YURIY SERGEYEV ( Ukraine) thanked Council members, especially the delegations supporting the Budapest Memorandum. The Russian Federation had violated its own obligations, he said, adding that just 40 minutes ago, he had received information that its troops had entered mainland Ukraine from Crimea. While urging the international community to find the means to stop the aggression, he said the Russian Federation’s veto was not a surprise. It had vetoed a resolution on the crisis in Syria, which had resulted in thousands of deaths.
A discussion on Security Council reform, particularly the right of veto, was forthcoming, he said, adding that the Russian vetoes on Syria and Crimea should be examined. The Russian Federation was manipulating its veto power and causing bloodshed. However, Ukraine remained optimistic because what had been heard from the Russian Federation’s representative was the voice of the Soviet Union, not that of the “true Russia” — the voices of people on the streets of Moscow and other cities who had expressed their desire to protect Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Mr. CHURKIN ( Russian Federation), taking the floor a second time, said the representative of Ukraine had gone far beyond imagination about who was causing bloodshed. “Blood was on your hands,” he said, referring to nationalist radicals and snipers in Ukraine. He said that some colleagues in the Council had presented distorted views about his country’s position, pointing out that the representative of France had inaccurately described the ongoing violence, while the delegate of the United States was ignoring the will of Crimea’s people.
A discussion on Security Council reform, particularly the right of veto, was forthcoming, he said, adding that the Russian vetoes on Syria and Crimea should be examined. The Russian Federation was manipulating its veto power and causing bloodshed. However, Ukraine remained optimistic because what had been heard from the Russian Federation’s representative was the voice of the Soviet Union, not that of the “true Russia” — the voices of people on the streets of Moscow and other cities who had expressed their desire to protect Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Mr. CHURKIN ( Russian Federation), taking the floor a second time, said the representative of Ukraine had gone far beyond imagination about who was causing bloodshed. “Blood was on your hands,” he said, referring to nationalist radicals and snipers in Ukraine. He said that some colleagues in the Council had presented distorted views about his country’s position, pointing out that the representative of France had inaccurately described the ongoing violence, while the delegate of the United States was ignoring the will of Crimea’s people.