UNITED NATIONS, May 12. /TASS/. Participants in Kiev’s military operation in southeastern Ukraine threatened a Russian diplomat with death at the United Nations headquarters, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.
According to her, the incident took place on May 9, following a meeting on propaganda and fake news arranged by the Ukrainian delegation, which it claimed to be part of a session of the UN Committee on Information. "An official from the Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, who was representing Russia at the Committee’s session, attended the meeting. He clarified Moscow’s position concerning Ukraine’s accusations as the event was held in an anti-Russian atmosphere. As far as we understand, the Ukrainian delegation did not expect the Russian participant to address the meeting, it came as a surprise for them," Zakharova said, adding that "the result was somewhat unpleasant."
"The Ukrainian delegation said it had invited veterans of the [so-called] anti-terrorist operation [in Donbass], including those who were presented as snipers from southeastern Ukraine. After the meeting was over, these men, dressed in camouflage clothing, came up to the Russian representative and began to threaten him with death. Imagine people in camouflage clothing running around the United Nations premises, making photos of Russian diplomats and threatening them. Those were direct threats," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.
Targeted policy
The Russian diplomat expressed confidence that the incident was "part of Kiev’s information efforts negatively illustrated by the Mirotvorets [or Peacemaker] website, which still exists, where the personal information about staff members of the Press and Information Department at the Russia Foreign Ministry." "Everything that the Ukrainian mission did is in line with Kiev’s policy aimed at intimidating Russian diplomats working in the information field," Zakharova noted.
She added that at the Committee’s final meeting on Friday, Russia raised that question, stressing that events being held during the session "should not end like that." "Death threats coming from people officially invited by a national delegation make to other participants in debates are a thing unacceptable on the United Nations premises," Zakharova said. According to her, the United Nations has taken Russia’s concern into account and thanked Moscow for providing information, however, Chair of the United Nations General Assembly Committee on Information Jan Kickert "tried to shrug off this scandalous incident saying that no such events had been held on the Committee’s behalf."
"We provided the Committee with a press release available on the Ukrainian mission’s website, as well as with screenshots and other files claiming that the event was part of the Committee’s activities," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. After that, the Committee assured the Russian mission that such things would not be tolerated in the future, Zakharova concluded.