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

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“They same can be said in connection with the Russian and Chinese draft resolution. We are in favour of strict respect for Iraqi sovereignty, which is regularly violated by Turkey through air strikes. Those can lead to the death of civilians, as noted in the report. Under the pretence of combating terrorists, Turkey continues to maintain a presence in the Bashiqa camp, and the protests from Baghdad are simply disregarded. The humanitarian situation in the country is a cause for concern, in which the number of people requiring assistance is now more than in Syria. At the same time, however, the main problems with regard to humanitarian access are located in areas under the influence of terrorist organizations. The report states, "[h]undreds of thousands of people are in desperate need of assistance, with little or no opportunity to exit.”
2016-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7689 (2016) · source
“One of those cases was reported to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Unfortunately, nothing is said about investigating such cases. Weaponized chemical agents are spreading throughout the region and are being used by terrorists. Some Member States continue to pretend that that is not happening and blame the Al-Assad regime for everything. Yet analyses of the primary chemical components of weapons seized from insurgents in Tikrit, with the subsequent identification of producers and terms of sales to other countries, show that they were in fact manufactured in Turkey or supplied to that country without the right of re-export. In that context, our initiative on developing an international convention to combat chemical terrorism is becoming increasingly timely.”
2016-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7689 (2016) · source
“However, the rapid increase in terrorist activities, in particular in Baghdad, forces us to be concerned and to question the effectiveness of the actions of the coalition, which lately, for some reason, has been referring to itself as the global coalition. Yet the area in which terrorists are active continues to expand beyond the region - into Libya, Afghanistan and Europe. We are convinced that only a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, while strictly adhering to international legal standards, can produce the desired results. There should be no double standards. We need a consistent and principled position on the part of all members of the international community to combat this absolute evil. We are particularly concerned about reports of ISIL using weaponized chemical agents, which the report mentions.”
2016-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7689 (2016) · source
“We understand the importance of reforming the system of State governance. However, what is most important in today's context is the task of achieving national reconciliation and joining efforts to overcome the country's problems. That can be achieved only through a broad national dialogue and agreements based on consensus among all the participants of the internal political process, while maintaining the unity and ethnic and confessional diversity of the country. United efforts will enhance effectiveness in combating terrorist organizations. We fully support the fight of the Iraqi Government against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Lebant (ISIL). We have noted successes.”
2016-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7689 (2016) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): The Security Council has been increasingly working in open formats, occasionally in breach of earlier agreed-upon formats. I wanted to speak at this public meeting today, which, as we know, is permitted under the rules of procedure. We are grateful to Mr. Jan Kubis for his briefing and for having presented the report (S/2016/396) of the Secretary-General. We welcome the efforts of the United Nations and, above all those of United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). We are grateful to the Permanent Representative of Iraq for his substantive statement. Iraq's tragedy has continued for 13 years, with significant consequences for the entire region. At this juncture, we note the need to overcome the internal political crisis as soon as possible.”
2016-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7689 (2016) · source
“As for the press statement proposed by the United Kingdom, we will of course consider it, but we would have viewed it as a truly serious attempt to urge the Security Council to contribute to the maintenance of the cessation of hostilities if the delegation of the United Kingdom had consulted with the co-Chairs of the International Syria Support Group, Russia and the United States, which are spearheading the ceasefire efforts. As I see it now, it is more of a propaganda gesture. However, we will take a look at the text and consult with our military colleagues, who, alongside our American colleagues, are doing relevant work in Geneva.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“Parties under patronage should be compelled to come to the negotiating table, which will contribute to ensuring peace in Syria. Iwould like to repeat in a slightly different form a rhetorical question posed by one speaker: How could you allow the destruction of an ancient country in a prolonged, bloody conflict to achieve the geopolitical aims of one party or its partners? We hope that the Geneva talks will resume in May and lead the way to further negotiations. We call on all sides to participate constructively in dialogue and to refrain from threats or sabotage.