties closer together and help bring about a just negotiated lasting peace in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Thank you.

I thank the representative from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and I give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Madam Chair, we thank the organisers for convening this ARIA meeting. We have attentively listened to the testimonies delivered and views shared by the briefers. Pakistan has been consistent in expressing its concerns on the protracted conflict in Ukraine, the worsening humanitarian situation and the regional as well as cross-regional ramifications arising from this conflict. We deplore the recent intensification in hostilities, compounding the associated humanitarian challenges. We have repeatedly stressed the need for the parties to scrupulously comply with their obligations under the international law the international humanitarian law without any exception. Prisoners of war are granted explicit protections under IHL against any form of mistreatment. We urge all parties to abide by their respective obligations in this regard. We view the regular exchange of prisoners of war between the parties facilitated by UAE, Qatar and Turkey as a step in the right direction. The reports about the involvement of foreign fighters in this conflict are disturbing. The topic of foreign fighters has been a longstanding concern for the international community. Lately, with the proliferation of conflicts, this phenomenon has seen a sharp rise. Madam Chair, on this conflict, Pakistan's approach from the very outset has been underpinned by our unwavering conviction in the primacy of dialogue and diplomacy for the peaceful settlement. We will continue to support all diplomatic efforts to this end. We reiterate our call for bringing a swift end to this conflict and for a just and lasting settlement consistent with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant multilateral agreements acceptable to and corresponding with the legitimate security interests of all sides. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Pakistan and I give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Colombia wishes to thank the delegations of Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine for convening this meeting. We also wish to thank the participants and briefers for their invaluable contributions and moving testimony. The protection of persons deprived of freedom during armed conflict is one of the pillars of international humanitarian law. Geneva Conventions establish clear obligations regarding the humane treatment of prisoners of war, civilian detainees and all persons protected under IHL. Colombia reaffirms that compliance with international humanitarian law is an obligation that must be upheld under all circumstances and by all parties. The prohibition of torture and of cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, as well as the prohibition of forced disappearances and of summary executions are all non-derogable obligations. Distinguished colleagues, Colombia notes with concern the reports detailing alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law concerning persons deprived of freedom. These reports emphasize the need to strengthen prevention, documentation, investigation and accountability. Against this backdrop, my delegation wishes to underscore the vital role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross as a neutral and independent actor. We appeal to all parties to protect and facilitate the committee's access to prisoners of war and to civilian detainees. This in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. This access is vital in order to verify detention conditions, as well as to maintain contact with families and to shed light on the whereabouts of missing persons. Colombia is of the view that it is crucial to devote particular attention to the situation of third country nationals that are involved in or affected by the conflict, they must be examined through a strictly humanitarian and legal lens. Nationality does not automatically determine the legal status of a person, neither can it trigger the denial or curtailment of protections provided for under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. With this in mind, we urge all parties to guarantee, without discrimination on grounds of nationality, the full respect of human rights and of the protections provided for international humanitarian law. These protections include access to humanitarian assistance, to communication with family members and with consular authorities. To conclude, Colombia encourages the continuation of humanitarian efforts and the implementation of measures designed to mitigate the suffering of people affected and their families. Colombia will continue to support efforts designed to increase compliance with international humanitarian law and to guarantee the protection of civilians and of all persons affected by armed conflicts in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Colombia for his statement and I will now open the floor to those member states inscribed on the list of speakers and give the floor now to the representative of the European Union.

