YouSaid · the spoken record

Churkin

lines on the record: 3,923
first: 2006-05-16
most recent: 2017-02-02
sittings or episodes: 536
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Fernandez-Taranco said that it was on 6 April that the actions were first observed whereby residents of south-eastern areas of Ukraine were seizing certain administrative buildings. And in this, of course, they learned from the experience of the Maidan in Kyiv, where for weeks and months administrative buildings were occupied, and which for some reason our Western partners saw as demonstrations of democracy. But when it came to the south-eastern regions of Ukraine, somehow such tactics were unacceptable. A month and a half elapsed between 21 February and 6 April; a month and a half had gone by since the overthrow of President Yanukovych and the conclusion of the agreement that could have prevented an escalation of the situation.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“It is true that the people in Washington, DC, to whom we did not send the letter, have already poisoned it for the European Union, calling it economic blackmail. But let us see whether the European Union has retained some kind of sovereignty and whether it is capable of making independent, rational decisions that can help to rescue the situation from crisis. During the entire course of the crisis in Ukraine, Russia has never advocated aggravating it or destabilizing the country. We have absolutely no interest in doing such a thing, since for us Ukraine is too important as an economic and political partner and a country that is very close to us in many ways. We do not desire its destabilization. We are not to blame for what has produced the results that we are now witnessing. Mr.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“Why was it only just a few days ago that the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Poland said that the European Union and Russia should indeed talk about the economic prospects for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova in connection with their joining the partnership programme of the European Union. And, by the way, we have heard nothing about the fact that those ministerial conversations took place in Brussels. Let us see what the response will be to the reproaches to Russia over the fact that we do not want supply Ukraine with gas for free. Let us see on 14 April what response the European ministers will give to the letter that President Putin wrote proposing that we work together to help Ukraine emerge from its economic turmoil.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“They were people who really did terrorize the forces of law and order, who really did attack police and shoot at them and at those protesting against the authorities and seemed to be attacking their country. Why were they not called terrorists? Indeed, they have been exempted from any responsibility for the criminal activities they conducted for several months. I reiterate that, unfortunately, several clumsy accusations have been made against Russia. It has been said that Russia somehow wishes to destabilize Ukraine, if not practically crush it altogether. But why was there no response to our call at the start of the crisis for launching a dialogue on how to help Ukraine emerge from the political and economic crisis it had found itself in? Why was the crisis encouraged to continue?”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Many words have been spoken and many pronouncements made here today. But the first impression I would like to share with my colleagues is that they have not been looking at the clock. It is now 9.30 pm. our time, which means that in Ukraine it is about 3.30 am. That means that in a couple of hours it will be Monday morning, 14 April. That is the date when it has been agreed that Mr. Turchynov's criminal decree sending Ukraine's military forces to suppress the protests will take effect. We have heard many unfair pronouncements about Russia today, but of course the most unfair of all came from our Ukrainian colleague, who accused Russia of terrorism. Why did he not accuse those who terrorized his Government for months on end, up to 21 February, of terrorism?”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“It is the West that must determine the opportunity for avoiding civil war in Ukraine. Some people, including in this Chamber, do not wish to recognize the real reasons for the events in Ukraine and are forever seeing the hand of Moscow in the South-East. Enough is enough. They must stop claiming that we have deployed our army along the border with that country and are practically already at the English Channel, and that we have sent agents to coordinate the protests in Ukraine. It must be understood that south-eastern Ukraine and its people are deeply worried about their future and that they do not want anyone, especially the nationalist radicals, to impose their will on them.