STORY
The UK has used a statement to the OSCE to reaffirm that military support for Ukraine is lawful under Article 51 of the UN Charter, arguing that Ukraine retains the inherent right to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. In remarks delivered in Vienna by Lt Col Joby Rimmer, the British delegation said Russia’s war amounted to an illegal act of aggression and rejected any suggestion that helping arm Ukraine undermines international law.
The statement also highlighted recent Russian missile and drone strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure, including medical facilities, power substations and nuclear safety-related electrical sites, saying the attacks had caused civilian casualties, power outages and wider humanitarian damage. The UK said deliberately targeting civilians and civilian objects would amount to a serious breach of international humanitarian law, and framed continued support for Ukraine as part of a broader defence of European security and the rules-based international order.