Canada’s mission to the UN responded to a letter from Russian diplomacy regarding Russia’s draft humanitarian resolution on Ukraine, publishing a version of the missive with some 30 comments, in a sarcastic tone.
“Thank you, United Nations Mission in Russia, for your letter dated March 16. See our suggested edits below”, wrote the Canadian delegation on Twittershare the letter from Russian diplomacy defending the resolution presented by Russia, in three pages full of notes, suggestions and requests for explanations, written in red.
The original Russian letter begins with the sentence: “I am in contact regarding an urgent matter related to the dire humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine.” In the annotated version of the letter, the Canadian mission included at the end of the sentence: “INSERT: ‘what we have caused due to our unlawful war and aggression’”.
In some 30 editions and suggestions, Canadian authorities refer to Russia’s bombing of Ukrainian hospitals and maternity wards, the blocking of humanitarian corridors, attacks on civilians, and references to the “humanitarian” draft resolution which Russia intends to present as a document “without logic”. .
“Do you believe that the members of the UN really believe in it? reads another memo from Canada.
Russia’s letter urges UN countries to put aside their political positions to “make every effort to minimize the humanitarian consequences for the civilian population in Ukraine.” But, according to Canada, this Russian demand makes no sense, since it is Russia itself that is attacking the most vulnerable.
The resolution would ensure safe passage to countries other than Ukraine, especially for medical personnel and vulnerable populations. “Comment: How do you explain Russian forces besieging towns, preventing civilians from fleeing, denying humanitarian corridors and looting aid? Please explain,” writes Canada.
The Canadian delegation ends its notes with an alternative and sarcastic ending to the Russian letter: “In asking you to co-sponsor this ridiculous resolution that we presented to the Security Council, (…) we want you to know how much we care about the life we have decimated in Ukraine and the contempt we have for you, members of the UN, and for this whole institution.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Thursday that he would not put his “humanitarian” draft resolution on Ukraine to the vote on Friday, a draft that diplomats already deemed “doomed to failure”. “.
“We have decided, at this stage, not to ask for a vote on our draft, but we are not withdrawing the draft resolution,” the Russian ambassador said in statements to the UN Security Council.
On the same occasion, the American ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said she was “momentarily delighted” to learn that the Russians had withdrawn from the vote “their ridiculous humanitarian resolution, doomed to failure”.
The Russian-drafted resolution on Ukraine was seen by many diplomats as “hypocrisy”, given that it was Russia itself that provoked “this illegal war”.
Albanian Ambassador Ferit Hoxha said the Russian resolve is “the biggest hypocrisy, the size of Russia” and “should be in the Guinness Book of Records”.
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