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“As a result, blood has already been shed in the South-East and the situation is extremely dangerous. Any further escalation of the situation must be swiftly stopped. The international community must require the Maidan henchmen who seized power in Kyiv to cease their war against their own people and to implement all the commitments under the 21 February agreement. The Western sponsors of the Maidan henchmen, in particular those who stood as witnesses to the agreement and the United States, which is their backer, are obligated to end their support, dissociate themselves from neo- Nazis and other extremists, stop the use of force against the Ukrainian people, and begin forthwith a genuine national dialogue with the full participation of all regions, in the interests of the speedy implementation of radical constitutional reform.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“However, on 13 April the Verkhovna Rada-appointed President Turchynov stated that the Ukrainian Security Council had decided to launch a full-scale anti-terrorist operation, including the use of the armed forces. However, unlike the Maidan demonstrators, the protesters have terrorized no one, have used no bulldozers against the authorioties, and thrown no Molotov cocktails. It is no coincidence that law-enforcement officers were present among the Maidan protestors. Now the Kyiv authorities must use force to suppress other areas of the country. According to Turchynov, the people of south-eastern Ukraine must end their protests by the morning of Monday, 14 April, lest armed force be used. However, the protesters' interests and opinions have not been taken into account or even discussed.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“The events of the past two days have shown that, following our many calls for the organization of inclusive national political dialogue, a measure of common sense has prevailed in Kyiv. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk went to Donetsk; although he did not meet with the protesters, he did say the right things about dialogue, decentralization and his desire to find a way out of the problem. What is the situation today? We have been told that restraint will be exercised and a peaceful solution found to the situation that takes into account the opinions of the various groupings of the Ukrainian population. That has been confirmed by our Western interlocutors.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“A few days ago, a member of Parliament belonging to the chauvinist Svoboda party said this about the Russian- speaking inhabitants of Ukraine: "I would have acted much more harshly. I would simply have shot them. The enemy is prevailing in our land. They should have been chased out in 1654. These creatures deserve only one thing - death." It should be noted that this was said by a woman. We can only imagine the thoughts that must be churning in the minds of her brutal fellow partisans. And that is not even the most radical group on the Ukrainian political spectrum. Should we be surprised that the peaceful political protects and the call by the people of south-eastern Ukraine for their aspirations to be heard have been met by the Rada with draconic laws entailing long-term prison sentences for separatism?”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): The Russian Federation has called for this emergency meeting of the Security Council because of the serious dangerous evolution of the situation in south-eastern Ukraine. We have pointed out on several occasions, including in this Chamber, that the reckless actions that led to the coup d'etat by the self-proclaimed Kyiv authorities threaten to definitively destroy the fragile mosaic of Ukrainian society. The authorities do not wish to listen to those who do not accept the imposed dominance of Kyiv by national radicals and chauvinistic, Russophobic and anti-Semitic forces, whom they perceive as a threat to their human dignity and to their very lives. Grotesque Russophobia and entrenched hatred have become the norm in the Verkhovna Rada as well.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“We are convinced that progress on the Iranian issue will have a positive impact on the situation throughout the Middle East and help to overcome the dangerous trend of recent years, when there were attempts to resolve a number of crisis situations by using force. For our part, we will continue to spare no effort to achieve a final comprehensive solution to issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme. We hope that hasty actions by some partners of the P5+1 will not lead to a loss of coordination in that very important mechanism.”
2014-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7146 (2014) · source
“That cooperation has reached a new stage and provides for Iran's implementation of good-faith transparency measures that go beyond its commitments in the framework of the IAEA guarantees. We hope that the IAEA will close the Iranian dossier in the near future and cooperate with that country in the normal way. We are convinced that the current sensitive stage of the international community's work must be tailored to promoting a positive negotiation process between the P5+l and Iran. That is what guides our work in the 1737 Committee. In the current critical stage, it is particularly important that the Committee and its Panel of Experts continue to act in an unbiased, balanced and objective way in order to promote a political and diplomatic settlement with regard to the Iranian nuclear programme.”
