Explanation of vote by Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Federation Dmitry Polyanskiy after the UNSC vote on a draft resolution on renewal of UNFIL mandate
Mr. President,
The Russian Federation voted in favor of the draft SC resolution sponsored by France to extend the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for a year in an unchanged form. We appreciate the efforts of the French penholders to strike a balanced compromise on the text of the resolution between Council members, and take into account the priorities of the Lebanese side hosting peacekeepers. Lebanon approved the resolution, which is a key condition under the guiding principles of peacekeeping.
We are convinced that by adopting this document the Security Council sends an important message to all parties involved about the need for a complete ceasefire, overall de-escalation along the Blue Line and strict compliance by the parties - Israel and Lebanon - with the provisions of UNSC resolution 1701, which sets the objectives of a permanent cessation of hostilities and a long-term settlement.
We express our full support for UNIFIL, which is playing a key stabilizing role at the time when we are witnessing dangerously spiking tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border. Every day we receive information about the intense exchanges of fire across the Blue Line, as well as about Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace, including overflights of Beirut by combat aircraft to scare civilians. The recent increase in numbers of political assassinations is also a matter of concern. Such actions, among other things, pose a direct threat to the security of the United Nations peacekeepers located in southern Lebanon, as stated in the text of the resolution.
The presence of peacekeepers reduces the risks of the outbreak of a full-scale armed confrontation, which would have the gravest consequences. We support greater coordination of UNFIL with the Government and the army of the Republic, including with the view to ensuring the protection and security of the United Nations personnel on the ground.
It is obvious that the current political-military escalation is inextricably linked to the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the unprecedented escalation in Gaza. We are ready to act in close cooperation with our partners and and other like-minded actors, and are willing to continue our energetic efforts to bring about an early ceasefire in the enclave and launch a comprehensive peace process that will contribute to the overall normalization of the situation in the Middle East.
It is regrettable that throughout the process of negotiating the draft, Israel's allies in the UNSC introduced amendments aimed at diluting the resolution's principled provisions on the ceasefire and Lebanese sovereignty, including in Israeli-occupied areas. This once again exposed those who triggered the current spiral of escalation in the Middle East by impeding the adoption of Security Council decisions. And these decisions could have made it possible to actually stop the bloodshed, finally release hostages and forcibly detained persons, establish safe humanitarian access to Palestinians in need, and pave the way for restarting the peace process on the basis of the two-state solution, which would guarantee the exercise of fundamental rights of the Palestinian peopleand and ensure the fulfilment of their aspirations .
Thank you.
