YouSaid · the spoken record

Vassily Nebenzia

lines on the record: 656
first: 2020-04-16
most recent: 2021-05-26
sittings or episodes: 80
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

“When it comes to delivering vaccines from Gavi Alliance stocks, as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaziantep has arranged, we would therefore be interested to learn how equitable the distribution of vaccines is going to be in the north-west. The Permanent Representative of France and the Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States have suggested that we exert pressure on the Syrian authorities to have vaccination start in Syria — as if Damascus were against it. In that regard, we cannot ignore the issue of sanctions, which could seriously hamper Syria’s efforts to arrange vaccine deliveries to Government- controlled areas and ensure its subsequent storage. What logistics company will risk getting involved in the sanctions machinery?”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“At the same time, we have never heard and are not likely to hear donor States request ask the United Nations to give an account of the results of its work. It appears that Idlib is the place where the cross-border mechanism shows its false bottom. There is little doubt that to preserve the cross-border mechanism would mean to preserve a channel of financial support for terrorists who feed off extortion money and smuggling. That means that ordinary Syrians have to get by on the plunderers’ crumbs, with no opportunity to make a living or ensure even a remotely decent future for their children.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“Nor have we heard words condemning the terrorists who control Idlib and have prevented a humanitarian convoy of the United Nations, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross from entering the enclave for almost a year now despite the fact that, according to United Nations estimates, Idlib has the largest number of starving people in Syria, one in three of whom is a child, and food prices there are 26 per cent higher than the country’s average. We should in fact be asking the question: what is going on in Idlib? With record deliveries through the cross-border mechanism, why does north-western Syria have one of the highest starvation rates? Where does all the assistance on which donors spend millions go to? It is common knowledge that the terrorists in Idlib are getting rich.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“I should recall that since May 2020, six ground convoys with medical supplies have been sent to the Euphrates region with the consent of Damascus and a further 13 shipments were delivered to Qamishli by air. More than 90 per cent of those deliveries were sent to medical facilities in non-Government-controlled areas that had previously been supplied through the Al- Yarubiyah border crossing. There are more than 100 of them. However, we have never heard our Western partners in the Security Council welcome those efforts by Damascus.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“Due to the indirect influence of sanctions, Damascus cannot conduct the foreign exchange transactions that are needed to ensure that the economy works and purchase raw materials and construction materials on foreign markets, not to mention the medications and medical equipment that are so badly needed amid a pandemic. We hope that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is aware of that. As the Council knows, the Gavi Alliance has endorsed two bids for supplying vaccines against the coronavirus disease to Syria. One of the applications was submitted by the Government. We are sure that Damascus will dispatch a portion of the vaccines to the non-Government-controlled territories in the north-east, as was the case with medical supplies last year.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“The letters, signed by more than 90 people, were sent at the end of January this year. Among the signatories were not only representatives of academia and the clergy, journalists and humanitarian workers, but also former Ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Germany, Tunisia and France to Syria, as well as an incumbent member of the United Kingdom House of Lords. Regarding sanctions, the letter says that there is “a growing consensus among the human rights and humanitarian communities that this form of collective punishment of the civilian population is driving Syria into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“Above all, that affects ordinary Syrians, who urgently need access to adequate social services in the areas of health care and education and the restoration of war-torn civil infrastructure. The humanitarian assistance coming into the country can neither solve those problems nor bring life in Syria back to normal. The humanitarian exemptions are also not working, which is confirmed by the humanitarian agencies on the ground. We have repeatedly mentioned the conclusions of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Ms. Douhan, regarding the impact of sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights. Her findings provided the basis for collective letters addressed to President Biden and Prime Minister Johnson, which contained a request to lift sanctions against Syria.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“We thank Mark Lowcock for his briefing and for presenting his perspective of the humanitarian situation in Syria. We also thank Ms. Sonia Khush for her briefing. We would like to welcome the newly arrived Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, to today’s meeting. Unfortunately, in his briefing the humanitarian coordinator did not address all the factors that affect the humanitarian situation in Syria. In particular, when speaking of reasons for the deteriorating economic situation, we did not hear him refer to the illegal unilateral restrictions imposed by our Western colleagues, whereas it is precisely those restrictions that are preventing the Syrian economy from recovering despite all the efforts of the authorities.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“Russia believes that there is an urgent need to respond to climate change. However, that should be done with mechanisms specifically mandated to do so. It is important to focus on the effective implementation of the internationally agreed obligations in the framework of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, while gradually stepping up their level of ambition. At the same time, in our post- pandemic recovery, we must not relax broader global and national efforts to address socioeconomic problems for the sake of sustainable development.