Joint Press Statement
Delivered by Ms. Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Сhargée d’Affaires of Ukraine
New York, 8 May 2025
I would like to read out a statement on behalf of Ukraine, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
On 8 May, nations around the world honor the memory of the millions of victims of the Second World War who gave their lives for peace and freedom. We couple our tribute with a firm and unequivocal condemnation of the Nazi regime.
We also remember that for many European nations, the end of the Second World War did not bring genuine freedom but rather ushered in new forms of oppression and occupation. Totalitarian regimes imposed repressive policies, committed grave human rights violations, and perpetrated crimes against humanity, driven by ideologies contemptuous of human dignity.
The United Nations emerged from the devastation of the Second World War, taking shape over 80 years ago in the Declaration by the United Nations. In that historic document, nations committed themselves to the defense of life, liberty, independence, and religious freedom, as well as the protection of human rights and justice—both within their own borders and beyond.
Today, Europe once again faces a full-scale war of aggression. On 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation continued its armed aggression with illegal, unprovoked, unjustified and full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. Russian’s ongoing aggression remains a gross violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law. Its consequences have been devastating – not only for the people of Ukraine but also for European and global stability and security.
Ukraine continues to defend itself in full accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. Ukraine has clearly demonstrated its willingness to invest in diplomacy and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
We reaffirm our strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial waters. We reiterate our demand that the Russian Federation ceases its aggression against Ukraine and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraws all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine, as the UN General Assembly has repeatedly called for since 2022, and again this year on February 24.
We also denounce the cynical attempts to appropriate and exploit the memory of the victory of the Allied forces over Nazism as a means to justify Russia’s aggression. We strongly reject such continued distortion of history, including the propagation of false narratives and disinformation aimed at neighboring countries. In addition, no country has the right to claim exclusive rights on the victory in World War II, which was a result of great efforts by many countries and nations.
We reaffirm our commitment to maintaining international peace and security, defending human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. We also reiterate our strong condemnation of Nazism, neo-Nazism, antisemitism, anti-Roma racism, and all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.
We must not allow the rule of law to be supplanted by the rule of force, cannot accept any forms of appeasement to aggressors, nor permit attempts to alter internationally recognized borders by force—a clear and lasting lesson forged in the ashes, destruction, and immense suffering of the Second World War.