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“It is unfortunate that, just when we need to take all necessary steps to impede the activities of chemical terrorists, some Western members of the Council, under contrived pretexts, are stifling the Russian- Chinese initiative aimed at neutralizing the threat of the production of chemical weapons by terrorists in and around Syria. We need to pursue our very serious work on the issue of the Syrian peace settlement and support for Russian-American efforts. Let us speak clearly a we need to put an end to all provocations once and for. It is clear that without external support for terrorist groups in Syria, they could not operate on such a scale. We need help in cutting off supplies to terrorists, first and foremost across the Syrian-Turkish border.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“The Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham, Jabhat Al-Nusra and other terrorist groups are excluded from the cessation of hostilities regime. It is unacceptable to pause in the fight with terrorists so as to allow them to regroup. No one will spare the terrorists and those who are in breach ofthe cessation of hostilities required United Nations resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016). We would add that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has genuine evidence of the use of mustard gas in Syria, and thee are serious grounds to believe that war gases are being used by terrorists. There is an alarming risk that they have the capacity to produce toxic substances, as recently confirmed by the Director-General of the OPCW.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“Russia and the United States, with the agreement of the Government of Syria and the moderate opposition, hoped to introduce a regime of calm in Aleppo on 3 May. However, that planned timetable was derailed by attacks by terrorist groups. That day, the insurgents sought to break the defences through coordinated offences from the west, preceded by a massive artillery bombardment. Jabhat Al-Nusra, Ahrar ash-Sham, Jaish al-Islam, Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki and local criminal groups took part in the offensive. All those groups shelled residential areas the whole day long; in particular, the Martyrs of Badr Brigade claimed responsibility for the destruction of Al-Dabit maternity hospital. Over the past 24 hours, dozens of people were killed and hundreds were wounded.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“Russian and American military experts are working together on a daily basis. As we speak, a joint centre for rapid response to breaches of the cessation of hostilities has begun to operate on a permanent basis in Geneva, maximizing the effective monitoring of the situation. It must be said say that, from the very beginning of our increased participation in the Syrian situation in October, Russia has proposed such cooperation to the United States. Unfortunately, it has taken more than six months to achieve it, but we hope that this will be an important step in our efforts to stop the bloodshed in Syria. Thanks to the efforts in the military and political spheres, calm has been restored in Latakia and eastern Ghouta, with the aim of making it permanent.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“We were long promised that the armed units of the so-called moderate opposition would break off all links with Al-Nusra, withdraw from the territories they occupy and clearly state their readiness to take part in the peace settlement. That has not occurred so far, which raises the question of whether the political will exists among those who have an influence on the various players. We are beginning to get the impression that external sponsors cannot or do not want to influence the Syrian opposition groups in order to force them to distance themselves from the terrorists. Russia and the United States of America, as co-Chairs of the International Syria Support Group, are ready to continue working together to ensure de-escalation. At least that is how we would like to see the situation to evolve.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“We also believe that it is counter- productive to express public criticism about unverified incidents simply to add new charges against the Syrian Government. That has occurred more than once. The deterioration in certain areas of Syria, including Aleppo, is a serious source of concern. Government forces are fighting off a large-scale offensive by the jihadists. In the past few days, we have seen a significant increase in shelling from the parts of the city controlled by jihadists. So-called hell's cannons are being used - gas canisters packed with tiny metal fragments, which have a devastating effect. Those weapons are by definition indiscriminate and are meant to destroy and terrorize the civilian population.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“Once again, a separate position was adopted by the Riyadh group, which still has not formulated a clear position. In many parts of Syria the truce has been observed. Numerous armed units and towns are joining the truce, thanks to the efforts of the Syria Reconciliation Centre opened by Russia in Hmeymim. Today, there are 90 such towns covered by the truce. At the same time, hundreds of meetings with the city elders, field commanders and representatives of local administrations have been carried out. And in a number ofprovinces, peaceful life is slowly returning. We should not question the radical improvement of the situation resulting from the implementation of the cessation of hostilities, which has, however, spurred on others who are interested in perpetuating the Syrian conflict.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Jeffrey Feltman and Stephen O'Brien for their briefings. As a result of the cessation of hostilities, which was put in place thanks to the leading role of the Russian Federation and the United States and confirmed in resolution 2268 (2016), the level of violence in Syria has significantly decreased. That move was a real breakthrough in the protracted conflict. New prospects for a peaceful resolution have opened up, and the Syrians have to decide for themselves the parameters of that peaceful resolution with the support of the United Nations. Overall, the two rounds of negotiations went very well. However, not all of the opposition forces showed a willingness to reach an agreement.”