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“Going back to the problem of climate change in the context of international peace and security, we cannot fail to mention that conflict in and of itself undermines the capacity of States to increase resilience and adapt to the negative consequences of climate change, as well as diverting their already limited resources. The Sahel is cited as a recent, indicative example of a region where climate change directly affects stability. However, we must not overlook the reasons that have exacerbated the security risks there. Among them are the voluntarist actions taken by some States that led to regime change in Libya and the environmental impact of NATO bomb and missile strikes, inter alia against the oil infrastructure. That is an example of the environment being sacrificed to geopolitics, and we could cite numerous similar examples.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“That is the essence of a well-balanced preventive approach that takes account of the three dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Indeed, the discussions on the climate agenda in the Security Council appear advantageous and politically meaningful. Yet the real work of enhancing international coordination S/2021/198 on this track is in fact more practical when it takes place in specialized bodies such as the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the United Nations development system and, of course, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“The virus has exposed inequalities among and within States and exacerbated poverty and starvation, in particular in conflict-affected countries. Illegal unilateral restrictions add to those problems, even as those who impose them choose to ignore the obvious harm they are doing. When emphasizing the climate issue, donor States often shy away from discussing the complex nature of the challenges facing sustainable development. These include the refusal to take part in technology exchanges and “green” protectionism. Would it not be better for donors to focus on abiding by their already agreed financial obligations and ensuring access to the best technologies to increase resilience and adaptation, as well as assisting with the implementation of climate- education projects?”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“There is no reason to refer to it in a generic manner and a global context; in addition, to assert that such a connection is automatic can be dangerous. Besides, not every conflict entails the threats to international peace and security with which the Security Council deals. Secondly, to assume that climate change is the root cause of security issues would mean failing to determine its true causes and taking the wrong path when trying to resolve those issues. Thirdly, we must not pass over in silence other fundamental factors that are just as, or possibly even more, fraught with risks. Here I refer to the political and socioeconomic conditions in specific countries and regions, which have been aggravated by the coronavirus disease pandemic.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“Not once has the Security Council addressed the issue of climate change in the context of its repercussions on international peace and security. It has considered country-specific cases in a range of States and regions, primarily on the African continent, where climate change and natural disasters have been said to be the major threat to stability and the root cause of related problems. References have also been made to the increasing threat of conflicts, with such scenarios projected onto the global perspective. We agree that climate change and environmental problems can exacerbate conflicts. But are they the root cause thereof? That is rather doubtful. First, the connection between climate and conflict can be considered only with regard to concrete country- and region-specific cases.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“We thank the Secretary-General and Ms. Elsaim for their briefings. Climate change is one of the global challenges that humankind is facing today. To overcome its negative impacts, the international community needs to take coordinated and comprehensive approaches aimed not only at reducing greenhouse- gas emissions but also at implementing effective adaptation measures. Such efforts, including at the expert level, are part of the common efforts that must be made in the interests of sustainable development. They are under way in specialized platforms of the United Nations system — primarily the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We welcome the decision by the United States to return to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“As a member of the Security Council, Russia will continue working to ensure that United Nations assistance results in the genuine normalization of the situation in Haiti, strengthening its sovereignty and self-sufficiency.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/174 (2021) · source
“The last time that the Council discussed the situation in Haiti (see S/2020/979), we warned that, if the practice of unilateral decision-making persisted, it would increase the risk of escalation. The past four months have only confirmed those fears. Increased protest activity and complaints against the executive branch have been fuelled by a vacuum in the legislature and concerns over the independence of the judiciary. Clearly, a reasonable balance is needed, and it is only through mutually respectful dialogue on the basis of existing legislation that common agreement on that can be reached. Port-au-Prince needs responsible international assistance in order to avoid further social division and prevent the situation from evolving into a humanitarian crisis on a regional scale.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/174 (2021) · source
