YouSaid · the spoken record

Yelchenko

lines on the record: 1,640
first: 1997-12-19
most recent: 2019-07-16
sittings or episodes: 226
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

“Mr. Yelchenko (Ukraine) (spoke in Russian): To show respect to my Russian colleague, Mr. Vassily Nebenzia, I have chosen to speak in Russian, especially since it would seem to be appropriate in the light of his fabricated topic for today's meeting. I will be very brief. The second statement delivered by Mr. Nebenzia Federation called 60 Minutes, with Olga Skabceva. But bore out my gravest concerns, namely, that once again today's meeting is not a talk Show. he has confused a Security Council meeting with a talk show - a very popular talk show in the Russian The meeting rose at 12.10p.m..”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Fourthly, it must withdraw its military from the disengagement area and dismantle its fortification structures there. Fifthly, it should agree on the opening of additional crossing checkpoints. Of course, this is a very short list and I could go on and on naming relevant measures. But we must start somewhere. Let us make a difference. As the famous Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, centuries ago: "A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step."”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“I would like to suggest very specific, simple and doable measures that Russia can implement, if Moscow really wishes to contribute to the resolution of the conflict and make the lives of civilians in the conflict zone at least a little bit easier. First, it must ensure that the so-called harvest ceasefire, which was agreed by the Normandy Four, is sustained and withdraw heavy weaponry. Secondly, it should unblock the process of prisoner exchange, including in relation to the Ukrainian citizens detained by the Russian occupation authorities; provide access to them, including by the International Committee of the Red Cross; and allow searches for missing persons. Thirdly, it must unconditionally release the 24 Ukrainian servicemen, as ordered by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“We call for the strengthening of political and economic sanctions on the aggressor State until Russia stops violating human rights in the temporarily occupied Crimea, releases all illegally detained citizens of Ukraine and de-occupies the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. I do not have a recipe for a political settlement to the conflict. Various ideas and initiatives have been introduced to provide additional impetus. None of them has worked so far. People are still being killed, ceasefires do not hold and the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The best the Council can do today is to express concern or call on the parties to do something. That is very unfortunate, particularly as the parties are present in the Chamber, even though one of them pretends it is not a party. Let us be practical.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“The Russian occupation authorities continue to deny proper medical assistance to Ukrainian citizens in detention. They ignore the decision of the European Court of Human Rights of 11 June and refuse to transfer disabled Crimean Tatar Edem Bekirov to a hospital. Russia must immediately and unconditionally release all Ukrainian citizens illegally held by the Kremlin, including in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Until then, they must be given all necessary medical assistance and legal protection. Russia's blatant disrespect of international jurisdictional bodies should receive an appropriate response.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“We call on the Russian Federation to comply, at last, with the binding orders of ITLOS, release the Ukrainian sailors and let them return to Ukraine. Russia's general disregard for international law is obvious as the Russian occupation administration intensifies its repression of residents of Crimea under the pretext of fighting terrorism. That is how Russia reacts to hearings, which now take place at the International Court of Justice, on the application of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Arbitral Tribunal in the matter of the Dispute Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea ofAzov, and the Kerch Strait (Ukraine v. the Russian Federation).”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“On 25 May, ITLOS ruled in the Case concerning the detention ofthree Ukrainian naval vessels (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) by 19 votes to 1 that Russia should immediately release the three vessels and ensure their return to the custody of Ukraine, and release its 24 servicemen and allow them to return to Ukraine. Russia has not implemented it. We do not know the condition of those military vessels. We do know the situation with the 24 servicemen of those vessels. They are in a Russian prison - the infamous Lefortovo. They are very rarely allowed to be visited by the Ukrainian Consul and have not seen their families for more than seven months. Tomorrow, a Russian court will consider the continuation of the detention of the 24 Ukrainian servicemen.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Let me also remind the Council of an event that took place on 25 November last year, when Russia attacked and captured the Ukrainian navy ships Berdyansk and Nikopol and the tugboat Yana Kapu, as well as 24 Ukrainian servicemen. That was nothing more than another act of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. It was a blatant violation of the core principle of customary international law and international law of the sea - the immunity of warships. Russian overtly neglects warship immunity and creates a dangerous precedent that irreparably harms the whole system of the freedom of navigation on the high seas. Russia has continued to deny that international wrongful act, but today it has gone even further. It denies the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and ignores its binding orders.