Thank you, Your Excellencies, dear colleagues, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia, as well as Andorra, align themselves with this statement. I thank Latvia, the UK and Ukraine for calling this meeting, and I thank all five briefers for their powerful testimony. Four and a half years into Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, humanitarian consequences continue to deepen dramatically. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, in the first six months of 2026, 1,396 civilians have been killed, and 7,978 injured. This is 37% higher than in the same period in 2025 and 114% higher than in 2024. Russia's relentless and escalating large-scale missile and drone attacks, including strikes against targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure, are tormenting Ukraine daily. Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that Russia continues to violate the Geneva Conventions in total disregard for international humanitarian law. Its widespread and systematic practice of arbitrarily detaining Ukrainian civilians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and within the Russian Federation is unacceptable and must be condemned. Civilians have been deprived of their liberty simply for expressing pro-Ukrainian views, carrying out their professional duties, participating in peaceful civic activities, or refusing to cooperate with the occupying authorities. There are credible reports of enforced disappearances, incommunicado detention, torture, sexual violence, denial of due process, and unlawful transfers. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians remain in Russian captivity, while the fate and whereabouts of many others remain unknown. Russia systematically continues to refuse to provide information on detainees to their families and to international humanitarian organizations, prolonging the suffering of relatives. Under international law, families have the right to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones. Civilians may only be interned in exceptional circumstances, under the Fourth Geneva Convention and must be released as soon as the reasons necessitating their internment no longer exist. In its report of September 2025, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Marianna Katsorova, whose mandate the EU fully supports, drew attention to the widespread and systematic torture and ill treatment in the Russian Federation affecting Russian citizens, Ukrainian prisoners of war, and civilian detainees by Russian law enforcement officials, security forces, penitentiary officials, and members of the armed forces. In the SG's 2025 report on conflict-related sexual violence, Russian armed and security forces are listed for the first time for committing conflict-related sexual violence against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine. The European Union reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians arbitrarily detained by Russia. Pending their release, they must be treated humanely, protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and afforded all guarantees provided under international law. We also specifically call on Russia to immediately ensure the safe and unconditional return of all unlawfully deported and transferred Ukrainian children, as also requested by the GA in its resolution of December 2025. The situation of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian captivity remains equally alarming. All prisoners of war without any discrimination are entitled to the protections of the Third Geneva Convention. Yet the United Nations has consistently documented Russia's widespread and systemic use of torture and other forms of ill treatment of prisoners of war. Former detainees have described severe beatings, electric shocks, mock executions, prolonged stress positions, sexual violence, denial of adequate food and medical care, and other forms of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. Reports of summary executions of captured Ukrainian soldiers have become increasingly frequent and constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, amounting to war crimes. Russia must immediately cease these violations, fully and unconditionally comply with its obligations under international law, and cooperate with international humanitarian actors. The International Committee of the Red Cross must be enabled to fulfil its mandate. It must be ensured that the ICRC has access to all places where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees are held and contribute to the confirmation of the fate and whereabouts of persons reported missing in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Dear colleagues, the EU also strongly condemns Russia's deceitful recruitment of third country citizens including many from African and Latin American countries, to fight in its illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and to work in its military industry. Over 3,500 foreign nationals are independently confirmed to have died fighting for Russia. The EU will continue to engage with affected countries and Ukraine on this matter. Furthermore, the EU strongly condemns DPRK-Russia military cooperation, including arms transfers and the deployment of DPRK troops in support of Russia's war of aggression. These activities constitute a serious breach of international law, including the UN Charter, and a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that Russia itself supported. The DPRK and Russia must immediately cease their illegal military cooperation. The European Union will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes in pursuit of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law. We reaffirm our commitment to justice and full accountability for international crimes and other violations of international law committed in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. And I thank you.

I thank the representative of the European Union for their statement and I will now give the floor to the representative of Timor-Leste.

Madam Chair, thank you. Timor-Leste thanks Latvia, United Kingdom and Ukraine for convening this important meeting and the briefers for their testimonies of the human consequences of this war. The accounts presented today are deeply concerning. They underscore the urgent need for full compliance with international humanitarian law. The Geneva Conventions and their applicable rules are not discretionary. They are binding obligations that must be respected by all parties in all circumstances. Prisoners of war and civilian detainees must be treated humanly, protected from torture and cruel or degrading treatment, and afforded the safeguards required under international law. Respect for international humanitarian law is not only about protecting individuals caught in conflict. It is also about protecting the credibility of the international rules-based order. When violations are tolerated or accountability is absent, the foundations of multilateralism are weakened. Excellencies, the continuation of this war carries devastating humanitarian consequences, while also contributing to wider economic and geopolitical instability. It affects food and energy security and diverts resources that are urgently needed for development in human welfare. Timor-Leste therefore reiterates its call for all parties involved to engage in genuine, direct and results-oriented dialogue towards a peaceful resolution. Such efforts must be consistent with the United Nations Charter, including respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Dialogue is not a concession, it is a responsibility. Moreover, compromise when granted in international law and respect for fundamental principles is an expression of leadership. Madam Chair, Timor-Leste urges full compliance with international humanitarian law, unhindered access for independent and impartial monitors and credible efforts to address reported violations. We call on all parties to demonstrate the political courage and leadership necessary to end this devastating war and to create the conditions for a just and sustainable peace. The principles of the United Nations Charter demand nothing less. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Timor-Leste and I will now give the floor to the representative of Estonia.

Thank you, Chair. Estonia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We thank Latvia, the United Kingdom, together with Ukraine for organizing this meeting. We are deeply moved by the harrowing testimonies of the briefers today, especially Ms. Umarova and Mr. Garcia. Thank you for being here. What you have gone through is a testament to courage and endurance, but also a profound tragedy. As we have heard today, Russia's war against Ukraine extends beyond the battlefield. It is waged through captivity, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and deportation and forcible transfer of children. These are all tools of repression and control. For 12 years now, since 2014, with the illegal annexation of Crimea and the occupation of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, a number of credible sources, including the UN mechanisms, have documented systematic torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees in Russian captivity. The reports make it clear that these are not isolated incidents, but systematic practices endorsed by Russian leadership. We urge the Security Council to take due note of these independent reports and their findings and incorporate them into the Council work and considerations. We urge Member States to demand Russia to cease the torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and detainees and support initiatives that help putting a stop to Russia's crimes. Torturing or humiliating a captive is not only cowardly and utterly shameful, It is in clear violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law. They amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. To this day, thousands of Ukrainians remain unlawfully detained and more than 16,000 civilians from occupied territories are missing. We call on Russia to release all unlawfully detained civilians and disclose the fate and whereabouts of every missing person. Seriously wounded and ill prisoners of war must be repatriated without delay. Prisoner exchanges need to continue. A critical issue that needs to be addressed is Russian denial of access to UN and ICRC representatives to their detention facilities. The ICRC and UN monitors must be granted full, regular and confidential access to all prisoners of war and civilian detainees. Ukraine, on the contrary, has shown that it takes its obligations under international humanitarian law seriously and has granted international monitors unhindered access to its detention facilities. The OHCHR has found conditions that are largely compliant with international standards. Estonia also condemns Russia's exploitation of foreign nationals through deceptive and coercive recruitment practices. This unlawful activity needs to stop. It is important to disrupt these networks and assist the victims. Chair, Russia's actions must be met with accountability. There will be no lasting peace for Ukraine without ensuring accountability for violations of international law committed during Russia's war of aggression. We support the ICC and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine in their mission to find impunity and bring