2014-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7146 (2014) · source
“There was an in-depth discussion ofthe sanctions issues, Iranian enrichment activities and international cooperation with Iran on peaceful nuclear energy, and on how to allay concerns over the heavy water reactor in Arak. The P5+1 and Iran agreed to continue comprehensive talks at the political and technical levels. The next round of expert consultations will be held at the beginning of April, following which another comprehensive round of negotiations will be held in Vienna from 7 to 9 April. Such a tight schedule gives the necessary positive momentum to the process for us to focus our work on those aspects where there are the greatest differences exist and to move towards resolving them. The increased cooperation between Iran and the IAEA is promising.”
2014-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7146 (2014) · source
“In that context, the ultimate goal is of course the lifting of all sanctions - those imposed both by the Security Council resolutions and unilaterally - once a basic agreement on the final settlement of the Iranian nuclear programme has been achieved. All sides must implement the Geneva plan of action in good faith and actively work to draft, by 20 July, a final package that would allow for an early and comprehensive settlement of issues surrounding the Iranian nuclear programme on the basis of compromises in all areas. In that regard, we welcome the second comprehensive round of negotiations between the P5+l and the Islamic Republic of Iran, held in Vienna from 17 to 19 March. It was useful and affirmed the mutual readiness to continue contructive cooperation and comprehensive talks.”
2014-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7146 (2014) · source
“That agreement recognized the unquestionable right of Iran to develop a peaceful nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment, subject to the understanding that outstanding issues around it will be resolved and that the programme itself will be placed under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. It is also important that the aforementioned agreement presupposes a weakening of the sanctions regime against Iran. It is gratifying that the suspension of unilateral sanctions, the legitimacy of which were never recognized, and which have had a long-standing negative impact on the socioeconomic position of the Iranian people, has already started.”
2014-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7146 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Ambassador Gary Quinlan for his briefing on the work ofthe Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), which he chairs. In our view, the very dry nature of his briefing is what makes it stand out. Russian diplomacy has, over many years, worked very actively to achieve fair agreements on the Iranian nuclear programme on the basis of the step-by-step reciprocity spelled out by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey V. Lavrov. We are satisfied that those efforts have yielded results and that on 24 November 2013, a breakthrough agreement - and that is not an exaggeration - was reached between the P5+l, the international mediators and Iran.”
2014-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7146 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I have a feeling that there is something in our proposal that our French colleague does not like. That is the impression I am left with. But we did not submit it as a draft resolution of the Security Council. It was discussed by Secretary of State Kerry and Minister Lavrov in great detail. They tabled their documents; we tabled ours. What is unusual about any of this? I do not see anything unusual in all of this, and if there is something that he does not like, let us sit down and discuss the specific points that you do not like. That is standard diplomatic process.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“We in response provided them with our vision of how we could extricate ourselves from the crisis in Ukraine to ensure that all regions feel at rest and secure. The very core of our proposal is entirely in keeping with the agreement of 21 February. There needs to be a constitutional process whereby all regions would feel that their rights were being defended within the framework of the Ukrainian State. That is not an ultimatum to Kyiv, but something we have discussed with our partners. In my statement today, I said that we stand ready to continue such dialogue.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“Immediately, the leaders in Kyiv come out with a statement saying that there is now a need to fire on Russian soldiers. Now that is real cynicism. Cynicism is what we saw in the Maidan, where there was an attempt to provoke the violent overthrow of the authorities by shooting at all sides and kill as many protestors as possible, as Mr. Simonovic' said today. A professional fired on the crowds, and everyone saw where the shots came from. One well-equipped and well-trained sniper came from the headquarters of the so-called Maidan commandant. That is cynicism. Finally, let me turn to the so-called ultimatum. I do not know why our Ukrainian colleagues refer to this as an ultimatum. Our Western partners have started to consider how to extricate themselves from the crisis in Ukraine and to come up with their own recipes to do so.