“In that regard, the Security Council has entrusted a special role to BINUH, whose mandate is based on promoting an internal Haitian dialogue. We anticipate that the work on that track will be intensified in the run-up to this year’s major political events, namely, the presidential and parliamentary elections, as well as public discussion of the constitutional reform. During this crucial phase of Haitian history, we need to ensure that all views are duly taken into account. We welcome the readiness of the Secretary-General to provide electoral support to Haiti at the request of the Government. We know that other countries of the region submitted similar requests. However, the response has not always been the same. We call for uniformity in the criteria for such support.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/174 (2021) · source
“We understand the concern of the protesters for the safety of the civilian population, which is the primary responsibility of the Government. We are convinced that the situation deteriorated primarily due to the lack of consensus among the political circles. That polarization has already led to Parliament suspending its work and has prevented a move towards the practical resolution of the country’s current problems, particularly those related to security, to say nothing of humanitarian issues, as well as economic recovery and development. Let us recall that the situation in Haiti is not unique, in that the key to a settlement is always in a political solution, which is possible only once there is broad internal dialogue among the political forces and society.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/174 (2021) · source
“We thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Meagher La Lime for her briefing on a very complex situation in Haiti and the work of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). We also thank Ms. Vivianne Roc for her briefing and welcome the participation of His Excellency Mr. Jovenel Moïse in today’s video-teleconference. The political turmoil that has persisted in Haiti for several months has been a catalyst for the increased activity of criminal groups, whose victims are from all sectors of society. That particularly affects the ordinary people, who badly need a stable State that is capable of responding to the numerous problems, from natural disasters to epidemiological risks. Foreign nationals also face risks in Haiti. Today we learned the alarming news of the kidnapping of two citizens of the Dominican Republic.”
2021-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/174 (2021) · source
“We invite our colleagues to cooperate on that track, inter alia on the basis of resolution 598 (1987) and the Russian collective security concept.”
2021-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/167 (2021) · source
“In that context, we call on donors, including those from the region, to increase the financial support needed for United Nations programmes that provide basic assistance, including those ensuring food security for the population, access to clean water and medical services. Humanitarian assistance for Yemen must be distributed on a non- discriminatory basis among the entire population of the country. We call for the rejection of unilateral steps both inside and outside Yemen that hinder the work of humanitarian workers. We are convinced that the problem of the FSO SAFER tanker can and should be solved through United Nations mediation. We underscore the fact that the political settlement in Yemen would contribute significantly to de-escalation in the subregion.”
2021-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/167 (2021) · source
“We are also in favour of the practical implementation of the Riyadh provisions relating to the launch of negotiations involving a consolidated delegation that includes the official Yemeni authorities and the Southern Transitional Council, along with the leadership of Ansar Allah, on issues linked to the future political structure of Yemen. We support the efforts made by the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement to back the Stockholm Agreement, which aims to promote a comprehensive settlement. The tremendous humanitarian problems in Yemen require an urgent solution, that is, the prevention of hunger and disease, including the coronavirus.”
2021-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/167 (2021) · source
“We welcome the decision of the United States Administration to reconsider its prior decision to add Ansar Allah to the list of foreign terrorist organizations. To support the implementation of the Riyadh agreement of 5 November 2019, which was designed to normalize the situation in the south of Yemen, on 18 December 2020 a new coalition Government was formed in which for the first time representatives of the southern regions were allocated a considerable percentage of ministerial posts. We hope that the implementation of the aforementioned agreement will enhance public security and allow for a focus on resolving the urgent socioeconomic and humanitarian problems facing that part of Yemen.”
2021-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/167 (2021) · source
“We call on all actors to stop the shooting and to launch a negotiation process under United Nations auspices. Armed action must stop, and, in parallel, confidence-building measures must be taken in the political, military and civilian areas. Such measures would help improve the dire humanitarian situation of the population. It is important to continue to fight the terrorists, who are making use of the protracted conflict to sustain their positions in Yemen and beyond its borders. We welcome the efforts of Mr. Griffiths aimed at creating a constructive environment for the Yemeni political settlement and building trust at the regional level. In our contacts with both Yemenis and regional actors, we will encourage the quest for compromise solutions.”
2021-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/167 (2021) · source
“We thank Martin Griffiths for his briefing on the situation in Yemen and the steps taken to resume the negotiation process. We also thank Mark Lowcock for sharing his assessment of the humanitarian situation in the country and the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014), Rhonda King, for presenting a review of the activities of that subsidiary body. We reiterate our unfailing support for the efforts of the Special Envoy. We note the need to galvanize those efforts as the confrontation in Yemen steps up. We are concerned over the escalation in Ma’rib governorate and in other parts of Yemen and condemn the intensifying attacks against the territory of Saudi Arabia, in particular Abha airport.”