justice to all the victims of this war.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Estonia for her statement. I will now give the floor to the representative of Liechtenstein.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I want to thank you and I want to thank our briefers for their personal bravery. and for coming to speak with us today and to express our solidarity with them. Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine is shocking, not only in its brazen violation of the prohibition of the illegal use of force, but also as the latest chapter in a consistent approach to international law, which disregards the basic tenets of international humanitarian law in a systematic way, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. By all of its own metrics, Russia's aggression has failed. It has failed to topple the democratically elected government of Ukraine, failed to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people, and failed to divide the support in Europe for international law. But as it fails in Ukraine, its crimes against Ukrainians, including prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and foreign fighters, have only worsened. Lichtenstein notes that most of the Ukrainian victims of conflict-related sexual violence are men and boys subjected to sexual torture, rape and other forms of violence during imprisonment. Based on the verified information available, the perpetrators of these crimes Russian armed and security forces were listed for the first time as conflict parties credibly suspected of using violence in situations of armed conflict in a systematic manner. Many survivors of such violence face profound stigma that discourages reporting and limits access to specialized support. In this regard, We commend the pioneering work of the Liechtenstein-based All Survivors Project Foundation dedicated to the issue of conflict-related sexual violence against men and boys. In cooperation with partner organizations across Ukraine, it has helped to ensure that survivors can access the necessary support services, including health providers and the justice system. Madam Chair, the International Criminal Court has issued six arrest warrants against Russian nationals for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Ukraine. The court, of course, cannot deliver results alone. The execution of arrest warrants is indispensable, and we look to all states parties to fulfill their legal obligations under the Rome Statute. The case of Ukraine highlights that the court is not a threat to state sovereignty, but rather an expression of it, as Ukraine made the sovereign decision to submit itself to the court's jurisdiction. By doing so, it sent a clear message that no crimes committed by its nationals or on its soil will remain unpunished while it continues to prioritize its own exercise of jurisdiction. Madam Chair, the resolutions adopted in this building since 2022, in particular, the Just Peace resolution adopted by the General Assembly must be the basis for any meaningful initiative for peace in Ukraine. We look forward to an end to a war that has caused immense suffering to the civilian population, created economic damages amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars, and destroyed the European security architecture. To ensure accountability under international law, including for the crime of aggression, to bring justice to all victims and survivors, and lasting peace to all of Europe. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Liechtenstein for his statement, and I will now give the floor to the representative of Albania.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Albania aligned with European Union statements, but I would like to have some remarks in my national capacity. I would like to thank Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine for convening this meeting. We also thank the briefers for their valuable insights, which have highlighted the profound human consequences of the war in Ukraine and the urgent need to protect those affected by it. More than four years after the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the humanitarian consequences remain deeply concerning. Behind the figures, reports and testimonies presented today are people whose lives have been profoundly affected, including prisoners of war, civilian detainees and their families. International humanitarian law provides essential protection to people affected by armed conflict. The Geneva Convention and their additional protocols, as applicable, as well as customary international humanitarian law must be fully respected. We are concerned by reports of torture, ill treatment, arbitrary detention, and other serious violations affecting prisoners of war and civilian detainees. The consistent accounts of torture and ill treatment reported by international human rights mechanisms are particularly alarming. These allegations must not go unanswered. They must be properly documented and investigated, and those responsible for violation must be held accountable in accordance with international law. We therefore stress the importance of regular, safe and unhindered access by the International Committee of the Red Cross to all prisoners of war and civilian detainees in accordance with its mandate. Access is not a humanitarian concession. It is an essential safeguard for the protection of persons deprived of their liberty. Families must receive timely and reliable information concerning the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones. Humanitarian concerns must never become instruments of pressure or bargaining, and the dignity of those deprived of their liberty must be respected at all times. Colleagues, We are also deeply concerned by reports of the deceptive and coercive recruitment of foreign nationals into the Russian armed forces. The reported use of promises of civilian employment, recruitment networks and online platforms to target Uh, vulnerable individuals followed by pressure to sign military contracts they may not understand raises serious concerns regarding exploitation and coercion. The recruitment and deployment of foreign nationals through deceptive or coercive practices must not be allowed to become another dimension of human exploiting arising from this war. Madam Chair, the United Nations has an important role to play in reinforcing respect for international humanitarian law. The Security Council must continue to uphold the principles enriched in the United Nations Charter and insist on compliance with applicable international humanitarian law. Existing international mechanisms should be supported and strengthened, including through systematic documentation, monitoring and reporting of violations. At this critical juncture, our collective responsibility is clear. to uphold the charter of the United Nations and international law, to protect civilians and all persons deprived of their liberty, to ensure humanitarian access, to facilitate exchanges and returns, and strengthen accountability for serious violations. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Albania for her statement and I will kindly ask all the speakers to keep their remarks concise so that we can hear all the Member States inscribed on the list of speakers. And I will now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to thank Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine for convening today's meeting. I also thank the briefers for their insightful remarks. Since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, we have continued to see clear and blatant violations of international law, including the UN Charter, alongside reports of widespread violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Japan emphasizes the importance of principled view that attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force are unlawful and must not be tolerated. Japan also expresses its strong condemnations of Russia's widespread and systematic use of torture against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, including sexual violence as a form of torture. Japan calls for humane and dignified treatment of all Ukrainian POWs and civilian detainees in Russian custody. General Assembly resolution 80/223 urges Russia to uphold the rights of Ukrainian prisoners and detainees, including securing appropriate conditions for POWs in accordance with Geneva Convention. Further, Russia must provide reliable information on the whereabouts of detained Ukrainian civilians, including POWs, and release all residents of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories who have been unlawfully arrested or detained. Yet these requirements remain almost entirely unimplemented. Japan is also concerned by the reports of coercive and deceptive recruitment of foreign nationals into Russian armed forces, as mentioned in the 2026 report of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Additionally, we are deeply concerned by the continued deployment of North Korean soldiers in combat against Ukraine, which constitutes a clear violation of international law. including the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. Such unlawful military cooperation between Russia and DPRK is undermining peace and security in Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and beyond. Madam Chair, human rights apply to all persons, including POWs and civilian detainees, and peace processes must respect human life and dignity. Japan will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and work alongside the international community towards a just and lasting peace. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Japan for his statement. I will now give the floor to the representative of Switzerland.

