Poland in the UN

On June 22, 2026, Poland participated in the UN Security Council briefing on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

The full statement delivered by Krzysztof Szczerski, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN in New York, is available below:

Madam President,

I would like to thank you for convening this meeting and the briefers for their comprehensive presentations.

We strongly condemn the massive Russian drone and missile attacks targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. As indicated in the recent report by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Russian escalation has resulted in the highest number of civilians killed and injured since April 2022. Russia is carrying on a sustained campaign that brings devastation to communities already exhausted by years of war and widespread destruction.

Madam President,

As a member of the World Heritage Committee, we must also strongly condemn the strikes that have severely damaged historic and symbolic sites, including Kyiv’s Pechersk Lavra. This is yet another alarm bell for the whole world that this war crosses all norms, and Russia is striking universal values and heritage. An attack on a site on the World Heritage List is an attack on the civilized world, and should be condemned by the international community.

By striking Pechersk Lavra, a leading centre of Eastern Christianity, Russia further undermines the narrative it has long promoted about its role as a guardian of Orthodoxy and a defender against so-called “faith enemies” or the “rotten West”. The reality contradicts these claims in the most stark and painful way. We see a deeply troubling pattern in Russia’s behavior: if something cannot be captured, it is destroyed.

Madam President,

These actions demonstrate that Russia is not pursuing peace. Rather, it continues to advance imperial ambitions. Russia is trying to fulfill these aims with its armed forces listed for grave violations in the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict as well as in the report on conflict-related sexual violence. We are speaking here about a Permanent Member of this Council.

We therefore reaffirm our position that the international community must maintain and strengthen its support for Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, while simultaneously increasing pressure on Russia.

We call on Russia to immediately cease hostilities, agree to an unconditional ceasefire, and engage in meaningful negotiations aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.

Time for a ceasefire is now.

Thank you.