Ukraine elections amid lack of choice risk further split - Russian envoy to UN
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Photo: EPA
With the absence of a political leader capable of uniting the nation, the May 25 election in Ukraine would “almost certainly” cause a further split in the country, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, told Russian journalists on Friday.
"At present there are no prerequisites for the election
to defuse the existing tensions. The more so since, as you know, in
Ukraine there is no political leader capable of uniting the nation.
Holding elections in a situation like this would be the surest way to
split the country, which would be a rather sad development," Churkin
said after a meeting of the UN Security Council behind closed doors.
Churkin
said holding elections would be particularly risky at a time when
"Ukraine lacks a new constitution that would make all regions and
political forces certain about their future".
The Russian envoy said that he explained that situation to the UN Security Council members in very clear terms.
On
Friday the Security Council heard a report by UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon on his trips to Moscow and Kiev on March 20-22. Churkin said
there was "a rather detailed discussion over the general situation
involving Ukraine. "I believe that the discussion was not useless, but I
would prefer not to say that our Western colleagues have changed their
minds regarding a further line of action in relation to the Ukrainian
issue," Churkin said.
In his opinion, "some members of
the UN Security Council have been trying to create the atmosphere of an
international crisis around Ukraine and waiting for Moscow to take steps
to ease the tensions.
"We drew their attention to the
fact that there is no international crisis on the agenda. There is a
crisis in Ukraine, and we have a very clear idea of how Ukrainians
should negotiate that crisis - through dialogue, through convening a
constitutional assembly, through holding a referendum and through
adopting a new constitution and then holding a presidential election -
precisely what the February 21 accord provided for," Churkin said.
He
expressed regret that Russia’s Western partners "are appealing to some
general ideas that are very far from Ukrainian realities".
"This is possibly the reason why the crisis in Ukraine has gone so far," Churkin said.
May presidential elections in Ukraine illegitimate, it runs counter to Feb 21 agreement - Russian envoy to OSCE
Russia
currently believes that the Ukrainian presidential election due this
May is illegitimate because it fails to comply with the conditions set
out in the February 21 agreement between the country's authorities and
opposition, Russian Permanent Representative to the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Andrei Kelin said in Vienna.
"As
regards the question whether (the election) will be legitimate or
illegitimate, we currently believe that this election is illegitimate
because it does not fit into what was set out in the (February 21)
agreement," Kelin said during a video link-up between Moscow and Vienna
on Friday.
For a legitimate president to be elected in
Ukraine, the country's leader must be supported by all Ukrainians, and
that requires changes to the legislation, he said.
"A constitutional reform is urgently needed. It must not be put off," the Russian diplomat said.
West put pressure on countries ahead of UN General Assembly's Ukraine vote - Russian envoy
A
number of countries apparently came under heavy pressure from Western
states in the run-up to the UN General Assembly's vote on a draft
resolution affirming Ukraine's territorial integrity, Russian Ambassador
to the UN Vitaly Churkin told reporters. In addition, the results of
the vote on the Ukraine resolution in the UN General Assembly on
Thursday, March 27, show that Russia is not in isolation, Churkin said.
"A
very large number of countries complained that they were subject to
colossal pressure on the part of Western powers in order to make them
vote in favor of supporting this resolution. Obviously, this tactic of
pressure, which has been used by our Western colleagues, had a certain
effect, and some countries voted [in favor of the proposed resolution],
albeit reluctantly," he said.
He also said that the results of the vote on the
Ukraine resolution in the UN General Assembly on Thursday, March 27,
show that Russia is not in isolation.
"This is a rather
good result for us. We have earned a moral and political victory. There
can be no question of Russia's isolation in this situation," the
diplomat said.
The resolution against the secession
referendum in Crimea, which was part of Ukraine but seceded from it and
reunited with Russia last week, was passed by a 100-11 vote with 58
abstentions.
Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Venezuela,
Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Zimbabwe, Nicaragua,
Syria, and Sudan supported Russia and voted against the resolution.
Unlike UN Security Council resolutions, those adopted by the UN General Assembly are not binding and are advisory in nature.
The resolution is "confrontational in nature", Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said.
"Russia's attitude towards the proposed draft resolution is negative," he said before the vote in the UN General Assembly.
Churkin
believes that the document "is trying to call into doubt the
significance of the referendum in Crimea, which has already played its
historic role."
Churkin's remarks were broadcast by Russia's Channel One television station.
The
draft resolution, which was submitted by Ukraine with the help of
Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Lithuania and Poland, was supported by 100
nations at the UN General Assembly vote. Eleven nations (Armenia,
Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, North Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan, Syria,
Venezuela, and Zimbabwe) voted against, with 58 abstentions (among them
China, Argentina, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Egypt, Senegal, Gabon, South
Africa, and Kazakhstan).
"There is a clear tendency.
Whereas some of our Western colleagues started to speak about Russia's
isolation after the vote at the [UN] Security Council, here it is
obvious that there is no isolation," Churkin said.
UN General Assembly didn't recognize Crimean referendum's results
The
193-nation UN General Assembly passed Thursday a resolution declaring
invalid Crimea's referendum that led to the region's reunification with
Russia. Moscow is opposed, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations
Vitaly Churkin said earlier. "The draft attempts to cast doubt on the
significance of the referendum held in Crimea, which has already played a
historical role. It is counter-productive to dispute this," Churkin
said. At the same time, the draft resolution has "some right
provisions," he said.
The
non-binding resolution, titled "Territorial integrity of Ukraine," was
approved with 100 votes in favor, 11 against, and 58 abstentions. The
document says the March 16 referendum "has no validity, and cannot form
the basis for any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea or of the City of Sevastopol."
It
also "calls upon all States to desist and refrain from actions aimed at
the partial or total disruption of the national unity and territorial
integrity of Ukraine, including any attempts to modify Ukraine's borders
through the threat or use of force or other unlawful means."
Read also:
Voice of Russia, AFP, TASS, Interfax, RIA
Moscow opposes confrontational draft resolution on Ukraine
Photo: EPA
http://world.einnews.com/article/197593268/tEHYWwhkZncYE9S1?n=1&code=lCtThc8XIaCtSyaE
http://world.einnews.com/article/197593268/tEHYWwhkZncYE9S1?n=1&code=lCtThc8XIaCtSyaE
Moscow is opposed to Kiev's UN General Assembly draft resolution on Ukraine due to its confrontational character. Russia could not interfere with the realization of Crimean citizens’ right to self-determination, Said Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin.
"Russia opposes the proposed General Assembly draft
resolution. It is of a confrontational character," Russian Permanent
Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said when speaking
at the General Assembly in New York.
"The draft attempts
to cast doubt on the significance of the referendum held in Crimea,
which has already played a historical role. It is counter-productive to
dispute this," Churkin said. At the same time, the draft resolution has
"some right provisions," he said.
"For instance, the
appeal to refrain from unilateral action and seditious rhetoric, which
could lead to tension escalations," Churkin said.
"We
believe that it is not necessary to pass any resolutions in order to
hear these appeals. It is just necessary to follow the interests of the
Ukrainian people and the interests of the normal flow of international
relations," the diplomat said.
"We hope that this
understanding will prevail during today's discussion as well and
continuing dialog regarding Ukraine. Russia is participating in it in a
most constructive way," Churkin said.
Russia
could not interfere with the realization of the Crimean citizens’ right
to self-determination, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, said
Vitaly Churkin at a session of the UN General Assembly ahead of voting
on the resolution declaring the Crimean referendum invalid.
UN General Assembly draft resolution on Ukraine politically motivated - Moscow
Moscow said the draft resolution by the UN General Assembly on Ukraine was politically motivated.