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I do not want to exchange polemics with my Ukrainian colleagues and I do not think there is going to be a lengthy discussion, but there are two comments that I wish to make. What is cynicism? Cynicism is attempting to provoke a conflict by shooting both at one's own side and the other side. Today, a number of my colleagues referred to an alleged attack on a Ukrainian base. I can tell the Council again that there has been no attack on any base. There were not even any Russian soldiers present. Those who were present were unarmed members of the self-defence forces, wearing only bullet-proofjackets, and a sniper posted on a nearby building shot, killed and injured one person on each side.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): During the course ofour discussions, a number of my colleagues have given themselves poetic license. I am especially forced to return to the statement made by the representative of the United States. Ms. Powers started with a reference to Tolstoy and Chekhov and finished by lowering herself to the level of the tabloid press. It is simply unacceptable to listen to such insults addressed to our country. If the delegation of the United States of America expects our cooperation in the Security Council on other issues, Ms. Powers must understand that quite clearly.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“We await responses to our constructive initiative. We will continue to discuss proposals aimed at fulfilling the agreement of 21 February with the objective of restoring order, launching comprehensive constitutional reform in Ukraine, and putting an end to the provocations of the ultra-nationalist and radical forces against the Russian-speaking population and our fellow countrymen in south-eastern and other parts of Ukraine. To that end, observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe are invited as long as they implement an impartial mandate and mutually agreed modalities for such a deployment in various regions of Ukraine.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“The attack by Russian forces on a Ukrainian military facility, to which the Permanent Representative referred today, simply did not take place. It was clearly a planned provocation that was immediately seized on by Mr. Yatsenyuk and Mr. Turchynov to call on the Ukrainian military forces in Ukraine to use their weapons - against whom? Against their fellow countrymen? Russia stands ready to work in close cooperation with all international partners that are genuinely interested in normalizing the situation in Ukraine on the basis of a broad internal Ukrainian dialogue with the participation of all responsible political forces and all regions. Establishing a multilateral mechanism for the settlement ofthe Ukrainian crisis could be promoted with out partners through our proposal to create an assistance group for Ukraine.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“In that respect, we would especially like to draw attention to the fact that, pursuant to the treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea regarding succession to the Federation, there will be three equal State languages in the Republic: Ukrainian, Russian and Crimean Tartar. Crimeans, with the support of the entire Russian people, are doing all in their power to preserve peace and tranquility in Crimea. No provocation will keep them from doing so, not even such incidents as that which occurred a few days ago in Simferopol, where, in Maidan style, sniper fire from an unfinished building across from the Ukrainian military base killed an unarmed self-defence soldier and a Ukrainian national soldier.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“Neo-Nazi slogans are heard, Nazi enforcers and their Bandera-loving storm-troopers are glorified, and calls are sent out for violence against Russian-speaking Ukrainians and Russians in general, with all the signs of ethnic cleansing, and for the armed overthrow of the legal authorities. These must all be clear and obvious to anyone claiming to be objective. Instead, supposedly profound concerns are raised about the human rights situation in Crimea. As a result of the combined efforts of the people and the self-defence forces, law and order has been maintained, and Crimean authorities have guaranteed the rights of all minorities, without exception.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“The Kyiv extremists have offered rewards for killing journalists, the self-proclaimed authorities have shut down foreign television stations, foreign correspondents have been denied all access, and they are even trying to scramble the retransmission of satellite signals. Two scandalous incidents occurred only yesterday. Two dozen members of Parliament and activists of the Freedom Party pushed their way into the Cabinet, and in front of cameras beat up and took away the General Director of the Ukrainian First National television station, who knows where. Who is in authority in Kyiv?”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“Not a word was said about the evidence that provocateurs fired both on the representatives of law and order and on the opposition forces to pave the way for the use of force to seize power. One simply cannot claim that there has been no politically motivated killing or mass torture; no kidnapping of individuals, no attacks on journalists and human rights defenders; no political detentions. One cannot claim that nationalist radicals, like the Taliban in Afghanistan, are not destroying and profaning historical sites, that there are no chilling racist incidents with anti-Russian and anti-Semitic undercurrents, backed or at least passed over in silence by those who have seized power in Kyiv.