Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN on Thursday voiced outrage after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Russia had a role to play in safeguarding human rights and ending the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko said Ban had praised Russia when Moscow “is the main player in aggressing Ukraine and in keeping the conflict boiling.”
Yelchenko said he would send a formal protest to demand an explanation for the remarks that Ban made during a visit to Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Photo: Reuters
Ban said in the prepared remarks that Russia “has a critical role to play” in addressing global issues “from ending the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, to safeguarding human rights and controlling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”
“I am completely outraged by such a statement,” Yelchenko told reporters.
“I don’t understand how the head of the United Nations can say such things,” he said.
Yelchenko took issue with Ban’s reference to “safeguarding human rights” when Russia is accused of rights abuses in Crimea, saying Moscow was “building up the nuclear potential” on the Black Sea peninsula.
Russia seized and annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move the UN General Assembly condemned as illegal.
Ban’s remarks disqualified him from playing any role in resolving Ukraine’s conflict, Yelchenko said.
The ambassador said he would express his outrage directly to Ban when he returns from Russia.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Ban, dismissed the criticism.
“We are not going to walk back from what we said,” Dujarric said. “I would urge everyone to read the full statement.”
The spokesman’s office later released a transcript of the delivered remarks that were more succinct.
Ban said Russia “has a very important role to play” without mentioning Ukraine or Syria.
The Ukrainian mission said it had nevertheless sent a letter of protest, because the prepared remarks were posted on UN Web sites as official documents.
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