Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at the UNGA plenary meeting under agenda item 34(a) "Prevention of armed conflict" before the vote on draft document A/75/L.38 Rev.1
Mr. President,
The Russian Federation puts to vote the politicized draft submitted by Ukraine. We will definitely vote “against” and call upon all sober-minded delegations to do the same.
For the third year in a row, the General Assembly has to watch this performance that the Ukrainian delegation stages in order to pour another surge of lies about what is going on in Russia’s Crimea and sow discord within the General Assembly. Kiev cannot reconcile with the fact that Crimeans made their own decision about their future at the 2014 referendum, which resulted in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol becoming independent and then acceding to the Russian Federation. Thus the people of the peninsula used their right to self-determination stipulated in the UN Charter. The Maidan authorities have pushed Crimeans away by their acts, their hatred- and nationalism-based rhetoric. All that remains for them to do now is to succumb to impotent anger, churning out good-for-nothing, deceitful and inadequate resolutions, one of which has been brought to our attention today.
As before, no consultations have been held to discuss the language and the text of the draft. We understand why our Ukrainian colleagues are unwilling to do this – they feel ashamed to discuss such a lies-packed document that stands up to no fact check. That is why, instead of launching a discussion, they try to instill a thought in other Member States that their vote allegedly has to confirm territorial integrity of Ukraine. Sadly enough, many still take this at its face value.
Kiev takes attempts to distort the very genesis of Crimea’s reunion with Russia that took place after the Maidan coup and twist the current state of affairs on the peninsula. However, the Crimeans themselves proved the absurdity of those attempts during an Arria-formula meeting of UNSC members to address the topic of Crimea that we convened in May 2020. We summed up the results of the event in a Security Council document. I recommend that you read it, if you have not yet. Of course, our Ukrainian colleagues chose not to participate and not to converse with Crimeans. They are generally disadvantaged when any objective information comes from the peninsula. So they do their best to counter the information Ukrainians massively share on social media after visiting Crimea. The Maidan authorities do not want the truth: they would not realize that if anyone is occupying Crimea, it is the Crimeans themselves. But you cannot really occupy your own home, can you?
We feel sympathy forUkrainians and wish to them speediest recovery from the virus of Maidan madness, which is way more dangerous and devastating than the coronavirus. Their draft resolution fully reflects the true degree of madness. The draft is not about Crimea, it is about progressing deficiency of Ukraine that is gradually turning in a sort of “Anti-Russia”. Its only solid national strategy is to blame the neighbor for all Ukraine’s misfortunes. This is how Ukrainian authorities try to distract their people from thinking of where Ukraine has landed – six years after it made the “European choice”. Unfortunately, this tactic appears to be working so far, supported, i.a. by the “Maidan’s puppet masters” – our American and European colleagues.
Distinguished colleagues,
When voting in favor of another Ukraine’s agitprop fake, you prolong the agony of Ukraine’s authorities and help sustain the illusion that its course at further destruction of the Ukrainian state enjoys support at the global stage. Back at home, it is your votes that our Ukrainian colleagues will refer to, boasting of another “victory” over Russia, instead of thinking of ways to save the country from ultimate collapse. Please think of it before you press the button.
This vote will not in any way influence the decision that Crimeans made in 2014. They will only make sure that they did the right thing when decided to reunite with Russia. The sooner Ukraine realizes the futility of attempts to get Crimeans back against their will, the better for it.
Thank you.