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“I would again like to convey Ukraine's deepest condolences to the families of all of the victims and reassure them that the perpetrators must and will be held to account, in compliance with resolution 2166 (2014). Ukraine fully supports the efforts by the Joint Investigation Team, which includes investigators and prosecutors from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. The start of criminal prosecution is an important milestone in uncovering the full truth and ensuring that justice will be done. We welcome the decision of the Netherlands and Australia to hold the Russian Federation responsible under international law for its role in the downing of flight MH-17.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“We consider such actions by the Russian side to be yet another provocation, since, as of the end of 2017, only the Ukrainian part of the JCCC has continued to discharge its duties on site. As has already been mentioned in the Council at previous meetings, the Russian Federation has unilaterally and groundlessly withdrawn its officers from the bilateral structure. No one is authorized to replace them. Despite ample proof of Russia's aggression against Ukraine in Donbas, it remains in denial. That is Moscow's usual tactic - to deny the obvious, despite any evidence. It is the same way it denied the presence of its troops in Crimea and its role in seizing the peninsula. It is the same way it denied its role in the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-17, which killed almost 300 passengers. Tomorrow will mark five years since that tragedy.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Instead, we see a systematic and incessant flow of Russian-made weapons, including the newest types, and ammunition through the uncontrolled segment of the Ukrainian- Russian State border. Which of the security provisions of the Minsk agreements can be considered to have been implemented by Russia? None. Not a single one. Despite the progress made on disengagement in Stanytsia Luhanska, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission still observes a Russian military presence in areas where there should be none. The OSCE Mission has reported men in military-style clothing, who were illegally wearing blue armbands with "Joint Centre for Control and Coordination" (JCCC) written on them.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“With respect to paragraph 3 of the package of measures, related to the effective monitoring and verification by the OSCE of the ceasefire regime and the pull-out of heavy weapons, as reported by the Special Monitoring Mission, the Russian occupation authorities restrict the activities of the monitors, including by denying access of the Mission to border crossing points in the occupied parts ofthe Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Concerning paragraph 10 of the package of measures, related to the withdrawal of all foreign armed formations, military equipment and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under the monitoring of the OSCE, reports from Donbas confirm that there has been no withdrawal whatsoever.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“With regard to paragraph 2 of the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, related to the withdrawal of all heavy weapons with the aim of creating a security zone, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission continues to report weapons in violation of the respective withdrawal lines and outside of designated storage sites in the Russian-occupied territories of Donbas and a constant replenishment of fuel, lubricants and ammunition. Hundreds of pieces of Russian heavy weapons continue to pose a direct and serious military threat to Ukraine and its defenders. Much more remains hidden from the Mission's eyes.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“All weapons, arms, ammunition, equipment and fuel are supplied to the occupied Donbas courtesy ofthe 8th Army. All command posts of any significance are occupied by Russian officers. Therefore, the responsibility for upholding any ceasefire agreement rests with the Russian military leadership and not some fictitious local militias. The Russian military presence and active participation in the war is an established fact, no matter how strenuously Russia may try to deny it.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“For those who have forgotten, I will cite paragraph 1 of resolution 2286 (2016): "[The Security Council] strongly condemns acts of violence, attacks and threats against the wounded and sick, medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of transport and equipment". The Russian delegation persistently asserts that Moscow has no obligations under the Minsk agreements and that it is only an impartial observer and mediator. Let us inject a dose ofreality into those delirious claims. The 1st and 2nd Army Corps that constitute the main fighting force in the occupied territories of Donbas are part and parcel of Russia's 8th Army, which has its headquarters in Novocherkask, in the Rostov region of Russia.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“On 1 July, an ambulance, bearing every indication of medical transport, was targeted by the Russian occupation forces with an anti-tank rocket. As a result, two Ukrainian medics evacuating a wounded soldier near the village of Vodyane were killed, and one died later in the hospital. Did the militants not know that shelling a medical vehicle is a violation of the norms of international humanitarian law? Of course they knew, and the Russian delegation still wants to discuss the use of Ukrainian language in the public life of my country.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Ukrainian citizens continue to be used as hostages by Moscow in its hybrid war against my country. The Charter of the United Nations, the norms of international law and the binding orders of international courts and tribunals remain dead letter for the Russian Federation, which keeps denying that it is a party to the conflict that it masterminded, initiated and continues to fuel. Let us return to the Minsk agreements, namely, to the package of measures of 12 February 2015, on which Ambassador Nebenzia so enjoys lecturing the members of the Council. With regard to paragraph 1 on an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire (see resolution 2202 (2015), annex), recently, the Russian forces intensified the shelling of Ukrainian military positions and residential areas, using l22-millimetre and 152-millimetre heavy artillery.