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UN / UKRAINE
Deputy-Secretary-General Jan Eliasson briefed members in a closed-door meeting via video-conference, his first since arriving in Ukraine on Monday. UNTV
STORY: UN / UKRAINE
TRT: 3:09
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 6 MARCH 2014, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, UN headquarters
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“We do not recognize current Ukrainian authority as legitimate. We do have various working contacts. We do have non-political contacts with them. As you probably know, Prime Minister Medvedev even spoke to Prime minister Isenyuk several days ago discussing various aspects of the situation and our government is under instructions from President Putin to continue to deal with various specific economic problems and maybe cooperation which we have with the Ukraine. However, political contacts we are refraining from.”
3. Cutaway
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“As to the sanctions I don’t want to go into. It’s a double edge sword. And of course we cannot possibly regard it as something that is useful under any circumstances.”
5. Cutaway
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Lyall Grant, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“The decision of the Crimean parliament to secede from Ukraine and hold the referendum to confirm that decision maybe as early as next week, clearly such a referendum would be illegal under article 73 of the Ukrainian Constitution and it would also be deeply destabilizing.”
7. Cutaway
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Lyall Grant, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“The OSCE delegation was turned back at the border they reported to the OSCE earlier today that at that checkpoint at the administrative border between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine there were number of different forces there but they were clearly forces that were in the uniform of the Russian Naval Command and there were also troops that were in the standard Russian Armed Forces uniforms. What is more, these forces are going around in vehicles that have Russian military plates. So I don’t think there is much doubt that there is deployment of Russian militaries outside their bases all over the Crimean peninsula.”
9. Cutaway
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“We condemn the attack on envoy Serry and as we made clear over the past few days getting monitors into Crimea is a critical task and one Russians should welcome given their stated concern for the ethnic Russians in Ukraine.”
11. Cutaway
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“There is a way to resolve this crisis that respects the interest of the Russian Federation as well as the Ukrainian people. Let the international monitors into all of Ukraine, including Crimea, to insure the rights of all Ukrainians have been respected, including ethnic Russians. Begin consultations between the government of Russia and Ukraine with the participation of the international community. Supporting the people of Ukraine as they move toward the elections in may is critical so that they can choose their leaders without outside intimidation.”
13. Cutaway
14. Zoom out, Power leaving stakeout
The Security Council held its fourth meeting on Ukraine Thursday (6 Mar), this time called by the United Kingdom, in yet another attempt to push diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis in the country.
Deputy-Secretary-General Jan Eliasson briefed members in a closed-door meeting via video-conference, his first since arriving in Ukraine on Monday.
Following the meeting, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters outside the Council that once again, his country would not except Ukraine’s government as legitimate, but that they do have “non-political” contacts there and that, “political contacts we are refraining from.”
Asked about the targeted sanctions imposed against his country by the United States, he called it a “double edged sword” saying they, “cannot possibly regard it as something that is useful under any circumstances.”
Commenting on the announcement that pro-Russian actors ordered a referendum that would make Crimea part of Russia as early as next week, United Kingdom Ambassador Sir Mark Lyall Grant called the decision “illegal under article 73 of the Ukrainian Constitution and it would also be deeply destabilizing.”
United States Ambassador Samantha Power said her country condemns the attack on UN envoy Serry yesterday in Crimea and pointed out that sending international monitors to Crimean peninsula is a critical task.
“There is a way to resolve this crisis that respects the interest of the Russian Federation as well as the Ukrainian people. Let the international monitors into all of Ukraine, including Crimea, to insure the rights of all Ukrainians have been respected, including ethnic Russians. Begin consultations between the government of Russia and Ukraine with the participation of the international community. Supporting the people of Ukraine as they move toward the elections in may is critical so that they can choose their leaders without outside intimidation.” – she added.
In his briefing to delegates, Mr. Eliasson said that he had encountered a country on edge which is grappling with a series of fast-moving and serious challenges. He commended the restraint displayed by the Ukrainian people and the authorities and their efforts to maintain the calm.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic arrived in Kiev today where he will visit the East, West and South of the country, including Crimea, to evaluate the current human rights situation.
After months of political unrest, triggered by the Government’s decision last November not to sign an agreement on broader integration with the European Union (EU), Ukraine’s capital, Kiev erupted in violent demonstrations in recent weeks, culminating with the removal by Parliament of President Viktor Yanukovych.
Tensions have been mounting in the Crimea region, where additional Russian troops and armored vehicles have reportedly been deployed.
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