2021-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/167 (2021) · source
“In conclusion, we note that the Council is largely united in favour of harmonizing efforts in that area and against any abuse of vaccines for whatever purpose. As of today, that is the most important assistance that we can render to those in need. We reiterate our call, which can also be applied to other types of assistance, for depoliticized aid free of any political conditions.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“We cannot but agree with Secretary of State Blinken that vaccine misinformation is unacceptable and that we need to consolidate our efforts. Russia has also contributed to combating the pandemic by dispatching about 20 medical missions to 15 countries and sending testing systems to 50 States while also supplying, free of charge, thousands of items of equipment and millions of personal preventive equipment (PPE) items. We are building on our contacts with the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and are also open to cooperation with all interested partners to foster the accessibility of Russian vaccines, medications and PPE through localization of their production. We are ready to engage in other formats of international cooperation to counter the pandemic through joint efforts.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“Two of them — Sputnik-V, which is based on an adenoviral platform, and EpiVacCorona, based on a peptide platform — have already been registered and made available for circulation. The third Russian vaccine, CoviVac, is based on the neutralized coronavirus. It is now at an advanced stage, with registration pending. The results of the clinical trials of Sputnik-V, published recently in the reputable medical journal The Lancet, prove its high level of effectiveness and safety. As of today, Sputnik-V, which is easy to store and transport, has been approved in 27 countries of Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North and Latin America. It ranks among top three leading COVID-19 vaccines based on the number of permits issued. WHO is considering bids to include our vaccines in the emergency use listing.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“The persistent attempts made by those who support that illegitimate practice of silencing those who would discuss this issue at the United Nations or dismiss it permanently by referring to the invalid “humanitarian exemptions” are not solving this problem. In that regard, we would recall the initiative by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to create “green corridors”, free from trade wars and sanctions, to deliver basic goods and medications to States in need. Russia is making a meaningful contribution to the global fight against COVID-19, inter alia, in the context of ensuring access to safe and effective vaccines for the world’s population. Russian vaccines against the coronavirus were among the first in the world.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“In that regard, we commend the efforts of the Secretariat aimed at the prompt vaccination of peacekeeping contingents, made in close cooperation with the relevant group of friends composed of interested States. We believe that the inoculations themselves must be given on a voluntary basis. We must recall once again that resolution 2532 (2020), among other things, also supports the Secretary-General’s call to lift the illegal unilateral sanctions that are undermining the capacities of the affected countries — especially developing countries — to counter the pandemic and to ensure a socioeconomic recovery from its effects.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“We are also convinced that amid a coronavirus outbreak, the threat of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in armed conflicts should be considered in the context of the specific country situations that appear on the Council’s agenda. Although COVID-related restrictions create specific new challenges for United Nations peacekeeping operations, so far the Organization has managed to avoid any serious negative impact from such limitations. In terms of countering the pandemic, Security Council efforts should focus on supporting the activities of peacekeeping operations, ensuring that settlement processes proceed uninterrupted and implementing the universal ceasefire initiative.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“Armed action hampers the effective implementation of anti-pandemic measures, poses a threat to medical infrastructure and diverts governmental resources from public health care. That is why Russia was among the first to support the call of the Secretary-General for a global ceasefire. We have consistently highlighted the need to introduce a humanitarian pause in conflict zones. We stress once again that in accordance with resolution 2532 (2020), those measures do not apply to operations aimed at countering internationally recognized terrorist groups that seek to benefit from the current situation and gain advantage on the ground.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“However, we are ready to discuss the progress made in the implementation of resolution 2532 (2020) in the context of Security Council activity. The COVID-19 pandemic is a very difficult ordeal for all of us. It shows that it is impossible to ensure epidemiological safety in one country alone and that collective international efforts are vital. Russia supports the central role of WHO as a multilateral mechanism coordinating the global response to health-care emergencies while respecting the sovereignty of its Member States. Unfortunately, the global COVID-19 outbreak has not spared States in a situation of armed conflict and now threatens to further aggravate the already dire humanitarian consequences thereof.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“We thank the briefers for the information that they shared. We appreciate the initiative of the British presidency to convene this video-teleconference on issues related to countering the novel coronavirus pandemic. One of the key elements of that undertaking is ensuring equitable universal access to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines. To do so, we must have a portfolio of safe and effective solutions and help interested Member States to deliver vaccines to those in need. We believe that most of these issues are the prerogatives of the specialized mechanisms of the United Nations system — primarily the World Health Organization (WHO), the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. We believe also that a general discussion of this topic goes beyond the competence of the Security Council.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“We support the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, which can support reconciliation processes while respecting the sovereignty of the country. The commitment of Baghdad and Kuwait City to a speedy resolution of all problematic issues in the Iraq-Kuwait file is worthy of special support. We reaffirm our consistent approach, according to which Iraq must not become a platform for regional confrontation. We appreciate Baghdad’s principled position in favour of building good-neighbourly relations. We also note Baghdad’s diplomatic potential for promoting de-escalation in the region. We call on the international community to engage in constructive cooperation to promote peace and stability throughout the Middle East region, including on the basis of resolution 598 (1987) and Russia’s collective security concept.”