2016-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7687 (2016) · source
“Throughout this crisis, we have been repeating one word: "dialogue, dialogue, dialogue". However, Ukraine carried out anti-terrorist operations, there were terrorists, et cetera, and that is what they got.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Maybe we could continue this discussion in an another place. The representative of Ukraine helped me work on that agreement. We believe it is important. However, President Yanukovych gave up too much as a result of that agreement, and it seems that its provisions were weak. That is true, because he was overthrown, but the signatories of that agreement should have insisted on respect for the agreement as signed. Perhaps the representative of Ukraine has his own interpretation, but the problem is that, if that agreement had been respected, then in 2014 Ukraine would have had a new constitution and there would not have been a conflict. But it started shooting and started to use force, and now we have seen what has happened.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“That must be respected. We hope that the appeal that was made by Mr. Apakan and Mr. Sadjik with regard to the need to respect the package of measures will be listened to. Let us not find ourselves having to deal with some new military adventures, because the situation along the line of contact gives cause for concern. It can be seen that some form of military adventurism might be under way. We must avoid such a situation.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“They were the ones who began the killing. The Kyiv authorities are not investigating those situations because they want to hide the real truth behind the coup d'etat. Snipers were firing against their own people and against demonstrators, which created the conditions for the political coup d'etat. With regard to a final point about the earlier Minsk agreement, many documents have existed: first, there was the agreement of 21 February 2014, which would have enabled us to avoid the entire crisis. Subsequently, a very good statement was issued with the participation of the United States of America, a four-party statement, on 17 April 2014, and it included an inclusive political dialogue, but all of that was subsequently violated. The 30 September 2014 agreement was not signed. Therefore, we came up with a package of measures.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Ukraine is not implementing article 11, which talks about constitutional reform and about consultations with the representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk. This should, furthermore, be done in accordance with the note in the document, which contains eight paragraphs on what the special status of these areas of Ukraine should be. Once again, I apologize for another comment. I'd like to see the draft statement adopted, which, as I understand it, could be acceptable to the Ukrainian delegation, but then the representative of Ukraine began talking about who started the killing, pointing a finger at Russia. Those responsible were those who sought to overthrow the regime. Around 16 February, they started to shoot policemen, and they were the same persons as those who were throwing Molotov cocktails for several weeks before.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): With regard to border control, I just spoke about that when I was talking about Mr. Sadjik's comments. Ukraine is delaying everything with regard to control of the borders. It is very clearly written in the agreement. The representative of Ukraine has probably read it. Let me read it. It says that the restoration of full control of the borders by Ukraine should begin on the first day after local elections and be completed with a comprehensive political settlement with the implementation of article 11, which states that consultations should take place and an agreement made with the various representatives of the districts in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukraine has not consulted with representatives of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“We see exposed the position of some members of the Security Council, in particular our British and the American colleagues. They ought not to claim that they want to participate in a constructive manner. France and Germany will perhaps take part in a constructive way in the implementation of the package of measures, but the others will still be engaged in their demagoguery and hide their roles in all those matters. Here we have come up against one of the main problems, as a result of which the settlement of the crisis has been delayed in the Ukraine.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“But no aggression is mentioned in the package of measures. They are again just trying to draw attention away from the serious political and diplomatic work. And the United States says that it wants to be constructive and help us. How can we understand that claim? It is not possible to understand that position. It was repeated againjust now. The United States is not even prepared to agree with the first paragraph, which mentions the need to ensure the realization of the package of measures as soon as possible. Why? Because no reference to Crimea is made in that paragraph? Well, that is because the package of measures makes no reference to Crimea either. It is very clear, as you said, Mr. President, that there is no consensus here.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“It is however rather strange for France to do so, as it took part in the elaboration of the package of measures. Throughout this chain of events the only useful thing that we have done, and that we must continue to do in order to settle the conflict, is to implement the package of measures. But some say that we cannot confirm the package ofmeasures. Our Ukrainian colleague said that he can agree on the first paragraph, but our American and British colleagues cannot. They say that they want to play a constructive role, but if we do not refer to the "aggression", they will not support the document. There is nothing about aggression in the package of measures. We note that the United States likes to use that term - it has one aggression after another with destructive consequences throughout the world.