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Is that an invitation to the direct talks that the Russian Federation persistently calls for? Detailed information on all such violations has been regularly reported by the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for five years, but the Russian delegation prefers to talk here about the language law. The situation on the ground appears very bleak, as Russia shows no indication of readiness to abandon its aggressive goals in Ukraine. The implementation of the Minsk agreements by the Kremlin, first and foremost in the security sphere, remains stalled. The illegal "passportization" continues. The security situation in Donbas continues to deteriorate. The de-occupation of Crimea has not started.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Despite the agreement reached by the Trilateral Contact Group on the ceasefire starting on 8 March, the Russian occupation forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have violated it almost 2,000 times. Heavy weapons, prohibited by the Minsk agreements, including tanks, heavy artillery and mortars, have been used almost 800 times. Those provocations have resulted in the death of 36 Ukrainian servicemen. Approximately 200 servicemen have been wounded. In June alone, Ukraine lost nine military personnel owing to unprovoked enemy fire. Since the new President took office, the Russian forces and their proxies have almost doubled their ceasefire violations. Is that what Russian peace proposals look like? The Russian forces intentionally target civilian infrastructure facilities throughout the area.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“This is the first Council meeting on the Russian- Ukrainian conflict after the presidential elections in Ukraine. I therefore would like to reiterate the unwavering commitment of Ukraine's new leadership to the politico-diplomatic way of resolving the conflict. The implementation of the Minsk agreements remains among its top priorities. Right after assuming his duties as Head of State, President Zelenskyi took concrete steps towards ensuring the potency of the Trilateral Contact Group, the revitalization of the Normandy format and achieving the disengagement of forces in Donbas. Thus, the Ukrainian side has demonstrated in deed its constructive approach in search of the conflict's resolution. What have we received in return?”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“In May, it tried to impose its own agenda on the newly elected President of Ukraine, who was inaugurated the very same day, and to distract attention from the anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars by the Stalin regime. Today, by raising this spurious issue four days before the parliamentary elections in Ukraine, Moscow is trying to provide political support to the pro-Russian parties. At the same time, Moscow is trying to divert attention from the anniversary of the downing by the Russian military of flight MH-17 on 17 July 2014 and from the implementation of the Minsk agreements, or, to be more precise, their persistent non-implementation by Russia. That is why my delegation requested that the Security Council consider developments related to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and we are thankful for today's discussion.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“I can only repeat the words from the Sermon on the Mount: "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out ofthine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (The Holy Bible, Matthew, 7:5) As far as our language law is concerned, let me say once again that is our own issue subject to our own work, and we will sort it out ourselves with the help of our partners, including the High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Venice Commission and other relevant international institutions. Every time the Russian delegation raises this subject, it pursues a double goal - to put political pressure on Ukraine and to distract attention from other issues.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Russia, where about 3 million Ukrainians live - that is according only to the official count, but unofficially many more live there - does not have a single Ukrainian school. Moreover, there were seven Ukrainian and 15 Crimean Tatar schools in Crimea before the Russian occupation in 2014. The occupying authorities closed all Ukrainian schools and half of the Crimean Tatar schools.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“In fact, this matter has no relation whatsoever to international peace and security and has nothing to do with the implementation of resolution 2202 (2015). On 22 May, I sent a letter to the Council with a detailed argumentation of the issue, contained in document S/2019/422, which I cite for the convenience of Council members. Ijust want to stress the following. A country that, for centuries, suppressed the Ukrainian language and forcefully replaced it with Russian in all spheres of public life is not in a position to tell us now what language we should speak and write. Let us compare. There are Ukrainian schools in Australia, Argentina, Slovakia and many other countries.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“First of all, I thank the members ofthe Security Council, as well as the briefers, for their remarks. We have taken good note of them. Nearly two months ago, on 20 May, the Security Council clearly stated its position on the Russian request to discuss Ukraine's language law by rejecting it (see S/PV.8529). At that time, the Russian representative, however, demonstrated outrageous disrespect for the Council's rules and its members by abusing its right to speak in explanation of vote and delivering a lengthy statement on substance. Now Russia yet again wants to talk about Ukraine's law on the functioning of Ukrainian as the State language, as if it might threaten international peace and security and as if there were no more important issue on the Council agenda.”
