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Delivered by Ambassador Yann Hwang, Permanent Representative of France to the Conference for Disarmament

1. The ongoing war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine remains a聽major concern for every State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear聽 Weapons (NPT).

2. We, Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,聽 Canada, Chad, Cyprus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,聽 France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan,聽 Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Moldova,聽 Monaco, Montenegro, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North聽 Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino,聽 Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, T眉rkiye, the United Kingdom, the聽 United States of American, Ukraine and the European Union reaffirm our unwavering聽 support to the legitimate and sovereign Ukrainian authorities, as well as to Ukraine鈥檚 independence and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders.

3. We reiterate our strongest condemnation of the ongoing unprovoked and unjustifiable聽 war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. This constitutes a gross聽 violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter.

4. We reaffirm our commitment to the NPT as the cornerstone of the nuclear disarmament聽 and non-proliferation regime and an essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear聽 disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

5. We deplore the Russian Federation鈥檚 dangerous nuclear rhetoric, actions and聽 provocative statements about raising its nuclear alert levels, which are inconsistent with聽 the recent P5 Leaders Joint Statement on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms聽 Races.

6. We are deeply concerned that the Russian Federation, a Nuclear-Weapon State, is聽 undermining international peace, security and stability, the international non-proliferation architecture and the integrity and objectives of the NPT by waging its illegal聽 war of aggression against Ukraine. We condemn the Russian Federation鈥檚 actions,聽 which are in complete disregard of its international obligations and commitments and a聽 betrayal of the security assurances that the Russian Federation provided to Ukraine聽 under the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 in connection with Ukraine鈥檚 accession to聽 the NPT, as a Non-Nuclear Weapon State.

7. We condemn the abhorrent actions of the Russian Federation, which have had the effect聽 of depriving Ukraine of control over Ukrainian nuclear facilities and disrupting its聽 exercise of its inalienable right to develop research, production and use of nuclear聽 energy for peaceful purposes.

8. We remain profoundly concerned by the serious threat that the seizure of Ukrainian聽 nuclear facilities and other actions by Russian armed forces pose to the safety and聽 security of these facilities, significantly raising the risk of a nuclear accident or incident聽 and endangering the population of Ukraine, neighbouring states and the international聽 community. These actions also undermine the IAEA鈥檚 ability to implement its important聽 safeguards mission in Ukraine and to continue to verify the peaceful nature of Ukraine鈥檚聽 nuclear activities.

9. We recognize and praise the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian staff at Ukrainian nuclear聽 facilities, particularly at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and Chornobyl, who聽 continue to work tirelessly to ensure nuclear safety in Ukraine, despite working under聽 immense pressure in the context of the Russian Federation鈥檚 aggression against聽 Ukraine.

10. We condemn the interference of the representatives of the Russian Federation in the聽 ZNPP鈥檚 operations and efforts to extend the Russian Federation鈥檚 control over the plant.聽 We demand that Russia immediately withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine and hand聽 back full control of ZNPP as well as of all nuclear facilities within Ukraine鈥檚 internationally聽 recognized borders to the proper Ukrainian authorities in order to ensure their safe and secure operations. Ukraine operated these facilities safely, securely, and peacefully for聽 decades. Ukrainian operators and regulatory inspectors at ZNPP must have full access聽 and must be able to carry out their duties without intimidation, threats or pressure.

11. We welcome and support the Government of Ukraine鈥檚 and the IAEA鈥檚 efforts to聽 strengthen nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, and we thank the IAEA for its聽 steadfast commitment in this regard. We underline the importance of facilitating a聽 mission of IAEA experts to ZNPP to address nuclear safety, security and safeguards聽 concerns, in a manner that respects full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and聽 infrastructure. We strongly endorse the importance of the IAEA Director General鈥檚聽 鈥淪even Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security鈥� derived from the IAEA鈥檚聽 nuclear safety standards and nuclear security guidance. We encourage all NPT States聽 parties to support the IAEA鈥檚 efforts.

12. We reiterate our call on the Russian Federation to end its brutal and premeditated war of aggression, and to withdraw immediately, completely, and unconditionally its armed forces and equipment from the territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized聽 borders.

13. We also condemn Belarus for its complicity in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. 14.We remain steadfast in our solidarity with Ukraine and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting the government and people of Ukraine in their courageous defense of Ukraine鈥檚 sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in their fight for a peaceful and prosperous future.