Thank you, Chair.
Norway aligns with the statement delivered by the EU, but please allow me to make a few remarks in my national capacity.
As winter approaches, we are once again witnessing repeated Russian attacks on infrastructure essential to the civilian population.
These are not merely attacks on objects. They are attacks on people's ability to heat their homes, access medical care, travel safely, and maintain normal, daily life.
Darkness and cold are used as weapons of war. As temperatures begin to fall, the humanitarian consequences of these attacks become even more severe. No civilian should be forced to endure freezing temperatures, power outages, or lack of access to basic services because an aggressor works to break the will of a population.
The latest findings of the UN independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine underscore the severe human cost of these attacks. The commission further assessed that these attacks may amount to crimes against humanity.
Mr. Chair,
Russia frequently seeks to portray international support for Ukraine as provocative or escalatory. This narrative deliberately reverses cause and effect. Support provided at Ukraine’s request, to assist it in exercising its inherent right of self-defence does not constitute aggression nor an escalation.
The responsibility for this war rests solely with the state that chose to launch it. We call on Russia to end its attacks and withdraw its forces from Ukraine's internationally recognized territory.
Ukraine's security and Europe's security are inseparable. A Europe in which borders can be changed by force and civilian populations subjected to coercion through violence is a less secure Europe for all. Supporting Ukraine is therefore not only about solidarity with a sovereign nation. It is also an investment in the security, stability and principles upon which our common European security order is built.
We still believe peace is possible. In this regard we welcome the negotiated local ceasefire in Oleshky. Norway will continue our support to Ukraine and the efforts to ensure a just and lasting peace.
Thank you.