"Russia
is extremely negative about the proposed vote on this matter in the UN
General Assembly," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on
Thursday, March 27.
"We think the document is politically motivated and detached from reality."
UN GA resolution on Ukraine will only complicate situation - China
The
resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly regarding
Ukraine's territorial integrity will only complicate the situation
further, said Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi on Thursday.
At the same time he thanked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his efforts to settle the Ukrainian issue.
"The
nations must unite their efforts and observe diplomatic rules in
resolving this issue," Liu said during his speech at the UN General
Assembly.
Liu also called on the international community to show restraint over the Ukrainian issue.
Voice of Russia, AFP, TASS, Interfax
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_27/Moscow-opposed-to-confrontational-Kiev-UN-GA-draft-resolution-on-Ukraine-6249/
Who shut the West's eyes on Ukraine’s far right?
Photo: EPA
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When CNN’ Christiane Amanpour was countering the arguments of the veteran expert on Russia and the Soviet Union, Stephen Cohen, she used the classical arguments of all appeasers and Holocaust deniers. Judge for yourself. Here is when Stephen Cohen had to say: "There’s a small but resolute right-wing nationalist movement in Ukraine."
Its quasi fascist, and its dictating terms to this
parliament in Kiev – which is not legitimate in law, international or
constitutional." Having heard this, Christiane Amanpour retorted by
saying that one should not call ALL Ukrainians neo-Nazis or fascists. In
this way she echoed many similar claims from the West’s political
leaders: from Barak Obama to the EU’s chief diplomat Catherine Ashton
who allowed herself to be photographed with some of the most racist
leaders of Ukraine’s ultra right.
So, are they all
fascists? Indeed, they are not. Even in Adolph Hitler’s Germany between
1933 and 1945 people with Nazi views might not even make up a majority.
The Nazis never won absolute majority at the relatively fair elections
held in Germany in 1920s and the beginning of the 30s. But certainly it
does not take off the responsibility from the German people for what
happened to their own country and other countries of Europe in that
period. The German Nazis at a certain moment became the most vocal, the
most active and the most determined part of Germany’s political
spectrum. But the deeply immoral character of their movement was visible
to all people who had even the most limited access to the Nazi programs
and newspapers. So, shame on the German voters of that period and on
the governments which whitewashed the ideology of National Socialism,
including the well-known Soviet appeaser, Vyacheslav Molotov.
Alas,
the bulk of the Western public opinion is behaving now worse than
Molotov. Modern media give us unlimited access to the program and ideas
of the neo-Nazi party Svoboda, which now controls four seats in the new
Ukrainian government, as well as the position of the prosecutor general.
You can read their wishes: to make people running for important
positions reveal their ethnic origin; to make what they call
Ukrainophobia a criminal offence; to proclaim the former allies of
Adolph Hitler heroes of the Ukrainian nation.
These
ideas are deeply dangerous not only for minorities inside Ukraine or for
Ukraine’s neighbors. They are destructive for Ukraine itself. After
1991, the Ukrainian nation got s chance to build its own state on the
territories which were far greater than the old Ukrainian heartland.
They included sizable ethnic minorities, such as Russians in Crimea,
Jews in Odessa, Moldovans in Bukovina. And the activities of the Svoboda
party in the government are eroding the ethnic peace and mutual trust
among people of different ethnic groups, which had been typical for this
area for centuries. Obviously, Crimea, Kharkov and Donetsk developed a
fear of Ukrainian nationalists in Kiev not yesterday and not even the
day before yesterday. All 23 years of Ukraine’s independence showed
people that Ukrainian ultra right is not a myth and that they can be
extremely dangerous. The Western supporters of Maidan just refused to
notice the radicalism of their anti-Russian allies. Now time for
building trust between various communities in Ukraine has been lost. The
Western supporters share responsibility for this tense situation with
their brown-shirt allies in Ukraine.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_11/Seeds-of-impunity-who-shut-the-west-s-eyes-on-Ukraine-s-far-right-2751/
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_11/Seeds-of-impunity-who-shut-the-west-s-eyes-on-Ukraine-s-far-right-2751/
Sanctions - boomerang effect of the “punishment”
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Photo: RIA Novosti
Over the last decade, many Western businesses have been making extensive expansion plans in Russia. The current uncertainty over the Ukrainian crisis is posing a range of serious challenges for Western companies’ businesses in the country. Real estate firms are no exception.