Madam Chair, Switzerland thanks the organisers of this meeting and the briefers for their briefings. We continue to strongly condemn Russia's war against Ukraine. We consider it to be a grave violation of international law. We call for an immediate cessation of all hostilities and once again urge Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Allow me to highlight three points. First, international humanitarian law must be strictly respected by all parties. We are alarmed by reports of violations. Such violations must be investigated and those responsible, whoever they may be, must be brought to justice. International humanitarian law requires the protection of civilians and of civilian objects. rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access must be ensured. All attacks targeting civilians or civilian objects, including missile strikes, are prohibited and must cease immediately. Second, prisoners of war and other detainees and internees must be protected and treated humanely. All captured persons must be protected at all times, namely against violence, intimidation, insults and public curiosity. As an impartial humanitarian actor and pursuant to its unique mandate under the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross must be granted access to all prisoners of war and internees. This access is vital for monitoring detention conditions, facilitating contact with families, and promoting compliance with international humanitarian law. We call upon all parties to provide the RCRC with full access. Switzerland remains ready to offer its good offices, including in support of humanitarian efforts. That readiness was demonstrated by its facilitation of the talks that led to a prisoner exchange last March. My third point now, respect for international law is vital to achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Switzerland remains staunchly committed to such a peace based on the UN Charter and the Helsinki Principles. This is one of the priorities of its chairpersonship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security rests with the Security Council. Consequently, we call upon all parties to work towards a just and lasting peace. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Switzerland for his remarks, and I will now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Thank you, and I particularly thank Latvia and the United Kingdom for drawing the Security Council's attention to this important matter. Australia is deeply disturbed by the briefest accounts of their experiences while held in detention by the Russian Federation. We are appalled by credible reports of violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation in relation to the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees. Allegations of the use of torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, and summary executions are particularly concerning. Australia calls on the Russian Federation to ensure that prisoners of war are treated humanely in all circumstances and in line with international law, including the Third Geneva Convention. Allegations of serious violations of international law must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible held accountable. Australia reiterates its call for the International Committee of the Red Cross to be afforded meaningful access, consistent with international humanitarian law, to prisoners of war and other persons deprived of their liberty in connection with the conflict. Australia also supports ongoing international efforts to strengthen implementation of and respect for international humanitarian law. For that reason, we have co-chaired a workstream of the ICRC Global Initiative on International Humanitarian Law, and we see value in exploring how the future work of the Initiative could contribute to strengthening protections for prisoners of war and civilian detainees. We continue to call for the Russian Federation to be held to account for these reported violations, and we stand firmly with Ukraine and call on Russia to end this senseless war. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Australia for his remarks, and I will now give the floor to the representative of Georgia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, let me thank Latvia and the United Kingdom and Ukraine for convening today's important meeting. I also thank briefers for their important contributions. We welcome this discussion on the implementation of international humanitarian law, particularly regarding the protection of prisoners of war and civilian detainees. Respect for international humanitarian law is not optional. Even in times of war, the Geneva Conventions establish clear obligations to protect human dignity, prohibit torture and ill-treatment and ensure human treatment of all persons deprived of their liberty. Georgia remains deeply concerned by continued reports documenting systematic torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and forced disappearances, conflict-related sexual violence, summary executions and other serious violations committed against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees held in the custody of the Russian Federation. Such acts continue grave breaches of international humanitarian law and violations of international human rights law and must be subject to prompt, thorough and independent investigations, as well as a full accountability for those responsible. Madam Chair, as we marked just days ago the 18 years since the beginning of Russia's war against Georgia, this discussion carries particular significance for my country. Georgia knows firsthand the human cost of armed conflict and illegal occupation. This experience has also been confirmed by the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court. The recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the torture and killing of the Georgian prisoners of war during the 2008 war, including Georgia's national hero, Georgiy Sukhelidze, as well as the decision of the International Criminal Court, which led to the issuance of International Criminal Court of arrest warrants for war crimes committed against ethnic Georgians, once again underscores the importance of ensuring accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law. For years, international monitoring mechanisms have continued to be denied access to Russia-occupied regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions, while the security, human rights and humanitarian situations on the ground remains deeply alarming. Our experience demonstrates that where international humanitarian and human rights law is disregarded and independent monitoring is obstructed, violations become deeply rooted. Impunity deepens and the suffering of victims is prolonged. Madam Chair, Georgia supports all efforts aimed at securing the release and safe return of prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians. Every change represents not merely a humanitarian achievement but also a reaffirmation that international humanitarian law must remain at the center of efforts to alleviate the human cost of armed conflict. The international community must remain united and resolute. Attempts to redraw internationally recognized borders by force must never be tolerated. We therefore call on Russia to fully comply with its obligations under the UN Charter and international law, including its obligations under international humanitarian law, ensure unhindered access for impartial humanitarian organizations to facilitate the return of prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians, and ensure credible investigations into all alleged violations. Georgia reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and for upholding a rules-based international order grounded in the UN Charter and accountability for violations of international law. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the representative of Georgia for his statement and I will now give the floor to the representative of Finland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and my own country, Finland. Almost four and a half years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we continue to witness Russia's systematic and gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights. According to the OHCHR Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, nearly all Ukrainian prisoners of war interviewed after release from Russian captivity reported regular torture, ill treatment or abuse. We are particularly alarmed by the reports of the extrajudicial killings which may amount to a war crime. Russia's use of so-called filtration procedures in occupied territories has led to detention of civilians perceived as loyal to Ukraine, including journalists, local leaders and relatives of Ukrainian service members. The Nordics are deeply concerned by reports that foreign nationals have been recruited into the Russian armed forces through deceptive and coercive practices. These findings underscore the global repercussions of Russia's war of aggression. The Nordic countries strongly condemn Russia's war of aggression and call on Russia to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law, including by treating detainees humanely and with dignity and granting the ICRC immediate and unimpeded access to all Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees. Arbitrary detention, inhumane treatment and enforced disappearance are violations of international law and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Nordic countries remain deeply concerned by reports of conflict-related sexual violence against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees in Russian captivity. We commend Ukraine's efforts to establish survivor-centred CRSV referral mechanisms and to develop expertise in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes. We reaffirm our support to Ukrainian investigators, the International Criminal Court, reparation mechanisms and civil society documentation to ensure full accountability in the context of Russian aggression. The international community should ensure that these lessons are incorporated into accountability processes beyond Ukraine. The Nordic countries strongly support the global initiative to galvanize political commitment to international humanitarian law and its goal to use IHL as a guiding framework to reduce suffering and help steer armed conflicts towards peaceful resolution. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Finland for her statement. I will now give the floor to the representative of Lithuania.