2019-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8575 (2019) · source
“Instead, I would love to hear him talk about an even more relevant topic, namely, when Russia itself will end the non-stop delivery of arms and munitions to terrorists, fuelling the senseless bloodshed in occupied Donbas. Transnational criminal activity, including terrorism, must be not only condemned, but rather effectively countered and punished. Regrettably, the current situation in Ukraine clearly demonstrates that the accommodation, or the appeasement, of an aggressor breeds further aggression. That is why it is critically important to firmly hold the aggressor State to account and employ all the necessary instruments to make it return to the tenets of international law.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“In particular, having been unpunishably integrated into the State policy of some countries, terrorism and criminal components lead to brutal violations of international law, including to the most hostile war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ukraine continues to experience such consequences while countering the Russian hybrid aggression for more than five years now. Switching blame, manipulation, propaganda, the interference in the internal affairs of States, fuelling international conflicts by supplying weapons and financing terrorism, and killing civilians, including medical personnel, is the modern political course of the Russian Federation. The Russian representative so graphically described earlier in his statement the dangers of supplying weapons to terrorists in Syria.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“Moreover, it can address the role of terrorists in human trafficking, migrant smuggling and the illicit trafficking in firearms. Therefore, Ukraine supports the establishment of the mechanism for the review of the implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto. We believe that any mechanism that might be adopted should be transparent, efficient, non-intrusive, impartial and aimed in particular to assist States in the effective implementation of the Convention and its Protocols. Besides that, we recognize the urgent need to find additional effective measures to counter evolving trends in both terrorism and organized crime.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“It remains crucial to ensure the effective implementation of all international instruments in combating terrorism and transnational organized crime in force, including the relevant Security Council resolutions, the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy and the Financial Action Task Force standards and recommendations. I also wish to reaffirm the importance of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols in combating both existing and emerging forms of transnational organized crime. The provisions of the Convention can target profit-oriented transnational organized crimes by terrorist groups, including armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, money-laundering, corruption and participation in an organized criminal group involved in such activities.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“Up until now, the international community has been exposed to constantly evolving threats from the so-called crime-terror nexus, with more sophisticated methods and tactics, including in the financing of transnational criminal activity. The following are some of the factors that allow terrorist and criminal groups to remain active and ambitious: the misuse of technological advances and communication innovations, loosely controlled borders, complex challenges with regard to returnees and relocators from the conflict zones, and insufficient prosecution and punishment measures in place for those who provide funding or other support to terrorist and criminal activities in any form and by any methods, to name a few.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“I thank the Peruvian presidency for organizing today's important debate. While fully aligning myself with the statement delivered earlier on behalf of the European Union, I would like to make the following comments in my national capacity. Terrorism, fuelled by the root causes of radicalization and violent extremism, is ever-more interlinked with organized crime and the trafficking in people, drugs and arms, as well as corruption. Needless to stress, further synergy among terrorist organizations and organized crime groups can provoke more dire consequences, not only for certain countries but at the global level. According to experts' assessment, the common denominator in all such groups is that their field of activities is not limited to a specific region or State; instead, they have expansionary aspirations and a vast development agenda.”