2021-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/152 (2021) · source
“For our part, in our contacts with all political actors in Iraq, we encourage them to seek compromise solutions. That said, we call on all external stakeholders interested in stabilizing the domestic situation in Iraq to refrain from steps that could negatively impact that process. One of the priorities of Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi’s Cabinet is to prepare for early parliamentary elections, which were recently postponed from June to October. We continue to look into ways to engage the United Nations in the process of organizing and holding the elections and are ready to discuss this issue with other Security Council members. We believe that further improvement in relations between Baghdad and Erbil will help Iraq to strengthen security and effectively harness its economic potential for the benefit of all its people.”
2021-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/152 (2021) · source
“A sad example of this is the recent dual attack in the centre of Baghdad, which claimed the lives of 32 civilians, and yesterday’s attack in Erbil. We strongly condemn those terrorist acts. At the same time, we are proceeding from the assumption that all those involved in the fight against terrorism in Iraq must respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi State and coordinate their actions with Baghdad. There have also been attacks on civilian and military facilities on Iraqi territory by the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The American Embassy and the motorcade of the British diplomatic mission were attacked in Baghdad. We stand against such provocations. We are convinced that inclusive dialogue can help resolve the remaining internal problems.”
2021-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/152 (2021) · source
“We thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jeanine Hennis- Plasschaert for her briefing. We support the efforts of the Government of Iraq to stabilize the difficult situation, for a number of objective reasons. We understand that the problems facing the Iraqi authorities cannot be resolved quickly. Measures are being taken to improve the socioeconomic situation, but protests in the country continue. The situation has been exacerbated by the sharp decline in Government revenues owing to falling oil prices, as well as the spread of the coronavirus disease. The fight against terrorism remains a pressing issue. Despite the successes achieved by Iraqis in countering terrorism, the security situation in the country remains fragile, in particular because of increasing insurgent activity.”
2021-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/152 (2021) · source
“Their mediation will be successful only once they start to work seriously and insistently with the Ukrainian side to have it implement the Minsk obligations.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“I did not quite understand the question of my French colleague as to the elections-related obligations resulting from the December 2019 summit that Russia had not implemented. As far as I understand, these agreements reiterated the formula of the Minsk Agreements and mentioned the “Steinmeier formula”. So it is we who call on Ukraine to comply with these provisions. I could say a lot more, but I am not sure the format of this meeting would allow us to do so. Let me just reiterate how important it is to continue addressing this issue in the Security Council. As for those Council members who keep repeating memorized phrases about what Russia must do to end the conflict, we will keep making the following point to them.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“You said Ukraine was ready to demine a location at the contact line, mentioning that the Russian side refused to demine the territory on its side. Well, Russia takes part in mine action in many places: Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh. We are ready to help should Ukrainian authorities ask us to. But we cannot demine anything on a territory where we are not present, which fact Mr. Çevik confirmed today yet again. Speaking of Mr. Çevik’s comments, I heard him address the death toll among civilians. But that is not the only figure cited today. I think it was the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom who said that 3,500 civilians had fallen victim to the conflict since its beginning. I would like to ask Mr. Çevik to elaborate on this statistic and share the percentage ratio of how many civilians have died on each side.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“In words it sounds as if Ukraine is actively committed to implementing the agreements. He mentioned that Ukraine put forward a proposal, a road map, for the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Unfortunately, what he forgot to mention is that three quarters of that road map contradict the Minsk agreements that Ukraine allegedly abides by. To my regret, I did not hear answers to questions that we had asked in our statement: how to assess the claims of Ukrainian officials regarding the Minsk agreements? How to assess what Mr. Kravchuk said in numerous interviews that he recently gave? He is an experienced and respected person, and it feels rather awkward to me to cite what he said regarding the Minsk agreements, the people of Donbas and what he thinks should happen in that area.