Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Statement by Ambassador Vitaly I. Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

In the course of the UN Security Council meeting which was held today, May 2 on the situation in Ukraine we were struck by the complacence of the Western members of the Security Council towards the actions, including the use of force, by the illegitimate Kiev authorities and the ultraradicals they rely on.

It is not surprising, therefore, that with this kind of backing they believe they can act with impunity.

We are profoundly disturbed by the information from the city of Odessa in Southern Ukraine that the thugs from the “Right sector” have crowded protesters into the Trade union building and burned 38 people alive.

Such actions are reminiscent of the crimes of the Nazis from whom the Ukrainian ultranationalists derive their ideological inspiration.

We expect – we demand that the western advocates of the Ukrainian authorities, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier,  French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, join Russia in unequivocally condemning this barbaric act.