Thank you, Madam President. Lithuania aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union. Lithuania extends its sincere gratitude to Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine for convening this important ARIA Formula meeting and thanks all briefers, particularly those who shared their personal testimonies. Their accounts are a vivid reminder of the human cost of Russia's illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and the urgent need to uphold international humanitarian law. The findings of the OHCHR, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, and OSCE confirm widespread and systematic violations including torture, arbitrary detention, conflict-related sexual violence, denial of medical care, and executions of prisoners of war. The Commission of Inquiry has concluded that torture committed by Russian authorities amount to a crime against humanity. These violations demand accountability. The gravity of these violations is reflected in UN reporting. In 2026, Russian armed forces were listed once again by the UN Secretary General for grave violations, including for the first time in relation to conflict related sexual violence, with repeated listings carrying consequences for participation in UN peacekeeping operations. The international community must demand full compliance with the Geneva Conventions. Russia must immediately grant the ICRC the unhindered access to all prisoners of war and civilian detainees provided for under the third and fourth Geneva Conventions. Allow access for all relevant human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur on Torture, and fully implement the Mandela Rules, ensuring humane treatment, adequate medical care, and family contacts, as required under international law. Lithuania welcomes humanitarian efforts to alleviate suffering, including prisoner exchanges, especially those seriously wounded and sick. We would also support strengthening of rehabilitation programs for released prisoners of war and civilian detainees through enhanced cooperation with the UN, WHO, and humanitarian organizations. Let me conclude by reiterating Lithuania's unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Russia must stop its brutal aggression immediately, withdraw its forces from the sovereign territory of Ukraine, comply fully with its obligation under the UN Charter, international humanitarian law and international human rights law and ensure the immediate protection of all prisoners of war and civilian detainees. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Lithuania for his statement and I will now give the floor to the representative of Spain.

