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Russian ambassador suspects Kiev distorted Ban Ki-moon’s reaction to peace plan

The official spokesperson for the Secretary General refrained from comments about the official statement published by the Ukrainian presidential administration

© EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

UNITED NATIONS, June 24 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s incumbent authorities quite frequently distort the UN position and twist it a way beneficial for themselves, Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin said Monday answering a question from Itar-Tass.

He believes that this was precisely what happened to Kiev’s interpretation of the Secretary General’s reaction to the ‘peace settlement plan’ for Eastern Ukraine proposed by President Petro Poroshenko.

A statement released by the Ukrainian President’s press service last Saturday said the Ban Ki-moon had expressed his support for the presidential initiative and had singled out the importance of an element like a 10-kilometer-wide buffer zone along the border with Russia.

Unfortunately, the Kiev authorities have a habit of twisting the world community’s position in a manner that suits their objectives, Churkin said.

“I’ll be really stunned if I get a confirmation that the Secretary General did mention that buffer zone,” he said.

He recalled an occasion several months ago when the Kiev officialdom distorted the words of the UN special coordinator, Robert Serry.

“That’s why the powers that be in Kiev abide by a vicious practice of rectifying the UN position in a manner suiting themselves the most.

Stephane Dujarric, the official spokesperson for the Secretary General, refrained from comments about the official statement published by the Ukrainian presidential administration.

Instead of this, he called on everyone to stick to the description of the Secretary General’s words as unveiled by the Office of the Spokesperson.

An official release for the media issued several hours after revelations on the part of the Ukrainian side indicated simply that Ban Ki-moon had praised Petro Poroshenko’s peace plan.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy Eastern Ukraine

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