In a withering address to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) this week, Britain’s Ambassador Neil Holland laid bare the stark gulf between Russia’s rhetoric and its ruthless reality in Ukraine.
More than two years into Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion, the Kremlin’s posturing over peace talks has been exposed once again as little more than a smokescreen for continued aggression.
“It is now 29 days since Ukraine expressed its readiness to accept a full, unconditional and immediate 30-day ceasefire,” Ambassador Holland said. “If Russia reciprocated, we would be a huge step closer to ending this terrible war. They are yet to take this step.”
Instead of seizing the opportunity for a cessation of hostilities, Moscow has continued to dither, delay, and destroy — tactics that have become grimly characteristic of its conduct since the invasion began. Far from offering genuine negotiations, the Kremlin appears determined to prolong the conflict, at a devastating cost to Ukrainian civilians.
Holland was unflinching in his condemnation of Russia’s duplicity. He ridiculed the “desperate and false” accusations emanating from Moscow, where officials have recently questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine’s democratically-elected President and accused Kyiv of militarisation — a bitter irony given Russia’s own deployment of North Korean troops to the front lines and its announcement of the largest conscription drive since the war’s outset.
“These accusations come from a government that has deployed North Korean troops to the front line and has just ordered the biggest conscription since the war began. They are absurd,” Holland declared.
As the Kremlin manufactures grievances, its forces continue to rain terror on Ukraine’s civilian population. Holland cited the appalling missile attack on Kryvyi Rih on 4 April, which claimed 20 lives — including nine children. The atrocity came just a day after five civilians were killed in Kharkiv by Russian drone strikes, a pattern of violence that only intensified over the following weekend.
The statistics paint a harrowing picture. Since Ukraine committed itself to a ceasefire in good faith, Russia’s aerial bombardments have increased rather than abated. It is a damning indictment of Moscow’s intentions, one that underscores the emptiness of its proclamations of peace.
Nor does the Kremlin’s record improve in other theatres of the conflict. Russia claims to have observed an “energy ceasefire” since mid-March, yet its forces continue to target Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Only last week, attacks on power facilities left 50,000 Ukrainians without electricity — a cruel tactic aimed at breaking civilian resilience as much as degrading military capability.
Even when a glimmer of hope emerged around a proposed Black Sea ceasefire, Moscow wasted no time in undermining it, slapping new and unwarranted conditions onto the agreement before the ink was dry. “And yet Russia has the cheek to accuse Ukraine of not being serious about peace,” Holland said.
The brazenness of Russia’s disinformation campaign is breathtaking. It wages war on the ground and in the air, even as it wages war on truth itself. Meanwhile, the international community is left to witness the grotesque spectacle of a regime that kills children and bombards hospitals while lecturing others on peace and security.
Holland’s speech served not only as a devastating critique but as a rallying call to the international community. He urged Russia to end its barbaric attacks, to halt its campaign of terror against civilians, and to finally demonstrate sincerity through actions rather than empty platitudes.
“Killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure is not the behaviour of a state genuinely willing to pursue meaningful peace talks,” he said. “These attacks on the people of Ukraine, including its children and most vulnerable citizens, demonstrate the Russian Government’s true intentions. Their words of peace are so far hollow.”
The diplomatic gloves are clearly off. Britain, alongside its allies, remains steadfast in holding Russia to account. The clear message from London is that peace will only come when the Kremlin abandons its strategy of attrition and terror, and engages in genuine, unconditional negotiations.
For now, Ukraine continues to pay the price for Moscow’s cynicism — and the world watches as President Putin’s empire of lies continues to crumble under the weight of its own barbarity.
The choice before Russia is simple: cease its aggression, end the slaughter of innocents, and show true commitment to peace — or face further isolation and condemnation on the world stage.
As Ambassador Holland’s speech made abundantly clear, time is running out for the Kremlin’s pretence.
