27 March 2021 marks the seventh anniversary of UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 “Territorial Integrity of Ukraine”. This resolution was the first response by the General Assembly to the beginning of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. It reaffirmed Ukraine’s sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

On the occasion of the anniversary, the Permanent Missions to the UN of forty six countries, including the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the UN, issued a joint statement firmly condemning Russia’s continued destabilization of Ukraine, especially Russia’s actions in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, disregarding the commitments it made under the Minsk agreements.

They reiterated their support for the efforts of the Normandy format and their firm commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in line with the Minsk agreements and with full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It was stressed that Russia is a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, not a mediator.

The signatories urged the Russian Federation to immediately end its occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and to fully implement the relevant UN General Assembly resolutions on the situation in Crimea. They welcomed in principle Ukraine’s initiative to establish an International Crimean Platform to consolidate the international community’s efforts on Crimea.

The co-authors of the statement are the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of Republic of Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Republic of Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Republic of Estonia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Latvia, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Republic of Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Republic of Moldova, the Principality of Monaco, Montenegro, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of North Macedonia, Norway, the Republic of Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, the Republic of Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Republic of Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Photo Credit: Ukrinform