Thank you. Spain joins in thanking Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine for convening this meeting. We also align with the statement of the European Union and I will make some comments in addition in my national capacity. Russia's systematic attacks against the civilian population and critical infrastructure of Ukraine constitute violations of international humanitarian law and must cease immediately. Spain most firmly condemns continued violations by Russia of human rights and international humanitarian law in Ukraine through summary executions of prisoners of war and detained civilians, arbitrary detentions, the systematic and widespread use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment. The Office of the High Commissioner recently reported new executions of Ukrainian prisoners and that almost all of Ukrainian prisoners of war that have been released that were then interviewed reported having suffered torture or mistreatment. Prisoners of war must receive humane treatment at all times. Russia must guarantee the International Committee of the Red Cross full, regular, unhindered access to all prisoners of war and civilian internees and to all places of detention. And this is a point that many delegations throughout this meeting have reiterated. Their families have the right to know their fate and their whereabouts. The ICRC itself has said that it still lacks full access to all of them. We express profound concern over the rising number of civilians killed and injured due to Russia's use of mass drone and ballistic missile attacks in residential and urban areas. Spain also joins the call for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of war and civilians that have been arbitrarily detained by Russia. Moreover, we specifically call upon Russia to immediately guarantee the safe and unconditional return of all Ukrainian children that have been illegally deported and moved. Russia must immediately cease these violations. It must fully comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law and must cooperate with international humanitarian actors. No argument can justify a war of aggression which each day leads to more civilian casualties, the systematic destruction of essential infrastructure and a humanitarian crisis of global proportions. Russia is directly challenging the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Deliberate attacks against the civilian population are war crimes, and they should be unequivocally described as such. Equally, violations committed in the occupied territories are crimes that cannot go unpunished. Our message is firm and unambiguous. Russia must immediately cease its aggression and withdraw all of its troops from the territory of Ukraine to within its internationally recognized borders. Only then will it be possible to pave the way towards a just and lasting peace rooted in the United Nations Charter and the principles and values of international law. In the meantime, Spain will continue to actively assist Ukraine. In response to the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Spain has launched a humanitarian assistance package that is without precedent in the history of our cooperation, with more than 120 million allocated since February 2022. Spain will continue to support all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving peace, while we will also maintain our political, financial, humanitarian and security contribution to support Ukraine's right to defend itself. A lasting peace also requires accountability. We reiterate our commitment to accountability for international crimes committed in the context of this war of aggression. Therefore, we fully support the establishment of accountability mechanisms that should begin operating as soon as possible. That is the main way to demand accountability from Russia and to respond to the crimes committed and the damage that has been caused. Spain urges all members of the United Nations to support the instruments for the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and the claims commission. My country supports efforts aimed at bringing those responsible to justice and to restoring peace and stability in Ukraine in accordance with international law and in particular with the United Nations Charter. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Spain for his statement and I will now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Madam Chair, thank you, co-conveners, for convening this important meeting today. I also thank the Secretariat for its insightful briefing, and I extend my special and sincere gratitude to Mrs. Umarova and Mr. Garcia for their extraordinary courage in testifying about the terrible experiences endured. In countless reports, independent bodies of the United Nations have detailed Russia's grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. Russia's violations of international humanitarian law in its unprovoked, unjustified, and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine are well documented. It is not enough to simply repeat calls to both parties of the armed conflict. Violations must be registered, perpetrators must be held accountable. To uphold international humanitarian law, it must be made clear that states that do not comply with their obligations will face real consequences. Ukraine grants the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross unfettered access to prisoners of war. The sheer scale and frequency of their reported activities in Ukraine clearly demonstrate that they can operate and visit detainees freely. This stands in stark contrast to Russia. which does not grant free unhindered access to independent monitors. Rather, Russia continues to systematically block independent monitors. The profound discrepancy in what international bodies are able to verify and report on speaks for itself. We call on all member states to clearly state their expectation. Russia must comply with international humanitarian law, including in its treatment of prisoners of war. This means granting immediate, unimpeded and repeated access to all Ukrainian prisoners of war. The systematic ill-treatment and torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees must stop now. The role of the ICRC regarding prisoners of war, civilian internees and other persons deprived of their liberties is of paramount importance. As a strategic partner and top financial contributor to the ICRC, we extend our deepest respect and gratitude for its tireless dedication to fulfilling its vital mandate under the Geneva Conventions. Madam Chair, on every level Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has inflicted immeasurable human suffering, reaching far beyond the European continent. Russia's illegal practice of luring and coercing foreign nationals into its military exploits vulnerable individuals and brings profound loss to families across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This apparent war must end. Every single member of the Security Council, with the sole exception of Russia, has echoed the Secretary-General's call for ceasefire. Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it stands ready to agree to such a ceasefire immediately. We urge all member states to help make Russia's leadership understand that the only responsible choice, both ethically and politically, is to pursue that same track. I thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Germany for his statement and I will now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the Permanent Missions of Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine for convening today's meeting and for drawing attention to the grave violations committed by Russia in the course of its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. I also thank the briefers for their deeply moving testimonies. There is no legal vacuum in armed conflict. Every prisoner of war and every civilian detainee is protected under international law. Russia is fully bound by these obligations and yet it continues to deliberately and systematically violate international humanitarian law. The evidence is overwhelming. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, more than 96% of interviewed Ukrainian prisoners of war reported being subjected to torture or other forms of ill treatment. 96%. Additionally, since February 2022, the executions of at least 1929 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been documented. Furthermore, Russia denies fair trial guarantees to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has documented the use of fabricated evidence, confessions extracted under torture, and politically motivated prosecutions. Prosecuting prisoners of war merely for the lawful participation in hostilities has no basis in international humanitarian law. Poland calls for the release of all persons convicted on such unlawful grounds. Madam Chair, humanitarian access remains essential. We call on Russia to provide meaningful, immediate, and unimpeded access to all places of detention for the International Committee of the Red Cross and other independent international monitoring mechanisms. Russia must disclose the identity and whereabouts of all persons in its custody and ensure regular communication between detainees and their families. Compliance with international humanitarian law is not a matter for negotiation. We are also deeply concerned by Russia's increasing reliance on the recruitment of foreign nationals to sustain its war against Ukraine. These practices raise serious concerns regarding exploitation, coercion, and trafficking in persons. This recruitment is often facilitated through disinformation and information manipulation campaigns targeting vulnerable individuals in many parts of the world. Often recruits are lured by false promises of civilian employment only to find themselves deceived into military service. Those refusing to fight made themselves become victims of torture or other abuse. Their families are often denied reliable information about their fate, promised salaries frequently do not materialize, And in many cases, the bodies of those killed are not returned. This is Russia's way of waging war, showing complete disregard not only for human life, but also for the citizens of third countries whom it exploits for its military purposes. We therefore call on governments whose nationals may be targeted to strengthen information sharing, counter Russian disinformation, investigate deceptive recruitment networks and take concrete measures to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitations. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Poland for his statement. A little remark, we still have three member states inscribed on the list and five minutes left. I understand the interpreters are ready to stay a few more minutes, so I suggest that we take the three speakers inscribed with the interpreters and then we will release the interpreters and we can stay a few more minutes to conclude this meeting. So I will now give the floor to the representative of Romania.

