On Ukraine, UN "Can't Verify" After Feltman Cancels Trip, Shelling

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 15 -- As Ukrainian President Pero Poroshenko said his forces "shelled Russian armor" inside of Ukraine, the UN in New York said on August 15, "we are aware of the reports today in Ukraine which we cannot verify independently, and we will follow related developments very carefully. Such reports point to the urgent need for immediate de-escalation and resolution of the conflict through dialogue."

  This came two day after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, according to the UN's read-out, told Poroshenko of the "urgent need for redoubling political and diplomatic efforts toward a peaceful resolution."

  The UN's (and previously US') Jeff Feltman had earlier been scheduled to travel to Kyiv and Moscow, but canceled due to the prioritization of the situation in Gaza -- on which it was Robert Serry in the lead for the UN, at least on the ground. But Feltman was the one who delivered the UN statement saying an Israeli soldier was "captive" of Hamas, an UNtruth still not corrected by the UN.

  On August 13, Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Feltman's travel to Ukraine may be re-scheduled. If not now, when? Amid the government's shelling of Lugansk and Donetsk?

  Back on August 5 when the UN Security Council held a meeting on Ukraine and the humanitarian situation, the UN's John Ging rattled off UN estimates of deaths (1367, both civilians and combatants) and those fleeing into Russia (168, 677 this year, according to the UN).

 This comes after many at the UN have been dismissive that there is a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Now that it is acknowledged, at least by Ging's OCHA, there is another strategy.

  France's representative, for example, said all of this is caused by the separatists. As to civilians, this smacks of blaming at the victim, and stands in stark contrast to statements on Syria, for example. These comparisons will continue.

Earlier, in the morning of August 5 as reported by Inner City Press, Churkin said there was "some resistance" from the UK Presidency of the Council, but that 5 pm should be doable.

  Inner City Press asked UK president of the Council for August Mark Lyall Grant about the "resistance." He said there had been no formal request but Ambasador Churkin had spoken to him; the question was whether there would be a UN briefer ready from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

  There was: John Ging, recently heard from on Yemen and Gaza.

   Back on July 30 when Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev held a UN press conference on July 30, Inner City Press asked him about the Human Right Watch report his government is using Grad rockets, killing at least 16 civilians between July 12 and 21 near Donetsk.

  Sergeyev responded first about the UN's (or Ivan Simonovic's) report, then emphasized that Russian media is saying Ukraine is using ballistic missiles.

  Inner City Press repeated the question, emphasizing it concerns Human Rights Watch's report, not the UN's, and not Russian media.  Sergeyev provided essentially the same answer.

  Here is the HRW report, online.

  Inner City Press also asked about the status of the International Monetary Fund program, after the downing of MH17. Sergeyev said Ukraine has met with the IMF's Christine Lagarde and "will" get the next tranche of the program in late August.  But won't there be an Executive Board meeting?

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."

  Inner City Press on July 30 asked Sergeyev for Ukraine's position on this. Sergeyev cited as "pre-conditions" the closing of the border with Russia, and the release of all hostages.

  Back 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 conflict after that and immediately.”

  Procedurally, Ukraine set aside the first question at its press conference saying, "Pamela, traditionally you open our session." Using this UN Correspondents Association set-aside, Pam Falk of CBS asked about rebels mining the MH17 site. Her UNCA sidekick asked about "Russian propaganda."

   And so it went until, fifth, the new Free UN Coalition for Access asked about HRW's report. This is how it's working, with the UN's Censorship Alliance. In this context, the Free UN Coalition for Access is against the automatic setting-aside of questions.

 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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