According to JLL, as shopping centre development
activity is picking up in Europe, more than 14 million square meters of
new retail space, which is no less than 90 times the lettable area of
Westfield London, is set to open in the region by yearend. In its latest
news release, the company said it expected Russia to have the largest
shopping centre stock in Europe by 2015, with 3.8 million square meters
scheduled for completion over the next two years.
As for
the rate of investment in Russia’s realty, figures provided by JLL say
that last year alone 8.5 billion dollars were invested in Russia’s real
estate sector, with roughly 40% being foreign money. The ongoing
Ukrainian crisis, however, can’t but make sentiment towards the
investment market remain uncertain, at least, for a time being. Charles Boudet, Managing Director of JLL in Russia and CIS, says real estate is a rather sensitive sector in this respect.
“Any
type of political situation, which creates uncertainty for the future,
necessarily has an impact on real estate. A lot of investment decisions
made in real estate depend on your view of the future, and today’s
situation creates uncertainty, which somewhat paralyses a bit the world
of investment in real estate,” Charles Boudet said.
The
expert also supports the opinion that Russia is a key place for a lot
of businesses, including those from the EU, from many different sectors.
“For
JLL, for example, Russia is the third market in Europe. I know a
company like Danone, which was born in France and whose major flagship
market was France, is today bigger in Russia than anywhere else in the
world.”
Whether the EU leaders will pick an
economic fight remains to be seen, but worries are high in the region
about the economic impact of the crisis over Ukraine. Quite notably,
some of the union’s member states have already claimed the EU should
compensate the countries hurt by sanctions against Russia thus,
confirming the boomerang effect of the “punishment”.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/radio_broadcast/no_program/269932931/
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/radio_broadcast/no_program/269932931/
Car business has much to lose should Russia get hit with economic sanctions
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Photo: RIA Novosti
Russia is now one of the key markets for recession-battered European automakers. Many global industry leaders, among them General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, have been investing heavily in the country in recent years, in a move to expand sales and find partners for juicy joint ventures.
The bulk of foreign brands have already launched
production here. Low light vehicle density and advanced age of car fleet
make Russia one of the most attractive markets in Europe. Now, economic
sanctions could obviously deal a blow to Russia as a place to invest
in. This prospect makes all market players keep a wary eye on the
current conflict over Ukraine.
“We as an industry always have an interest in stable relations where consumers are happy and confident about their future,”said head of GM’s European operations Karl-Thomas Neumann to WSJ at the latest auto show in Geneva. “We need consumer confidence and that is why we are very interested that this de-escalates as soon as possible.”
Many
market watchers admit that the big boys of the car business have much
to lose should Russia get hit with economic sanctions. Just a couple of
years ago Russia was close to overtaking Germany as Europe’s biggest car
market. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’
Association, Russia has the largest number of car production facilities
in Europe, just after Germany and France. Some experts even say the
current political standoff over Ukraine could even derail Europe’s weak
recovery.
The Association of European Businesses, which
represents around 600 companies in Russia, has expressed its view in an
official press-release.
The
AEB want to see a de-escalation of the tensions in and around Ukraine
and to have relations between EU and Russia develop and prosper.
The
association was followed by the Canada Eurasia Russia Business
Association, which represents more than 150 companies that engage in
bilateral trade worth $3 billion annually, in its plea to the
governments of Canada and Russia to mind “the damage on the excellent
and growing economic relations” between the two partners in case
punitive measures are taken.
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