Thank you, Madam Chair.

Many of us in this room have repeatedly called for Russia to end its illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Regrettably there continues to be no evidence that President Putin has any interest in a negotiated peace short of Ukrainian capitulation. The reason is clear: President Putin refuses to accept Ukraine’s sovereignty and its very existence as a country and a nation.

Kremlin talking points aim to convince us all that a Russian victory is inevitable. But they are wrong. Russia’s economy and demography are in long-term decline, and the war – and our response to it - is only hastening this. Eventually President Putin will need to get serious about striking a deal.

Who knows how many lives could have been spared and how much destruction could

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