2019-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8569 (2019) · source
“In that connection, while a veto-free Council is still a distant and uncertain reality, we believe that a Council member should refrain from using its veto power and abstain from voting when it is a party to a conflict under consideration in the Council. How can such a member be expected to exercise its responsibilities and privileges in an impartial manner? We will obviously pursue that issue within the intergovernmental negotiations process in the General Assembly, together with Georgia, but any voluntary pledge or action along those lines in the Council would be warmly welcomed and could contribute to restoring the Council's credibility. In conclusion, let me restate that any effort to increase the openness and transparency of the Council will be strongly supported by the wider United Nations membership, including Ukraine.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“We are convinced that the Council should utilize its precious time more effectively, giving due attention, first and foremost, to agenda items that seek to uphold respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the States Members of the United Nations; to addressing and preventing armed conflicts; and to facilitating the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations. Secondly, the use of the veto remains one of the most divisive issues. Unfortunately, the repeated use of the veto has tarnished the Council's reputation to a point almost beyond repair. In particular, we see a clear lack of implementation of Article 27, paragraph 3, of the Charter, both in the spirit and the letter.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Now I would like to say a few words about the broader context of the day-to-day functioning of the Council, including recent developments and some ways of bringing about short- and longer- term improvements. First, we are very much disappointed about the continuing practice of a particular Council member of manipulating and misleading the Council with false information and statements aiming to cover up its military aggression against Ukraine and its interference in my country's internal affairs.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Fourthly, we are convinced that the timely issuance of monthly assessments is not something to be overlooked, since those assessments constitute a valuable source for preparing annual reports. Fifthly, it would be useful for Council members to consult with the countries concerned and the broader United Nations membership, if necessary, on draft decisions under the consideration of the Council, which could certainly contribute to maximizing the comprehensive implementation of their provisions by the States Members of the United Nations. The working methods of the Council are what Council members do every day. There certainly are positive changes, but they are much slower than we would have hoped.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“To that end, the continuation and development of the practice of summarizing respective discussions for further presentations at the media stakeout would be highly appreciated. It is encouraging to see that this trend towards greater openness now enjoys the necessary traction among Council members. Thirdly, we remain staunch supporters of the practice of formal monthly wrap-up sessions of the Council, which we see as an important element of the proper implementation of presidential note 507. It is necessary, in that regard, to find a way to seek the input of Member States on issues they would like Council members to reflect on during those wrap-up sessions.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Ukraine aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the representative of New Zealand on behalf of a number of former elected Council members. We also encouraged by the joint E-10 statement today. It is important that the E-10 are sharing the responsibility for the way the Council conducts its work. From our recent membership experience, I would also like to highlight some approaches that my country considers important to retain and further develop in the Council's practice. First, the Council should conduct its work in the open as much as is practically possible. Closed consultations should be the exception rather than the rule. Secondly, if consultations are held, the general United Nations membership deserves to know what was discussed.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“During our membership in 2016-2017, we did our best to contribute to further opening up the Council's activities to the wider world and enhancing the role of elected members. The negotiations on updating presidential note S/2010/507 during our membership, had a very practical outcome. The new document adopted in 2017 (S/2017/507, annex) is a significant achievement in further streamlining the Council's practices, and we are pleased to see several of Ukraine's priorities reflected in it as well, including on making the Council's field visits more transparent. Presidential note S/2016/619, regarding the selection of Chairs of the Council's subsidiary bodies, has also become another useful instrument for the elected 10 members (E-10) by making the Council more transparent and effective.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Let me start by joining previous speakers in wishing you, Sir, a successful and fruitful presidency this month. I am also grateful that the working methods of the Security Council have become one of the prime issues to be considered by the Council. I also want to thank both of our briefers for their useful and important input. This meeting also has a practical meaning, in the light of the upcoming election of new Council members for the term 2020-2021. I am very pleased that, thanks to the change of election dates, those members will have sufficient time to get acquainted with practical aspects of the Council's work in preparing for their term. Ukraine has always been among the proponents of a more transparent Council.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“In view of what I have stated here, this dangerous development must be duly reflected on and assessed in the next report of the Secretary- General. Time and again, we continue to urge Russia to uphold all its obligations under applicable international law as an occupying Power. In conclusion, I would like to underline Ukraine's strong commitment to the protection of civilians and ensuring accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law on its territory.