To
Ukraine,
Churkin Asks
If US Speaks
Differently in
Private, Kyiv
Delay
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
27 -- After
Russian
foreign
minister and
US Secretary
of State John
Kerry spoke by
phone on July
27, the US
State
Department
issued two
read-outs, or
a readout in
two stages.
The second, an
"additional
point" by a
Senior State
Department
Official, was
that Kerry
"underlined
our support
for a mutual
cease fire
verified by
the OSCE and
reaffirmed our
strong support
for the
international
investigation
to show the
facts of
MH17."
On July 28
Inner City
Press asked
Russia's
Ambassador to
the UN Vitaly
Churkin about
this read-out:
does the US
support a
ceasefire?
“I
supposed he
said they
did,” Churkin
replied. “What
their message
is in private
to the
Ukrainians is
a different
story... There
was a
phone
converation
between Vice
President
Biden and
President
Poroshenko
[then] they
went up
another stage
in escalating
the
conlict after
thaat and
immediately.”
Churkin
said
UN High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights Navi
Pillay has
estimated
the civilians
killed in the
conflict at
1,100 and
said, “I do
hope
watching TV
coverage...
they will
understand
this is an
extremely
dangerous
crisis and
course of
action and
will give a
proper
signal.”
He said
Ukraine would
listen, since
they “depend
on the advice
of
the US and
their politcal
support.”
Inner
City Press
also asked
Churkin if
Russia think
the Dutch and
Australians
would need
Security
Council action
to send
police, armed
or unarmed, to
Eastern
Ukraine.
Churkin
replied that
Kyiv has been
dragging its
feet, most
recently
saying their
deal with the
Dutch
will need
ratification
by a
parliament
that has been
dissolved.
Even
if re-called
on July 31,
will there be
a quorum?
Churkin said
he
would leave it
up to the
Press'
“literary
talents” to
find the
right word for
this. Watch
this site.
Back
on July 25 at
the UN
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq:
Inner
City Press: Is
there any UN
involvement in
trying to
bring about
this
deployment?
Does the
Secretary-General
believe that
such a
deployment
would go
through the
Security
Council?
Should go
through the
Security
Council?
Should the
consent of the
separatists be
sought to
avoid a
conflict?
What’s the
UN’s thinking
on this
deployment of
armed
individuals
into a
conflict zone?
Deputy
Spokesman Haq:
I believe that
this is an
issue that may
come up, among
the members of
the Security
Council in the
coming days,
so I’ll leave
it in their
hands.
Five
hours later
Security
Council member
Mark Lyall
Grant of the
UK said
“Its
early days,
the
negotiations
between The
Netherlands
and the
Ukrainian
government are
continuing, as
I understand
it, in Kyiv.
The
Australians
are obviously
involved as
well in terms
of negotiating
the bilateral
agreement.
When that
happens, I
think it is
quite likely
that the Dutch
government may
want to inform
the Security
Council of
that
agreement, and
I think it
also quite
likely that
the Security
Council will
want to take
note of that
agreement,
very possibly
in a
resolution. I
wouldn't
expect that to
be
controversial,
and that could
happen very
quickly after
agreements
have been
reached in
Kyiv.”
Meanwhile at
the
International
Monetary
Fund's July 24
embargoed
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
IMF
Deputy
Spokesperson
William
Murray:
Inner
City Press:
"On Ukraine,
what is the
IMF's estimate
or thoughts on
the impact of
the downing in
Malaysia
Airlines
Flight MH17 in
Eastern
Ukraine, and
its impact, if
any, on the
IMF's program?
MR.
MURRAY: You
know, we're
concerned
about conflict
in the region
and a
statement we
issued the
other day
addresses that
issue.
But
what about
MH17 and its
aftermath? The
IMF did substantively
answer
Inner City
Press' Gaza
and Israel
question, here.
Watch this
site.
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