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Forty- eight people were burned to death, as could be seen on television when those who tried to save themselves jumped out of the windows and were shot. Many witnesses, including the television coverage itself, said that the attack was planned, inter alia, by the current speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. With regard to what happened in Odessa, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, who was born in Odessa, says that that attack does not require special attention, but, as I have already said, it is possible that an awful tragedy is in the offing and may take place in Odessa on 2 May. He is also indifferent. He wants to see the event in the general context. But our Western colleagues have also only wished to address the general context. Their position is quite characteristic.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): A minor point, but I said accurately in Russian what my British colleague said, namely, that he does not care who did the shooting. But we do care. We continue to believe that those who kill civilians should not be left unpunished. So we care very much who did the shooting. But that is not such a substantive detail. I am more surprised at what our Ukrainian colleague said about the events that took place on 2 May 2014 in Odessa. The more so as he said that Odessa is his native town. An event took place in his native town that shook the whole world. There were many awful events during the crisis - murders and different forms of violence - but that event was a milestone.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“We fully do not understand, and we would therefore propose, in a spirit of transparency, a vote on this draft text, so that the President of the Security Council could read it to the press at the end of our meeting.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Accordingly, we have proposed the following second paragraph in our draft press statement: "The members of the Security Council also recalled the tragic events in Odessa, Ukraine, on 2 May 2014, when dozens of civilians were killed and hundreds were injured. They underlined the need to speed up the investigation, while ensuring its objectivity and impartiality, in order to bring perpetrators of this reprehensible act to justice." We have drafted the text in such a manner that it would be impossible to protest the elements contained therein. I would therefore call on our Ukrainian colleagues to show some understanding of the current situation, which is expected of them by many people, including Mr. Apakan and Mr. Sajdik, with respect to the realization of the package of measures. How can they have any objection to the text?”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“With regard to the second paragraph, it will soon be the second anniversary of the tragic events in Odessa. As we have said, the investigation called for has not been undertaken, and in Odessa there is much tension in connection with that issue. There are statements that various measures will be taken. The so called volunteer battalions, including Azov battalion and other units which are known for their atrocities in eastern Ukraine, are being brought to the city of Odessa, and we would like the Security Council to take some action, at least, confirm the need to conduct an investigation, which would perhaps calm the situation.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Although it is very brief, it does contain two very important dimensions of the situation. The most important is, of course, the implementation of the Minsk greements. I will read out the draft press statement. "The members of the Security Council recalled its resolution 2202 (2015), which endorsed the 'Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements', adopted and signed in Minsk on 12 February 2015, and called once again for the full implementation of the package as soon as possible." I would like to recall that paragraph 1 in the package of measures calls for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. Much was said about that today, and many expressed concern about the situation in that regard. Such an appeal would be very appropriate at this stage.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“They must stop the fighting and the shooting and deal with the political settlement in a serious manner. In that regard, we have heard it said that the Minsk Agreements should be implemented; however, in the spirit of transparency, that should be put down on paper. Over 24 hours ago, we drafted a press statement for adoption by the Security Council. Every member of the Security Council should already have the document, but I would like it to be circulated here once more, as I wish to address it. In the 24 hours since the draft was circulated, only one delegation f the Ukrainian delegation - has provided us with feedback. They said that the text was unacceptable, but did not say why. Now, I would like to have all members of the Security Council take a look at the text so that we can adopt it.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): First of all, it seems very important to me that Ambassadors Apakan and Sajdik take away from this meeting the impetus to step up the implementation of the package of measures of the February 2015 Minsk agreements. However, I would like to talk about something slightly different. It is not fully clear to us why the Ukrainian leadership initiated today's meeting. Nothing constructive in terms of internationalmplementing the package of measures has been heard from the Ukrainian side. Now, ifit was their intention to exacerbate tensions in order to launch a new military operation, we believe that such a calculation has not been justified. We have heard much here in terms of common sense and good ideas, and we hope that the Ukrainian Government will listen.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“A very important fact has been communicated to me. When I spoke about the increased presence of Ukrainian armed forces on the contact line, this is what I said: the most recent report of the Special Monitoring Mission noted that Ukrainian storehouses account for just 9 per cent of the arms stock. Most of the rest of those weapons can be found in front- line positions, which demonstrates the position of Kyiv with regard to a peaceful settlement in the Donbas.