Russian UN envoy: Expulsion of 12 diplomats is US hostility

• 

After Washington's designation of 12 people from the Russian mission to the UN as personae non-gratae, demanding that they leave the country by March 7, Russia's envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia described the decision as "another hostile step" against Russian diplomats.

"Just received information that the US authorities have undertaken another hostile action against the Russian Mission to the United Nations, grossly violating their commitments on the [UN-US] Host Country Agreement that they undertook, telling us that they're announcing 12 people from the personnel of the Russian Mission personae non-gratae, and demanding that they leave by the 7th of March," Nebenzia said.

The ambassador was in a press briefing when he received a phone call informing him about Washington's latest move, to which he commented that the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Russia's Permanent Mission to the UN shows Washington's disrespect towards its obligations under UN Charter and the host country agreement. 

Nebenzia was asked a question about whether the Russian diplomats' visas were about to expire, to which he responded that the expelled diplomats can continue to work in the mission, but this means that if they leave the US, then it is fully guaranteed that they will not be able to return, since their visas will not receive extensions.

During the briefing, Nebenzia said that Ukraine's readiness to denazify and demilitarize will be a step towards the ending of the Russian operation in Ukraine.

Addressing fake news reports which showed the alleged bombing of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, Nebenzia asserted that such reports of civilian destruction and death in Kharkov should be verified, as the images are likely not credible.

"The reports ... may not be credible at all. We have regular briefings by our Ministry of Defense which maintains that we are not targeting civilian objects in Ukraine nor the cities as such. So these reports about the bombing of Kharkov or explosions in Kiev should be verified," Nebenzia said when he was asked about what Russia is doing to prevent civilian deaths.

Yesterday, Nebenzia divulged that the Ukrainian army is using Ukrainian civilians as human shields, violating international law. 

"This is a blatant violation of the international humanitarian law that must be duly condemned. It is the same tactics as that of ISIL terrorists. All responsibility for possible consequences rests with the Maidan regime," the envoy stressed.

When he was asked about a video that showed a residential building that was hit by an airstrike, the diplomat insisted that he has no knowledge of such information and reinstated that Russia does not bomb residential areas. 

"I do not have this information. We saw some footage of buildings partially destroyed. But it was then said and confirmed by our military that was not our missiles, but either a plane of Ukraine or a ... missile that went into that building. We didn't bomb residential areas of Kiev," Nebenzia said.

Earlier in the day, Nebenzia divulged to the international community that Moscow does not have plans to "occupy" Ukraine, and that Russia does not pose a threat to Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. 

The envoy said that Ukraine is behind the cause of the current situation, saying that Ukraine sabotaged itself regarding Donbass, flouting "its obligations under the Minsk" agreements. 

Furthermore, Zelensky has shown his inability to withstand radicals in Kiev, Nebenzia emphasized while adding that the real power in Ukraine belongs to extremists and Nazis, who have their own agenda. 

The Russian representative stressed that Zelensky has demonstrated that he is weak, notably as he does not display the political will and strength to contain the extremists who constitute the main political force in Ukraine today.