Madam President, Romania aligns with the statement delivered by the European Union and we join others in thanking Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine for organizing this meeting. We also thank our briefers for their substantial and moving accounts. Russia's illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine constitutes a complete disregard for the UN Charter and the rules, norms, and principles of international law, including international humanitarian law. This conduct is particularly grave. First, because it is conducted by a permanent member of the UN Security Council, an organ of the United Nations, to which all states have entrusted a primary role for peace and security. Second, because equal disregard is manifested towards the way the war is waged. The evidence is stark and it is highlighted by several UN mechanisms, including the human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, the Secretary-General's reports on thematic areas of concern on the Council's agenda, as well as by the humanitarian organizations, by open source evidence and through the of victims themselves. It refers to enforced restrictions on fundamental rights in occupied territories, arbitrary and incommunicado detentions of civilians, enforced disappearances, denial of due process and unlawful transfers, including, as we know, of children, refusal to provide information on detainees to families and international humanitarian organizations about the fate and whereabouts of loved ones, denial of adequate food and medical care, conflict-related sexual violence, and other forms of torture, cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment of prisoners, as well as summary executions. This picture reflects widespread and systematic practices in complete violation of the Geneva Conventions and a complete and deliberate disregard of international humanitarian law. As a country with the longest terrestrial border with Ukraine, we have constantly informed the Security Council of the millions of Ukrainians which have crossed the Romanian border in search of safety, as well as of our efforts in support of refugees which choose to remain in our country. We want to also note that behind these statistics, we see and we resonate with the human stories. An overwhelming amount of these stories portray trauma, fear, and separation from family members detained or reported missing. Oftentimes, they refer to leaving for months or years without information about the fate of loved ones. We know and understand directly that these violations, whether they target civilians or prisoners of war, leave a long-lasting mark on those affected, on their families and their communities. They will and must remain a part of historical record. It is essential they are documented, investigated, and prosecuted to address impunity and deter further proliferation of such inhumane behavior. Accountability is and will remain indispensable. Madam President, we reiterate the importance of granting safe, sustained, and unimpeded access to all places of detention for impartial humanitarian organizations. Transparency and independent monitoring are essential safeguards against abuse and mistreatment. We also recall that regardless of nationality, all persons deprived of their liberty in connection with the armed conflict are entitled to humane treatment and the fundamental guarantees provided by international law. We welcome and call for the continuation of prisoner exchanges, as well as for the unconditional release of unlawfully detained civilians. As a member of the International Coalition for the Return of the Ukrainian Children, Romania supports all efforts aimed at the implementation of the General Assembly resolution on the topic to ensure full accountability for these crimes committed by the Russian Federation. The return of Ukrainian children remains central to any effort towards a dignified and durable peace and constitutes a matter of principle. Finally, we reiterate our support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and we call for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace anchored in international law and the principles of the UN Charter. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Romania for her statement, and I will now give the floor to the representative of Czech Republic.

Thank you, Madam President. The Czech Republic reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. We welcome the release of Mrs. Umerova and Mr. Garcia, who join us today. Yet their freedom also reminds us of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war who remain in Russian captivity or are deprived of their liberty in temporarily occupied territories. including those held on fabricated charges and denied their fundamental rights. Many are subjected to torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearances. Families are left without information, while victims are left without protection. These grave violations of international humanitarian law, documented by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, must not go unpunished. Russia must grant regular and unimpeded access to all detainees, including for the ICRC and other international relevant organizations. It is a matter of profound concern that Russia, which helped shape the post-war international legal order and remains bound by the Geneva Conventions, is disregarding the very principles it once helped establish. Documenting these crimes is the first step towards justice. The Czech Republic works closely with civil society organizations and human rights defenders who preserve evidence for future accountability and document abuses that Russia seeks to conceal. The deceptive recruitment of foreign nationals is yet another manifestation of Russia's disregard for international norms. Those who exploit vulnerable individuals, organise or knowingly tolerate these schemes must be held accountable. Madam President, human lives must remain at the centre of all peace efforts. Efforts to facilitate the exchange of prisoners of war and return of unlawfully detained civilians should therefore remain a priority. The protection and return of prisoners of war and the release of unlawfully detained civilians must form an essential part of any credible path towards a just and lasting peace. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the Czech Republic for his statement and I will now give the floor to the last speaker on my list, the United Arab Emirates.