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“He said he requires an answer to the issue of Kyiv's control over its borders. But the answer to that can be found in paragraphs 9 and 11 of the Minsk agreements" package of measures, which clearly state that, after elections are held and the new Constitution is adopted, Ukraine will then regain control over its border. There are eight paragraphs that deal with what exactly should figure in the Constitution about the special status of eastern Ukraine, Donbas. The answers are there. We must work in line with the provisions of the agreements and draw up laws in consultation with the representatives of the regions concerned. The Ukrainian authorities do not want to do that, insisting on restoring what they refer to as their territorial sovereignty and control, all of which is a cause for serious concern. I have a further point.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“We note that, in recent years in Ukraine, they banned the Communist Party and many other parties. They have also suppressed civil society groups and people's access to the media. In addition, they have seized and destroyed Orthodox churches and monasteries under the Moscow Patriarch. The Parliament has a draft bill aimed at banning the activities of that Church in Ukraine, although 12,000 people are members of that Church. Such a campaign could be compared, say, to efforts in a Catholic country to ban the Catholic Church, for example, because they did not like that Church. Therefore, our Ukrainian colleagues and others who are selective human rights activists should not preach sermons to us. Now another minor comment, if I may. Mr. Sajdik in his statement said something that seemed rather strange to me.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“In some countries, after not enough attention was paid to dealing with extremists, we can see what serious consequences that has wrought. We will not repeat that mistake. The reality is that, during recent times, there has been a new wave of movement of members of Crimean Tatars to Russian Crimea. We have seen more then 1,000 requests from Uzbekistan alone, for example, which have been accepted. Kyiv should concern itself not about the Tatars in Crimea but about Donbas, where heavy weaponry and tanks have been attacking the civilian population, their homes, schools and hospitals. The civilian population is also under an economic blockade and their social benefits and pensions have been cut off. Kyiv on a daily basis is jeopardizing the people's rights to health and to their very lives.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“In conclusion, I should like to again stress that what is extremely important today is to implement the package of measures on the Minsk agreements, as well as the strict, consistent and full implementation of the provisions of those agreements. It is the only way forward for settling the conflict in Donbas and for resolving all related problems. That concludes the main part of my statement. Now, ifI may be allowed, I would like to make two brief comments. As the Council is aware, we were not here to discuss the issue of Crimea. That is because that is a domestic affair of the Russian Federation. But since the issue was raised, I would like to comment. Indeed, the Mejlis ofthe Crimean Tatars was banned by Russia because of their extremist activities.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“In that context, we can only feel disgust at the recent appointment to the speakership of the Ukrainian Parliament, the Supreme Rada, of the odious person known as the "Commander of the Maidan", who, according to many witnesses, participated in the provocative shooting by snipers, both in Kyiv during the coup and in Odessa. It is not surprising that, when he assumed that post, he proposed in Parliament that they should remove the paragraph on the special status of Donbas from the draft bill on changing the Constitution. The recent meeting between him and a high-level representative from Washington, DC, again reminds us of the mechanism behind those bloody events.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Today, it is not possible to forget the tragic date, 2 May 2014, when, two years ago, 48 people were burned alive in Odessa and more than 200 were injured. No one has been punished for that crime. The Council ofEurope Office in Ukraine has stated that the investigation carried out by the Ukrainian authorities does not meet the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular the requirements of independence, effectiveness, thoroughness and timeliness. We call upon members of the Security Council not to forget that tragic event. It is important to establish the truth and to bring those responsible to justice.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“The standard operating procedure for those in power in Kyiv has been torture and abuse ofindividuals, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial punishment, much of which has been cited by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, but the Western patrons of human rights prefer not to talk about that. The American and British Permanent Representatives have tried again today to slander our humanitarian convoys into Donbas. From the very beginning, we called upon the Ukrainian Administration to organize monitoring at the border, but Kyiv refused. They have also refused permission to international entities to carry out such inspections. Generating cheap propaganda is preferable, it would seem, to relieving the suffering of the people of Ukraine.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“The latest example of that trend, instead of the needed reforms, is the decision to set up a ministry to deal with "anti-terrorist operations" in the "occupied territories". Ukraine has persisted in calling the representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk separatists, despite the fact that those representatives signed the Minsk agreements and demonstrated their willingness to continue to live in a Ukrainian State. An economic blockade remains in place on Donbas. All dissidents are being called terrorists and separatists, and they are being persecuted in all kinds of ways.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“We must also have "mirror" patrols, not only on all of the territory of the Donbas region, but also in the rear guard of the Ukrainian army. We must step up our efforts to ensure local ceasefires, and we need to have a Joint Control Coordination Centre whose patrols are manned by representatives of the armed forces involved. We must have direct contacts between the various sections. All those measures could seriously reduce the number of incidents. However, it is remains clear, as has been seen in many regional crises throughout the world, that maintaining a ceasefire without resolving the political problems is impossible. Instead of promoting national reconciliation by implementing the Minsk agreements, Ukraine continues its witch hunts and efforts to prepare for war.