Canada schools Russia on UN ‘humanitarian’ resolution letter: ‘It defies all logic’

‘Absolutely craven and farcical’

The Canadian mission to the United Nations has successfully schooled Russia and its permanent representative after Moscow asked for a “humanitarian” resolution to the situation in Ukraine, which was triggered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a letter dated 16 March, the Russian Federation asked for UN member states to accept its draft proposal for a “humanitarian” resolution and action in Ukraine, where thousands have been estimated to have been killed by Russian military strikes.

“We firmly believe that it is the duty of the international community despite geopolitical differences to make every effort possible to minimize humanitarian consequences for the civilian population in Ukraine,” the letter from Russia argued.

“The only way to do this is a clear demand on behalf of the UN security council to all parties concerned to strictly observe international humanitarian law”, the letter added, while describing its request for “humanitarian” action in Ukraine as “action orientated, depoliticized (and) balanced”.

Responding to that request on Thursday, Ottawa’s representatives at the UN called parts of Russia’s draft resolution “absolutely craven and farcical”, and asked: “Do you really think the UN membership really believes this?”

All three pages of Russia’s letter were marked in red pen by Canada, with Moscow’s making an appeal to UN members to abide by international humanitarian law and to avoid “indiscriminate shelling” of civilians areas – which Russia alone has carried out.

“Russian forces have bombed densely-populated residential areas and attacked medical personnel, hospitals and other medical facilities,” the Canadian mission to the UN continued, with annotations to Russia’s letter. “Please explain”.

Russia claimed that Western members of the UN were choosing to “promote the anti-Russian line by politicizing [the] humanitarian issue,” when in reality, Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago without any such provocation by the US, Europe or Nato.

The schooling by Canada came after Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, also rubbished Russia’s letter on Thursday.

He tweeted that Russia’s “appeal to UN members to support most egregious hypocrisy – ‘humanitarian’ draft resolution by a serial killer is outrageous. UN member[s] may like to think twice before they dive in blood of children & adults executed by Russian military in Ukraine.”

The draft resolution from the Russian Federation, while ignoring Moscow’s lone responsibility for waging war on Kyiv, came hours before members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) were due to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague has also announced an investigation of Russia for war crimes, with evidence so far thought to including the shelling of hospitals and a theatre containing children.

So far an estimated 3 million Ukrainians have fled the country and total death tolls remain unclear.

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