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“Was it Russia that had occupied Ukraine or, Christoph would sarcastically ask, was it Ukraine that had occupied Russia? There is a simple answer to that: Ukraine occupied Ukraine, and it is waging war on its own territory. I listened carefully to Mr. Kravchuk, Ukraine’s representative to the Trilateral Contact Group. By the way, he was announced for this meeting as Ukraine’s envoy to the Contact Group rather than just the representative of Ukraine. That raises a legitimate question: where are the other representatives to the Trilateral Contact Group, including the representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk? Mr. Kravchuk spoke a great deal about Ukraine’s efforts to implement the Minsk agreements and comply with the decisions of the Normandy summit.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“He mentioned the Budapest Memorandum. I said that I was ready to have separate bilateral consultations in a group of his choice to discuss the Budapest Memorandum, its history and its sponsors. That is worth a separate conversation, but I can brieﬂy cover it to satisfy curiosity as to our position. When we commented on it at the time, we said that, under the Budapest Memorandum, Russia was not obliged to force a part of Ukraine to stay within it against the will of the local population and that the provisions of the Budapest Memorandum did not cover circumstances that resulted from internal political or socioeconomic factors. But let us put the Budapest Memorandum aside for the time being. Mr. Heusgen played with notions, speculating who had been occupied by whom.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“Second statement by the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia [Original: English] I would like to comment on some remarks made today and some questions asked. Actually, this video-teleconference could not surprise us in any way. We know who says what about this conﬂict and in what way. Today Ms. Grau did not answer the question that we had asked. She said the discussion about the parties to the conﬂict was ongoing. But my question was not about the discussion but about whether Russia was mentioned as a party to the Minsk agreements. I can answer that if Ms. Grau was not able to. Russia is not mentioned as a party to the Minsk agreements. I listened to the statements of my friend Christoph Heusgen with great pleasure. I truly miss him here at the Council.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“Ukraine should not waste time on excuses and dubious geopolitical games, but rather start to change, ensuring due respect for human rights, the rights of ethnic and language minorities and the freedom of the media, as, incidentally, was the case in pre-Maidan Ukraine. Kyiv should focus on the faithful implementation of its obligations under the Minsk package of measures, in close coordination with Donetsk and Luhansk, rather than keep repeating and hiding behind the lies about a war with Russia. Is Ukraine ready to move towards peace and comply with its obligations? Are our Western colleagues ready to unambiguously demand that it should do so? Unfortunately, there are ever fewer signs of that. I count on your principled position today, and I hope that our Ukrainian colleague Leonid Kravchuk will give us at least some cause for optimism.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“All those initiatives directly infringe upon the rights of those living in Donbas and deprive them of any motivation to reconnect with Ukraine. Russia has nothing to do with that. I will not even mention the widespread glorification of Nazi henchmen in Ukraine. In the run-up to the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, we circulated document S/2021/81 in the Security Council. It contains a long list of cases of the glorification of Nazi accomplices, based on Twitter posts of the Head of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, Eduard Dolinskyi. The scale of that cancerous tumour that has infected Ukraine is astounding. But neither the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe nor our Western partners show signs of due concern. It is blatant double standards.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“However, his recent unconstitutional decision led to the closure of three opposition television channels, which caused a surge of public discontent, even to the point of raising the question of impeachment. The reaction of our Western colleagues to that was startling. While advocating for the freedom of speech, they still collectively welcomed that step. What about the draft law on internment or the forced resettlement of Russian citizens, which, in fact, seeks to legalize concentration camps on the territory of Ukraine? What about the initiative to introduce liability for concealing the citizenship of other States? How is it supposed to work when the people in Donbas have no opportunity to renew their Ukrainian passports?”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source
“So far, as we learned from the Donbas representatives, “Ukraine is absolutely indifferent to the people of Donbas and is interested only in territories, or it demonstrates aggressive intentions ... [T]here is already an enormous chasm between Donbas and Ukraine.” Judge for yourselves: Ukraine’s laws and legislative initiatives in the area of language policy that have been adopted over the past six years undermine the legitimate right of people to speak their native language; besides, they restrict and cleanse the media space. The education reform is also inherently discriminatory. The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe affirms that. As recently as in September 2019, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swore that he would not shut down any television channels or infringe upon freedom of speech.”
2021-02-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/159 (2021) · source