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“However, Western capitals, it would seem, continue to feel no shame about backing people who are not ready to listen or heed the views of the entire Ukrainian people and who are fully dominated by the ultra-radical, nationalist organizations Right Sector and the Freedom Party, which according to the European Parliament, is anti-Russian, anti-Semitic and xenophobic. And yet, it is with them that the European Union is planning to sign the political section of an association agreement in the near future. In that respect, we are puzzled by Mr. Simonovie's glib, one-sided assessment of the human rights situation in Ukraine. We are especially puzzled by the fact that Mr. Simonovie referred to the Maidan snipers.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“The people of Crimea have spoken and made their choice, as have the people of Russia, and those choices must be accepted and respected by all. Let me now turn to the alarming situation in Ukraine and the international assistance provided to it to overcome its pronounced internal crisis. The pseudo-friends of Ukraine need to understand once and for all that the cause of the crisis there lies not with Russia but in the irresponsible actions of individual Ukrainian political forces and their foreign mentors. The attempt to drive Ukraine, like other targeted States of the eastern partnership, to make an artificial choice between the European Union and Russia, largely provoked the deep-seated internal political crisis that led to the unconstitutional changes in Kyiv.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“He did so without informing the population of Crimea and without their consent. No one has showed any regard for the views of the Crimeans during the break-up of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Over the years, many citizens and community activists in Crimea have repeatedly raised this issue, stating that Crimea is intrinsically Russian land and that Sevastopol is a Russian city. It is only now that the will and freely expressed choice of the Crimean has been fulfiled. Of course, we have taken note of the reaction of a number of our Western partners who simply cannot rid themselves of the imperial colonial habits of attempting to impose their writ on other peoples and countries. Now they are nervous as their reckless geopolitical gamble in Ukraine has led to such unexpected results.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“Today, out of the 2.2 million inhabitants of the Crimean peninsula, close to 1.5 million are Russian; 350,000 are Ukrainians, most ofwhom consider Russian to be their mother tongue; and between 290,000 and 300,0000 are Crimean Tatars, a significant proportion of whom, as shown by the referendum, also favour Russia, regardless of what others elsewhere might have suggested in the run-up to the referendum. A historic injustice has been righted. It resulted from the arbitrary actions of the leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the time, Nikita Khrushchev, who, with the stroke of a pen in 1954, in violation of constitutional norms, transferred the Russian region of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was then part ofthe same State.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“A few of my Western colleagues may not know this, but my Ukrainian colleagues know very well that this is an old, tried and tested tradition in our elections. If someone cannot vote because they are too ill to come to the polling booth, members of the electoral commission will visit that person at home to afford him or her an opportunity to vote. But I am going to stick to the topic. I will not dwell on the history of the issue in detail. The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, spelt it out yesterday in a televised appearance with which I trust all present here are familiar. I shall focus on just a few aspects.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“A treaty to that end has been signed between the Russian Federation and the Crimean Republic on the accession into the Russian Federation of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and the creation within the Russian Federation of two new territorial units. The results of the referendum were quite clear. More than 82 per cent of voters participated in the voting, more than 96 per cent of whom chose in favour of reunification with Russia. This figure is the expression of the free will of the people of Crimea. I shall now briefly depart from my text. I was stunned by how the Permanent Representative of Ukraine tried to discredit the referendum by using the arguments of Western propaganda - that those who did not want to vote were visited at home with the police in tow.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Yesterday, a truly historic event took place - the reunification of Russia and Crimea, which our peoples have awaited for six decades. In strict compliance with international law and democratic procedure, without outside interference and through a free referendum, the people of Crimea have fulfilled what is enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and a great number of fundamental international legal documents - their right to self-determination. They turned to Russia with a request to welcome Crimea into the Russian Federation. Russia as a sovereign State agreed to the Crimean people's request.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to congratulate our Afghan colleagues in the light of the upcoming holiday of Nowruz and to wish them a good year.