Delivering the UK’s statement to the OSCE in Vienna on 21 January, Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Ambassador James Ford rejected Russia’s description of its campaign as defensive, limited and lawful. He said missile and drone strikes on power, water and ports have intensified and reaffirmed UK support for Ukraine’s sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders. (gov.uk)
London anchored the message in the OSCE’s foundational texts. The 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the 1990 Charter of Paris set out principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and refraining from the threat or use of force-benchmarks the UK said Russia is failing to meet. (osce.org)
International humanitarian law prohibits direct attacks on civilian objects and requires constant distinction between military objectives and civilian items. Objects indispensable to civilian survival, including drinking‑water installations and supplies, receive specific protection. These rules are codified in Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, notably Articles 52 and 54. (icrc.org)
Ford argued that Russia’s conduct is incompatible with those obligations and that winter effects on civilians are predictable. He cited assessments by the IISS, RAND and the United Nations indicating Russian killed and wounded exceed sustainable recruitment and replacement rates, comparing cumulative losses over a similar span with some of the most destructive phases of the Second World War. (gov.uk)
The UK called on Russia to cease attacks and to engage in negotiations grounded in international law, restating support for Ukraine’s inherent right of self‑defence and cooperation with partners to uphold security across the OSCE region. (gov.uk)
As a procedural point, interventions of this kind are entered into the record of the OSCE Permanent Council, the organisation’s principal forum for weekly political consultations in Vienna. Such statements help structure subsequent discussions by setting out participating States’ legal and policy positions. (osce.org)