Madam President, allow me to thank Latvia for convening today's meeting and I thank all the briefers for their valuable insights. The UAE remains deeply concerned by the continued human suffering caused by the conflict in Ukraine. After more than four years of conflict, the need to protect civilians and address humanitarian needs is as urgent as ever. We reiterate our call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. Madam President, we have seen that even amid the most difficult circumstances, There remain opportunities to bridge divides and produce tangible humanitarian outcomes. In this regard, we thank both the Russian Federation and Ukraine for the trust they have placed in the UAE's mediation efforts, which to date have resulted in 25 exchange operations of prisoners of wars and the release of 7,791 prisoners. These exchanges were made possible by the cooperation and goodwill of both the Russian Federation and Ukraine, and we will continue to place our good offices at the service of both parties. Madam President, we reaffirm the importance of inclusive dialogue and sustained political engagement towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict. We welcome and encourage all diplomatic efforts in this regard, and we are convinced that the same spirit of cooperation that has enabled successive prisoner exchanges can help build confidence towards broader de-escalation and ultimately a durable peace. In conclusion, The UAE will continue to support all serious efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region. Thank you, Madam President.

I thank the representative of the United Arab Emirates for his statement. As we only have the conclusion remaining, I'm happy to thank the interpreters for staying a little over time and release them. and we will now proceed to the end of this meeting. Before we do that, I see that the Russian Federation has requested the floor. So the Chair will give the floor to the Russian Federation for a final intervention, and I would encourage the delegation to be brief and focused and keep the intervention within one or two minutes, so that-- especially because we-- all the main points have already been extensively heard, and we would encourage bringing this discussion to a close without further complications. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Coordinator, for giving me the floor again. I just wanted to bring a couple of facts that may be helpful for the understanding of the situation. So, first of all, I wanted to highlight that the only source of information that is being voiced, you know, we say about many reports within the UN framework and outside, but the only source of information for all those reports is actually the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. So this mission have never been mandated by anybody to collect evidence. It stays in Ukraine on the bilateral agreement with Kiev. And actually it works under the control of the government. And also, it works for the benefit of its sponsors. And I wanted to highlight the contribution of a number of states to that mission. So for instance, Canada contributes 1 million, Germany, 3 millions, Ireland, 700,000, Netherlands, 5 millions, Norway, 1 million, Sweden, 1 and 1/2 million, Switzerland, 1 million, UK, 1 million. So you see that this particular mission is financed by exactly those countries who are taking the floor today. And also, by the way of conclusion, I wanted to highlight that those countries are actually extensively providing weapons that are now being used by Ukraine against Russia and Russian civilians. And you probably don't know that Canada provided 6.5 billion of military assistance, Germany tens of billions, Netherlands nine billion, Norway 1.3 billion, Sweden 11 billion, United Kingdom more than 13 billion, Denmark 4.4 billion, France six billion of military assistance and also equipment, And just my last statement concerns the ICC that was mentioned here. It is very interesting that this institution, which loses its members, its participants, and also its prosecutor, is somehow mentioned here as a worthy institution. But by coincidence, Ukraine somehow does not trust it because when they joined the Rome Statute of the ICC, they made the reservation to that statute. actually taking off the jurisdiction on war crimes. So it's exempted itself for the war crimes jurisdiction of the ICC for seven years. So I was wondering if this is such a good institution and the Ukraine puts a lot of trust in it, probably it should withdraw this reservation and enjoy the full capacity of the services of the ICC. And I thank you.

I thank the Russian Federation. I will now give the floor to my co-chair for some final remarks.

Thank you very much. I particularly thank our briefers today for their powerful and deeply moving testimony. Your accounts have underscored the human cost of this war far beyond the battlefield and put names and faces to the stories of many others. The United Kingdom will continue to provide vital support to Ukraine, including training for Ukrainian personnel, actions that are in full respect of international law, including international humanitarian law. Ultimately, the only way to end this suffering is to end the war itself. We need an immediate ceasefire and a just and lasting settlement now so that prisoners can return home, families can begin to heal and Ukraine can move towards a secure and peaceful future. Thank you.

Thank you. And a few words from my side as well. Dear colleagues, I wish to thank you all for your participation and for your statements. And I also, and in particular, would like to warmly thank all our briefers. And say that the courage and the presence of Ms. Omerova and Mr. Garcia here are a reminder that the spirit of Ukraine cannot be broken and will not be broken. And we also do reiterate our call for an immediate full and unconditional ceasefire. Latvia stands with Ukraine and its people fighting for their freedom and for the country's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. And with this, I will conclude this conversation, and let us stand together for the UN Charter and the international humanitarian law, and it's time that this Council acts. I thank you.