Ukraine Accuses Russia of 'Military Aggression'
Ukraine's prime minister told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that Russia had carried out "military aggression" in Crimea, and dramatically switched from English to Russian to ask Russia whether it wants war.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin gave him a direct answer: "Russia does not want war and neither do the Russians, and I'm convinced the Ukrainians don't want that either."
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Ukraine has had "warm and friendly relations" with Russia for decades and he is also convinced "that Russians do not want war."
"And I hope that the Russian government and the Russian president will heed the wishes of their people and that we return urgently to dialogue and solve this conflict," he said.
Churkin did not respond to Yatsenyuk's call to return to talks. Instead, he criticized the "illegal" and "forceful overthrow" of President Viktor Yanukovich and asked why a European-mediated plan signed by Yanukovych and Ukraine's protest leaders to form a new government and hold an early election wasn't seized upon and implemented. Russia refused to sign the agreement but now supports it.
"Instead of a government of national unity as provided for in the Feb. 21 agreement," Churkin said, "in Kiev what you had was a government of the victors."
In his brief speech, Yatsenyuk accused Russia of violating the U.N. Charter and several treaties and urged Moscow to pull back its troops in the Crimean Peninsula to barracks and to start real negotiations to tackle the conflict.
The public in Crimea will vote on Sunday whether to break away from Ukraine and become part of Russia. Russia on Thursday conducted new military maneuvers near its border with Ukraine.
"This aggression has no reasons and no grounds," Yatsenyuk said. "This is absolutely and entirely unacceptable in the 21st century, to resolve any kind of conflict with tanks, artillery and boots on the ground."
Later, speaking to reporters, he wondered aloud whether "the final destination" of Russia's military is Crimea, Kiev or other cities ruled by the Soviet Union 60 years ago.
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