Ukraine should curb ultra-nationalists terrorizing Russian-speaking population - Lavrov
16 March 2014, 11:27 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry have discussed the situation in Ukraine and Crimea, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Facebook. The report also states that Lavrov has pointed out that 'the current Kiev administration should curb the rampant ultra-nationalist and radical groups that are terrorizing dissidents and Russian-speaking people.
'As a follow-up of the recent discussion in London, Sergei Lavrov again reiterated that the upcoming Crimean referendum is fully in line with international law and the UN Charter and its results should become the starting point in the determination of the future of the peninsula,' the report says.
The phone conversation between Lavrov and Kerry took place on Saturday on Kerry's initiative. Lavrov and Kerry agreed to maintain further working contacts on Ukraine.
Crimean referendum fully in line with UN Charter - Russian FM Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told US Secretary of State John Kerry on the phone that the referendum in the Crimea is fully in line with the UN Charter and its result will become a departing point in determining the future of the peninsula, the Russian Foreign Ministry's website in Facebook reports.
Lavrov also called Kerry's attention to the responsibility of the current Ukrainian authorities for curbing the orgy of ultranationalist and radical groups terrorizing otherwise-minded people, the Russian-speaking population.
Lavrov and Kerry agreed to maintain further working contacts on Ukrainian problems.
US refuses to listen to voice of reason over Ukraine crisis - Moscow
The US has refused to listen to the voice of reason when they submitted their draft resolution on the Ukrainian crisis to the UN Security Council, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. 'We repeatedly reminded our western partners and particularly the US that not very well-thought actions are counterproductive. The US draft resolution submitted to the UN Security Council proved the United States refused to listen to the voice of reason. And that was the motive for Russia to veto the draft resolution which wasn't approved,' a Russian Foreign Ministry statement reads.
'Unfortunately, it is not stability in the country or the security and well-being of its citizens that Washington cares about. It keeps using Cold War categories, which were seemed bygone, in an attempt to impose its own vision of the political system in Ukraine,' the ministry said.
'We hope that the UN member states that have so far demonstrated a biased and confrontational approach in connection with the situation in Ukraine, including during the discussion of this matter in the UN Security Council, will find the strength to embark on the path of constructive cooperation in the interests of long-term settlement of the situation and ensuring the full range of interests of Ukrainian citizens, including the population of eastern and southeastern regions of the country,' the ministry added.
US willing to politicize situation in Ukraine as much as possible - Moscow
The US is willing to politicize the situation in Ukraine as much as possible, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated earlier today.
'On March 15 the UN Security Council hold a vote on the US draft resolution on the situation in Ukraine,' a Foreign Ministry satement says.
'By itself, this initiative was unfounded from the very beginning: the events in Ukraine are not a threat to the international peace and security,' it continues.
'The American side's step can be explained only by an overwhelming desire to politicize an already difficult situation for the sake of its own geopolitical interests', the Foreign Ministry added.
Russia vetoes UN resolution on Crimea, China abstains
Russia has vetoed a Western-backed resolution condemning the Crimea referendum at a UN Security Council emergency vote Saturday but China abstained from the vote. The draft resolution, which says Sunday's referendum would have no validity, got 13 votes in the 15-member Council. But it was rejected when permanent member Russia exercised its veto.
'It is a secret to no one that the Russian Federation will vote against the resolution,' Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the council in opening remarks before the vote.
'We can not go along with [the resolution's] basic assumption that is declaring illegal the ... planned referendum,' Vitaly Churkin added.
He defended Sunday's referendum as necessary to fill the 'legal vacuum' that arose 'as a result of an unconstitutional coup d'etat in Ukraine.'
China often backs Russia at the council, especially on Syria-related votes, and Western diplomats had seen its abstention as the best possible outcome from Saturday's vote.
When the Security Council ruled on a similar international crisis, between Russia and Georgia in 2008, Beijing abstained. Saturday's emergency meeting was called at Washington's request and the resolution had been drafted by the United States in very measured terms so that it could be accepted by Beijing.
The resolution declared that the referendum on Crimea has 'no validity and cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of Crimea.'
Members of the council that voted in favour of the resolution - including the United States - condemned the Russian veto.
Voice of Russia, RIA, AFP, Interfax, TASS
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