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“Its role, as the foreign military contingents withdraw, will only increase, as resolution 2145 (2014), adopted today, confirms. Russia is ready to continue to develop regional cooperation in the interests of Afghanistan in those areas that could provide real benefits to the country. We are open to engaging in partnership with all interested States in the implementation of projects of interest to Afghanistan. The Russian Federation continues to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. We anticipate that coordinated regional efforts to implement the commitments made by the international community will contribute to the sustainable development of the country and the well-being of its citizens, as well as help to re-establish a peaceful Afghanistan that is free of terrorism and drug-related crime.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“The best platform for that is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which represents nearly all of the countries of the region, including Afghanistan. Similarly, we do not consider justified what has been noted about the Istanbul Process and its high marks. Its added value has not yet been confirmed and the working group format it is following has not proved very effective. Also, there has been a lack of interest on the part of the States parties. In our View, that process simply represents a platform for international dialogue to generate innovative ideas. The stabilization of Afghanistan will achieve firm results only through the collective efforts of all actors, which must be effectively coordinated in order to maximize results. In that respect, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan will make an essential contribution.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“Those efforts should be headed by the Kabul Government and based on three principles, that is, insurgents must lay down their weapons, acknowledge Afghanistan's Constitution and completely renounce relations with Al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations. It is clear that, as foreign forces draw down from Afghanistan and Afghan security forces gain strength, the motivation of the armed opposition will weaken. The history of the Qatari office that was temporarily closed by the Taliban is a good example. Bearing that in mind, it might be possible to weaken the Council's sanctions against the Taliban under certain conditions. The Russian Federation considers it important to strengthen regional cooperation in contributing to the development of Afghanistan as a peaceful, economically developed State.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“The fight against illicit drug manufacturing - which represents a threat to peace and stability not only in Afghanistan, but at regional and international levels - requires collective efforts. It is not possible to pretend that is not a problem, simply by indicating the lack of a specific mandate under ISAF. Areas of cooperation must be defined among NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), aimed at illicit drug trafficking. The CSTO has significant experience in combating drug trafficking, and such efforts against that scourge would be more effective in cooperation with NATO. Even a modest reduction in drug trafficking activity would represent a major achievement by the international community. Russia fully supports the efforts of the Afghan Government to support national reconciliation.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“It is our belief that, if Kabul agrees to NATO's further presence after 2014, it must be based on an international legal framework in the form of a Security Council resolution. After stabilization tasks have been achieved, there will no further need for foreign military contingents in Afghanistan. Efforts to address that issue should focus on ensuring that Afghan citizens and military personnel do not lose their lives as a result of erroneous air strikes by ISAF. The most recent such error took place in Logar province, killing five people and injuring eight. There is no doubt that opium production, which has increased by 150 per cent, has contributed to extremist activity. The number of drug addicts has increased by 1 million, among which there are 300,000 children.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“It is of serious concern that, on 10 March, an appeal was published on the Taliban website, urging the citizens of Afghanistan to avoid participating in the electoral process, because any such participation would be considered as efforts to assist the occupation forces. A legitimate question therefore arises: To what extent is the forced transfer of responsibility conducted in the country, from the international military force to the Afghan forces justified? And to what extent is the artificial withdrawal timetable justified? To what extent has the coalition fulfilled the Council's mandate in terms of stabilization and security and preparing effective Afghan law enforcement and security forces? That will require NATO to provide an objective status report to the Security Council at the end of the year.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“We are highly concerned about the situation that could develop in Central Asia after the withdrawal of ISAF. We have seen increasing numbers of attacks on foreigners, particularly United Nations staff. The terrorist attack in January in Kabul that lead to the deaths of20 people, including the Russian representative at the mission, confirmed that the Taliban believe they can act with impunity. The latest incident - the killing of a journalist in the capital on 11 March - is another example. Bearing that in mind, it is our belief that certain people continue to convince themselves that the situation is fine, especially given that the insurgents have demonstrated their destructive potential in the run-up to the elections. The Russian Federation is closely monitoring the electoral process.