The United Nations Security Council did not allow a Ukrainian separatist official to speak

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has rejected Russia’s offer to have Daria Morazova, the separatist human rights defender from the Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine, speak at the council.

While 8 of the 15 UNSC members, convened on Russia’s proposal, voted no on the proposal, only 4 members, including the Russian delegation, voted in favor. 3 members abstained.

Speaking ahead of the vote, US representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that Morazova’s offer to address the council was “an open and transparent attempt to legitimize the attempt to illegally annex the Russian Federation.” (Ukrainian territory) and implicitly expanding the recognition of illegitimate officials,” he said. “It is inappropriate for the council to invite, in any capacity, anyone claiming to be the so-called ombudsman of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” Greenfield said.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, who offered to listen to Morazova, said he was offered to invite Daria Morozova with the idea of ​​giving the council an opportunity to get first-hand information about “the disastrous humanitarian situation in Donbas ”. The Russian representative said the speech by “humanitarian activist” Morozova was “a matter of freedom of expression.”

In September 2022, Russia annexed the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, where the separatist groups are located, and annexed about 15 percent of Ukraine. (AA)