“Supporting Ukraine strengthens the rules-based international order; it does not undermine it.” That was the line the United Kingdom’s delegate put to fellow members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in a statement reaffirming Ukraine’s right of self-defence.
The UK told the body it backs Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right under Article 51 of the UN Charter, in response to what London called Russia’s unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal war of aggression. It described Russia’s invasion as a manifest violation of the prohibition on the use of force. Weapons and ammunition supplied to Ukraine by partners, the UK stressed more than once, are “fully consistent with international law.” Under Article 51, it said, Ukraine keeps the right of individual and collective self-defence against armed attack.
Strikes on civilian infrastructure
The delegate pointed to recent OSCE reporting that Russian missile and drone strikes have hit medical facilities, power substations and electrical infrastructure tied to nuclear safety. The UK said the attacks caused widespread civilian casualties, energy outages and severe humanitarian harm. Directing attacks at civilians and civilian objects on purpose, it said, is a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Outside suppliers
The statement then turned to who is keeping Russia supplied. According to the UK, open-source intelligence indicates North Korea has provided munitions and ballistic missiles used against Ukrainian cities, in breach of several UN Security Council resolutions on North Korean arms exports.
China, the UK said, has sent large quantities of dual-use goods: microelectronics, machine tools, optics and drone-related technology. It cited figures given earlier in the same forum. Over 73% of Russia’s dual-use imports since February 2022, worth about $16 billion, came from China, including nearly 90% of the semiconductors Russia imported in 2023.
Iran continues to supply weapons components and systems, including Shahed drone technology and missile-related items, the UK said. It argued that this breaks the arms export ban reinstated when UN sanctions on Iran snapped back in October 2025.
Taken together, the UK called the transfers “a deliberate and persistent pattern of unlawful support to an aggressor state.” It said Russia’s violations “must be met with resolute, coordinated international action,” and that Britain will keep backing Ukraine for as long as necessary.
