THE RUSSIAN Ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, held a press conference in New York yesterday during which he made it clear that Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine will cease when its objectives have been achieved.
Nebenzia said: ‘We have made it clear that we would be prepared to adopt a humanitarian resolution. The chances are still there and we will put forward our own draft, which is humanitarian, and we will put it into view shortly and we will see whether the Security Council can or cannot fulfil its mission.
‘Can we adopt a resolution which will be on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, with great humanitarian provisions like a call for a negotiated ceasefire, evacuation of civilians, respect of international humanitarian and human rights law, condemnation of attacks against civilians and civilian objects, safe and unhindered passage of humanitarian assistance etc?’
He was asked by a Fox News correspondent: ‘When will Vladimir Putin stop his war crimes, when will you stop this obscene assault against Ukraine and will Vladimir Putin surrender. Will you stop in the sake of humanity?’
Nebenzia replied: ‘When the goals of the special military operation are achieved it will stop. I must tell you that I appreciate your humane approach. But I didn’t see that humane approach in all these eight years when Ukrainian armed forces and radicals were shelling and bombing Donetsk and Lugansk, without any reproach from the international community, no comments from the UN officials on that issue.
‘Yesterday there was a barbaric attack from the Ukrainian armed forces who used cluster munitions, in which Russia is accused based on sources which cannot be identified. They used cluster munitions in the centre of Donetsk. 21 persons died, thirty-plus wounded, not reported in the western media today. I didn’t come across a single article on that.
‘Yesterday, the UN Secretary General made a statement and he didn’t say a word on that attack. Only when asked a question, he said that if it was deliberate it is condemnable.
‘I must tell you that we are very much concerned about UN officials, including the top ones, including the Secretary-General, including the Under-Secretary General, who are assessing the situation in Ukraine, accusing Russia of indiscriminate attacks.
‘The Secretary-General yesterday said that although that attack was condemnable, most of the destruction comes from the Russian sources, as if he was comparing two events and implying that that attack didn’t deserve condemnation.’
Nabenzia was asked by CBS News: ‘My question is about a ceasefire. What would it take for Russia to have an overall, not just a humanitarian ceasefire, what does Ukraine need to do? And what’s in your resolution? What are you proposing on humanitarian corridors?’
He replied: ‘You will see the humanitarian resolution soon. It will be published. For a negotiated ceasefire. Of course it should be negotiated. The ceasefire will take place when the conditions put forward by Russia are implemented – demilitarisation of Ukraine, de-Nazification of Ukraine, no threat which will come from that territory, that country to Russia, No joining NATO.
‘President Zelensky announced just a few hours ago that he understands that the Ukraine will not join NATO, saying that he is disappointed with the way NATO reacted. The goal of Ukraine joining NATO is in the Ukrainian constitution, so it should be dropped from there first and foremost.’
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