Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on Ukraine
Mr.President,
Today the world marks a great holiday - International Women's Day. As you know, in our country, since the days of the USSR, solid foundations have been laid for not declarative but real equal rights and equal professional opportunities for women. No matter how Western colleagues try to spoil this day with their fake stories about Russia, which they have called this meeting to spread, I would like to congratulate all women in the world, including my colleagues on the Security Council, and wish them professional success and prosperity. You contribute not in words but in deeds to the maintenance of international peace and security.
Mr.President,
We have repeatedly shown on concrete examples that precision strikes by the Russian air force against facilities in Ukraine associated with the military capabilities of the Kiev regime do not pose a danger to the civilians who are not physically present there. Ordinary Ukrainians are well aware of that. They have repeatedly seen for themselves that their lives are threatened solely by the actions of unprofessional Ukrainian air defenses, which are deployed in residential areas of Ukrainian cities in violation of IHL norms. We all remember how an off-course air defense missile destroyed the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa. Residential buildings in Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa and other Ukrainian cities also suffered from stray missiles or shards. I repeat that ordinary Ukrainians know about this. Besides, the nature of such destruction does not allow to say this was a direct missile strike. Anyone with at least a little knowledge of modern weaponry can confirm that.
However, representatives of the Kiev regime and their Western puppeteers are trying (with manic and hard-to-explain persistence) to pass off the consequences of the work of Ukrainian air defense as our targeted strikes against civilian objects. Our meeting today is also aimed at resolving this impossible task.
Colleagues,
In the period from 2 to 8 March, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 34 group strikes with high-precision weapons, multiple-launch rocket systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, as a result of which facilities where uncrewed boats were assembled and prepared for combat use, arsenals, fuel bases for military hardware, and deployment of UAF units, nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries have been hit. As confirmed by objective control data, as well as numerous publications of Ukrainian users on social media, all the intended targets were successfully hit. The same footage, which can be easily accessed on the Internet, clearly shows how indiscriminate fire by Ukrainian air defense forces from residential neighborhoods results in rockets and shells falling on areas that were not initially in target. User comments under such and other publications are also very revealing. They call to fear unpredictable air defenses rather than Russian missiles.
This topic even finds its way into the reports of Western TV channels, who find it increasingly difficult to conceal the truth. For example, during a CNN coverage from the town of Chasov Yar, which is about to be liberated, the following emotional confession was made by one of its residents: "The Ukrainian military are taking all the water. They drive right up to the houses where civilians live. And then they shoot right from the house. They hide behind civilian backs!” From the same coverage it becomes clear that the residents remaining in Chasov Yar are eagerly awaiting Russian troops. And this is understandable. A situation in which Ukrainian Nazis cover themselves with civilians as human shields raises second thoughts even with the most staunch supporters of Zelensky's regime.
However, our Western colleagues remain blind and deaf to these signals. They have not given up hope that the Kiev regime, which is fighting for their interests, may resist the Russian army. Stakes have dropped considerably though, and instead of calls to "help Ukraine win," we more often hear incantations to "not allow Russia to win." However, with the initiative on the front fully taken over by the Russian army, the only question is what the Western sponsors of Zelensky and his clique are willing to do to try to save their geopolitical project of creating an "anti-Russia" on our borders from complete collapse. Weapons deliveries are clearly not enough: as it has turned out in recent days, the praised American Abrams tanks burn no worse than the touted German Leopards. Roughly in the same way as their predecessors - German Tigers and Panthers - burned in the steppes of Ukraine 80 years ago. It is quite obvious that no extra arms supplies to Ukraine will stop the agony of the bankrupt Kiev regime; they can only prolong it at the cost of the lives of tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of Ukrainians. The Ukrainians whom the Kiev authorities are now catching in the streets and throw into a senseless grinder. After all, what’s at stake is the survival of the Zelensky regime and the prestige of those who were behind the anti-constitutional coup in Kiev 10 years ago.
Such a prospect seems to cause a number of irresponsible European politicians to want to escalate the Ukrainian conflict and bring it to a new level of direct rather than indirect clash between Russia and NATO. How else can we interpret the position of French President Macron on the need to send NATO troops to Ukraine to prevent the collapse of the Kiev regime? Pity that we did not hear anything about these plans, which threaten to unleash a third world war, in the speech of the representative of France. It is also a pity that we do not see representative of Germany (who is normally very vocal) among those who have requested to speak under Rule 37. It would have been interesting to hear her comments in connection with a leaked conversation by high-ranking German military officers who were discussing how to help the Ukrainians destroy the Crimean Bridge and strike deep into the Russian mainland. During the same conversation, we heard confirmation that American, British and European military advisers are directly present in Ukraine and help the UAF to pick targets. It confirms what we have been saying for a long time. Every use of Western long-range weapons against civilians makes their suppliers complicit in these IHL-violating crimes by Zelensky and his clique.
Thanks to a New York Times investigation, we also learned that Project Ukraine is the largest CIA operation in history, which began long before 2014, and that immediately after the coup d'état, the CIA's most powerful intelligence stations were set up on the border with Russia. It is a pity that the US representative was too modest to tell us anything about this.
In general, it would be good if the representatives of NATO states on the Security Council explained to us the Alliance's devious logic. At first, its leaders said that NATO should expand into Ukraine because Russia would not attack a NATO member state. Today, however, we hear that Russia cannot be allowed to win in Ukraine because it will then move on and attack NATO. Where is any common sense in your statements? And any consistency? Well, you are consistent in molding Russia into the image of an enemy and aggressor, omitting the facts that your aggression against Russia with the involvement of Ukraine began at least 10 years ago. We will talk in detail about all these points, which are unhandy for our Western colleagues, at a separate meeting of the Security Council that we have requested for 22 March.
Mr.President,
As a famous Turkish proverb says, when a clown moves to live in a palace, he does not become a king. But the palace becomes a circus. Of course, we could perceive everything that is happening in Ukraine as a circus, if the consequences were not so tragic and catastrophic for this country. But circus acts are still quite popular there. We all know about air sirens sounding in Kiev and other cities during the visits of high-ranking foreign delegations and in the absence of any shelling. This act has made it to the circus program of foreign leaders' stay in Ukraine. It is noteworthy that there was no air siren in Odessa, whose military facilities were indeed struck during the visit of a high-ranking Greek delegation. Apparently, this was not included in the circus program this time.
I now turn to all those who have and will continue to stir up passions over this episode and will continue to do so. Ask yourselves a simple question. Do you really think that if we wanted to hit Zelensky's motorcade, we would not have been able to do so? And try to answer it honestly. Especially considering that you know very well that this strike destroyed a workshop for the production of marine drones, or rather their assembly from UK-supplied components. This goal is much more important to us than Zelensky hanging around the frontline zone taking selfies in cities before the arrival of Russian troops.
And if some of you hope in your hearts to get rid of Zelensky in this way, I can disappoint you: this is not part of our plan. The reincarnation of Mr. Goloborodko from the TV series "Servant of the People" was elected president by Ukrainians who believed what he promised during his campaign about peace in Donbas and protecting the Russian language and Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine. He deceived his voters, so now let the Ukrainians and his Western puppeteers deal with him. We have more important tasks – to fulfill the goals of our special military operation. And since you do not want to talk about how to implement them by peaceful means, we have to use military force, with all the consequences for Ukraine and the Western sponsors of the Kiev regime, which have already begun to emerge quite clearly.
Thank you.