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“The recently adopted mine-action law establishes the framework for humanitarian demining in Ukraine, which enables the minimization of risks for people living in mine-contaminated areas. Ukraine and many members of the Council recently expressed their deep concern about the provocative and unlawful decision to issue Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. That step could further curtail the human rights of the local civilian population and provoke a dangerous escalation of the situation. We must recall that imposing citizenship on the residents of an occupied territory can be equated to compelling them to swear allegiance to a Power that they may consider hostile, which is forbidden under the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Moreover, the Donetsk filtration station, a facility that holds huge stocks of chlorine, remains under constant shelling by the Russian occupation forces. An accident at that station could be of a scale like the Chernobyl disaster. They also continue to plant landmines. The unexploded remnants of war continue multiplying in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, especially in densely populated areas. That has already made Ukraine one of the most landmine-contaminated countries in the world, with almost half of civilian deaths being caused by landmines. As a party to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and its Protocols Additional, Ukraine attaches great importance to enhancing the protection of civilians in armed conflict.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Every third civilian killed is a woman or child. Just in February, a bus carrying civilians was blown up near the village of Olenivka, in the Donetsk region. Two civilians died on the spot as the result of an anti-tank mine explosion. The hostilities also threaten the population with unprecedented environmental catastrophe, not only for Ukraine but the whole of Europe. In the Donbas region, an ever-present risk from groundwater pollution and subsidence, due to improper closures and subsequent flooding of coal mines, highlight the need to take the necessary measures to prevent an environmental disaster. The decision by the Russian occupation authorities to cease groundwater pumping at the Yunkom mine, used in Soviet times for nuclear testing, endangers groundwater, rivers and, ultimately, the Sea of Azov with radioactive contamination.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Regrettably, Ukraine has become an example of the consequences of a Violation by one of the permanent members of the Security Council of the norms and principles of international law, including international humanitarian law. In that regard, we value the fact that the report of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians reflects the dire situation of the civilians affected by the Russian military aggression in Donbas in Ukraine. We are also grateful to the Polish delegation for raising that issue so eloquently in its statement earlier. The Russian-led war in Donbas has plunged the lives of the civilian population into a vortex of destruction and death. As of now, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the civilian death toll stands at more than 3,300.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Yet those technologies are building a world that pays little heed to the demands of reality. And the reality is that global and human security have deteriorated markedly in the past decade. Peace and security indicators continue to regress, bringing to new heights the number of deliberate acts of violence against those protected under international humanitarian law. It is therefore imperative that the cornerstones of international humanitarian law adopted and recognized by the international community be fully respected and protected from any attempts to demolish them. Accountability for war crimes, Violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights should become the new normal.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“I would like to express my appreciation to the Indonesian presidency for holding this important open debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for presenting his report (S/2019/373) on the issue before us. Ukraine aligns itself with the statement to be delivered later by the observer of the European Union. Unfortunately, little has changed since the first Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, 20 years ago (see S/PV.4046). We have 14 reports of the Secretary- General, with more than 200 recommendations on the issue, but we still cannot ensure the protection of the most vulnerable strata of the population. The development ofnew technologies in recent years should have improved the ability of the international community to protect humankind from the devastating consequences of war.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“I would like to ask Assistant Secretary-General Mueller, from whom we heard about the difficult humanitarian situation in the occupied territories of the Donbas - and her report is accurate - whether, in her assessment, the Russian President's decree is a warranted and justified response to the difficult humanitarian situation, and in what ways the Russian side can truly contribute to alleviating the humanitarian crisis that it itself has created.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“But let us be honest - unless the majority of this Council is ready to come up with real action, even if it is to be challenged by Russia, the aggressive behaviour of our neighbour will never be stopped. History knows that appeasement of aggressors never stops them. Finally, since we have representatives of the OSCE and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs here with us, I would like to ask them some questions. I would like to ask Ambassadors Apakan and Sajdik whether, in their assessment, the Russian decision on citizenship contributes to implementation of the Minsk agreements or complicates it.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“The Security Council should consider it null and void. Ukraine urges Russia to immediately cancel that presidential decree as well as decree No. 74, of 18 February 2017, relating to the recognition of documents and license plates issued in the occupied part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. I call on the Security Council to prevent the worst- case scenario and resolutely condemn the destructive and illegal actions of the Russian authorities and to restore respect for the Charter of the United Nations. The members of the Security Council sitting around this table have a single choice to make - to wrap up this meeting without taking a decision or turn once again to expressing serious concerns and calling on both sides to respect the Minsk agreements.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“We also know that the purely humanitarian action of passport distribution is usually a prelude to further aggression and annexation, as was stressed in the appeal to the United Nations and other international organizations adopted yesterday by the Parliament of my country. Ukraine will do everything possible to protect, provide adequate assistance to, and ensure respect for, the rights of its citizens residing in the temporarily occupied territories, including those who may be forced by the Russian occupation authorities into acquiring Russian citizenship. Yesterday's decree by the Russian President is simply illegal. It is a blatant breach of Russia's obligations and commitments under bilateral and multilateral agreements and documents. Ukraine does not recognize any consequences of that act.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source