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“They have continued to use heavy weapons against Donbas towns. As a result, they are destroying houses, and civilians are suffering. Yesterday, the Ukrainian forces, armed with 120- mm weapons, shelled the checkpoint and crossing point of Olenivka. Four civilians were killed, including a pregnant woman. Our British colleague said that he does not care who is shooting, but it matters to us. There was a meeting today of the Permanent Council of the OSCE to consider specific measures to improve the security situation. We need to have a permanent presence of OSCE observers in there, and we must get Kyiv to remove the serious constraints on their movements. We must also monitor the weapon storehouses, and, if necessary, put in surveillance cameras there and in the most dangerous sectors.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“On 17 April, the representatives of the Ukrainian forces, in discussion with OSCE observers, did not hide their intention to occupy new territories in the south-east. The number of violations of the ceasefire have recently been equal to those in the heated period of the summer of 2015. On some days, there have been up to 4,000 such violations. OSCE statistics indicate that the Ukrainian side is the side that is most responsible for those violations. From 4 to 21 April, the Special Monitoring Mission noted a threefold increase in Ukrainian heavy weapons in the security zone. The most recent report states that only 9 per cent of the declared Ukrainian weapons remain in their storehouses. A significant portion of the missing weapons can be found in the forward positions of the Ukrainian forces.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“That is, after all, a very convenient way to proceed: first deliberately fan tensions, and then offer solutions that are unrelated to reality. The sole objective is to play for time and to distract attention from the non-implementation of the Minsk agreements. We are concerned about reports with regard to the worsening situation in the conflict zone in Donbas. The situation began to heat up in December 2015, particularly after Ukrainian armed forces began to occupy towns in the neutral strip. On some occasions, they even crossed the contact line as defined by the Minsk agreements. We View those acts as very dangerous and provocative. Ukrainian forces must pull out of those towns. That assessment is supported by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“It is perfectly clear that they are simply looking to shift the blame for their problems and make it somebody else's headache. We are always hearing from Kyiv that the main obstacle to solving the fundamental problems with the settlement is the instability of the ceasefire. However, if we consider it logically and carefully compare the facts of the reports of the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), it becomes clear whose interests are served by constantly stirring up the situation on the contact line. It is no accident that the Ukrainian authorities are constantly putting out new ideas either about deploying peacekeeping forces or sending in police with heavy weapons.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“First, it involves changing Ukraine's Constitution and enacting a permanent law on special status for Donbas. Secondly, it has to include the enactment of a law on elections in Donetsk and Luhansk in agreement with their representatives. Thirdly, it has to settle the problem of amnesty in connection with the events that have occurred in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. None of those issues has been resolved. Kyiv continues to refuse to conduct a direct dialogue with the Donbas representatives or to agree with them on the steps to be taken, as provided for in the Minsk agreement. In Kyiv they love to say that it is Russia that is not implementing the package of measures. But it is not we who have to enact all these laws, it is the Verkhovna Rada, and it is not we who have to put them into effect, it is the President of Ukraine.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“In practice, however, as we have seen more than once, their interactions with Kyiv have the opposite effect, leading to a radicalization of the Ukrainian authorities' positions and increasingly aggressive rhetoric on their part. Now this has happened again. With policies such as these, based on a hidden agenda, Washington is undermining trust in its actions, and, as everyone knows, not just in Ukraine but in many other cases. The statement made today by the United States representative is yet another example of that policy. And today's statement by the representative of Ukraine was deeply disappointing, with a lot of provocative rhetoric and twisting of the facts but zero concrete plans for implementing the Minsk agreements. The tasks facing Kyiv in implementing the package ofmeasures are very clear. The political triad is crucial.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“In that context, we were interested in the Ukrainian delegation's proposal to hold this Security Council meeting today, particularly since President Poroshenko announced that this was done on his personal initiative. We need to know what the new power structure in Kyiv has to say about its intentions with regard to implementing the Minsk agreements. That is particularly the case in View of the fact that before proposing that initiative, the Kyiv authorities, as usual, consulted Washington, and an assistant to the Secretary of State visited Kyiv. In their bilateral contacts, our American partners have said that they would like to make a constructive contribution to settling the crisis in Ukraine and would even like to join the Normandy format.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Why did the current Ukrainian leaders seize power through a coup d'etat if they were not capable of governing their country? We will be keeping a close watch on the behaviour of the new Ukrainian Government. Mr. Yatsenyuk, who was well known for his bellicose statements, has resigned as Prime Minister. It appears that there are no serious differences between the President and the new Prime Minister and that the latter does intend to implement reforms. But it seems clear that there can be no question of reform succeeding until the bloody conflict is settled and until Ukrainian society comes together and rejects its hostile ideology of extreme nationalism.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source