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“That is confirmed by the armed attack on the Afghan National Army base in Kunar province mentioned in the report, the bold abduction by Taliban extremists of residents in Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces for supporting the Government and the increased number of deaths among peaceful individuals in Helmand province. Increasing terrorist activity in the north and north-east is especially alarming, as the armed opposition there has more than 10,000 fighters. We cannot agree with the report's assessment of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. It is not at all limited to remote and mountainous regions. It has been active outside of Afghanistan's borders, as confirmed by the killing of three Turkmen border guards near the border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Just three years ago, the northern region of Afghanistan was calm.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“We cannot but note that the report before us today does not mention many of the challenges that the country faces, such as the Taliban and Al-Qaida - which is not mentioned in the report, as if Al-Qaida was not present in the country at all - and other terrorist groups. Their aggressive activity is a factor in the significant increase in number of civilian casualties and deaths among Afghan security forces. Armed opposition has strengthened in various regions, particularly in areas previously under the full control of the Government. The situation in the south and east of the country is deteriorating.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“We hope that at this crucial turning point in the history of the country the people and society will be able to mobilize their efforts and come together to fulfil constructive objectives in the interest of all, respecting human rights, fairness and harmony. The situation in Afghanistan has been worsening and it has remained at the centre of the attention of the international community, especially since the country is nearing critical milestones, namely, presidential elections and the withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Those factors will, to a large extent, determine the dynamics for the unfolding of the situation, not only in Afghanistan but in the region as a whole. In this crucial period, we need a comprehensive analysis of the risks and threats that stand in Afghanistan's way.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We are very grateful to Mr. Jan Kubis for his briefing on the situation in Afghanistan and for presenting the report of the Secretary-General (S/2014/163). We are also grateful for Mr. Tanin's presentation. We support the efforts of the Afghan leadership to continue moving the country on the path of peace, stability, development and broad cooperation with neighbours in the region. We pay tribute to efforts by the Afghans themselves to try, in the face of various challenges, to determine their future and take responsibility for their development and security.”
2014-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7139 (2014) · source
“But the problem is not with Moscow; it has to do with the fact that Kyiv should have been the one to extend a hand to its people and regions, instead of intimidating them with repression and banning the use of the Russian language. Why, for instance, was the constitutional assembly not convened, and in reality, in the course of the constitutional process, it was not proved that the ideology and practice of radical nationalism did not prevail in Kyiv? It is unfortunate that much time has been lost. Nevertheless, we would appeal to all to put an end to the confrontation and to begin constructive cooperation with a view to a long-term settlement of the situation in Ukraine, in the interests of all of the people, including those in the eastern and south-eastern regions.”
2014-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7138 (2014) · source
“Yet the violence has not occurred in Crimea, due to measures taken there. The Permanent Representative of the United States blamed Russia for illegally pursuing its ambitions. That does not apply to us; it is a phrase taken from the foreign policy arsenal of the United States. Ms. Power spoke of truth. The world would be very interested to know if Washington, DC, would in fact tell the truth about its role in the development of the crisis in Ukraine. Finally, Ms. Power spoke of dreams and aspirations. But why has she negated the right of the people of Crimea to express their will tomorrow during the referendum? To conclude, one of our colleagues said that Kyiv had extended a hand to Moscow and that we had refused to reciprocate.”
2014-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7138 (2014) · source
“Colleagues that have taken the floor discussed poorly developed arguments, on the whole - it was not the argumentation put forward by my delegation, but distorted images or elements of our position. I will not comment on everything heard today - all of the highly unacceptable comments. I will, however, make a few comments. The French colleague did not notice the smallest hint of violence in Ukraine. It is possible that he was unaware of what occurred on Saturday in Kharkiv, where two citizens were killed by fighters from other regions of Ukraine. In fact, the violence had to be noted as it took place during this month in Kyiv and in other regions of the country. There is a continuing threat of violence and a continuing threat of it spreading to other regions okaraine.”
2014-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7138 (2014) · source