Foreign Secretary condemns Russia's invasion at U.N., urges sustained support for Ukraine

The Foreign Secretary told reporters at the United Nations that Russia's February 2022 attack on Ukraine was an illegal invasion that breached the principle of inviolable borders and could not be justified.

"It was an invasion, pure and simple," the Foreign Secretary said, adding that "we must continue to back Ukraine with everything we have." He urged the United States Congress to pass the pending funding bill so American resources can be joined with those of the U.K. and its partners.

The Foreign Secretary framed the conflict as more than a regional dispute: he said a Russian win would damage European security and also undermine American security, and warned that it would be "celebrated" by Chinese leaders. "All of history teaches us that when we don't get involved and help, defend a country against a dictator's invasion ... the price that is paid in money and the price that is paid ultimately in American lives is greater," he said.

When asked by Mark Stone of Sky News how the U.K. persuades an "increasingly disengaged America" that Ukraine matters, the Foreign Secretary said he relied on two arguments: the direct security risk to Europe and the United States, and the broader geopolitical signal a Russian victory would send to China about the limits of deterrence.

The Foreign Secretary repeated that the United Nations is the right forum to uphold territorial integrity and that the international community must not "look away" if a country seizes another's territory by force. The session ended with the Foreign Secretary thanking reporters and urging continued diplomatic and material support for Ukraine.

The remarks were delivered at a U.N. press event; the Foreign Secretary emphasized the link between backing Ukraine and wider global security concerns, and called for allied legislative action to ensure continued assistance.