With “great concern and sadness”, the UN political and peacebuilding chief opened an emergency Security Council meeting on Monday night on the “unfolding dangerous situation in and around Ukraine”.
“The risk of major conflict is real and needs to be prevented at all costs,” Rosemary A. DiCarlo said, reminding that Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions “in violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” risk having regional and global repercussions.
“We also regret the order today to deploy Russian troops into Eastern Ukraine, reportedly on a ‘peacekeeping mission’”, she added, recalling that the developments followed the decision to order “a mass evacuation of civilian residents of Donetsk and Luhansk into the Russian Federation”. […]
After “a number of very emotional statements, categorical assessments and far-reaching conclusions”, Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya said he would not react but instead concentrate on “how to avoid war.”
He informed the Member States that in accordance with agreements “signed today by Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics…the functions of maintaining peace in their territories will be carried out by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”.
Mr. Nebenzya also urged Western colleagues to “come to their senses, put aside their emotions and not make the situation worse”. Läs uttalanden