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UN GA draft resolution on Ukraine confrontational in nature — Russian envoy

Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin says the document “is trying to call into doubt the significance of the referendum in Crimea, which has already played its historic role”

Vitaly Churkin AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Vitaly Churkin

© AP Photo/Seth Wenig

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UNITED NATIONS, March 27. /ITAR-TASS/. The draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine is “confrontational in nature”, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said on Thursday, March 27.

“Russia’s attitude towards the proposed draft resolution is negative. It is confrontational in nature,” he said before the vote in the UN General Assembly.

Churkin believes that the document “is trying to call into doubt the significance of the referendum in Crimea, which has already played its historic role”. “Challenging it would be counterproductive,” he noted.

“Russia could not deny the people of Crimea the right to self-determination,” the diplomat said, adding that Crimea’s reunification with Russia marked “the celebration of historical justice”.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said earlier in the day that the proposed draft resolution was politically motivated.

“Russia is extremely negative about the proposed vote on this matter in the UN General Assembly,” he said. “We think the document is politically motivated and detached from reality.”

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He agreed that the proposed draft resolution was counterproductive. “This anti-Russian project does not help solve the problems associated with Ukraine. Russia takes this as an attempt to distort the essence of the processes that are taking place in Ukraine and raising concern,” Gatilov said.

He reiterated Russia’s call for “a political and diplomatic settlement of the situation in Ukraine” and noted that the UN General Assembly resolutions were advisory and unbinding.

Gatilov said the resolution proposed by Kiev pursued “one goal only - to create an anti-Russian atmosphere in the international community”.

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