Opinions & Interviews

Belarus points out unacceptability, negative consequences of sanctions

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MINSK, 3 March (BelTA) – Belarus draws attention to the unacceptability and negative consequences of sanctions. Belarus’ Permanent Representative to the UN Valentin Rybakov made the statement during the final part of the UN General Assembly’s emergency special session on Ukraine on 2 March, the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BelTA.

In his speech Valentin Rybakov talked at length about what preceded the events in Ukraine, including failures to fulfill the Minsk agreements. He brushed off accusations targeting Belarus. The diplomat stressed efforts of the Belarus president to organize a dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. He also mentioned the unacceptability and negative consequences of sanctions. Attention was drawn the West’s disinformation campaign accompanying the conflict in Ukraine.

Apart from that, Valentin Rybakov mentioned that Ukrainian citizens run into problems when they try to leave the country for individual neighboring states and called for organizing a humanitarian corridor.

Valentin Rybakov said: “All of us share part of the responsibility for what is going on in Ukraine now. The Minsk agreements were signed eight years ago and the UN Security Council passed the relevant resolution. Neither the Security Council nor the General Assembly nor the international community as a whole could convince or force Ukrainian authorities to fulfill provisions of these documents. For eight years Ukraine was practically in a state of civil war because the Kiev authorities did not want to start negotiations with their fellow citizens from Donetsk and Lugansk and refused to accommodate their legitimate interests.” He stressed that people were killed over there over the course of eight years, mainly civilians – old people, women, and children.

Valentin Rybakov continued: “Paragraph 8 of the draft resolution hypocritically urges all the sides to fulfill the Minsk agreements. I’d very much like to ask authors and co-authors of the draft resolution: where have you been all of you, ladies and gentlemen? Why over the course of eight years you failed to force Kiev to fulfill provisions of these documents? The unceremonious pressure on the part of the USA, Canada, countries of the European Union, which naturally believe themselves to be a paragon of democracy, has affected the UN, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the international community as a whole. They have failed to find strength and courage to adequately respond to criminal actions of Ukrainian authorities.”

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