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On 11 December 2015, Linas Linkevičius, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is currently on a visit to the UN headquarters in New York invited the UN Security Council to devote more attention to the military conflict in Ukraine and take more effective measures to stop the aggression from abroad, supply necessary humanitarian aid to victims of the conflict and contribute to restoring peace in the eastern part of the country.

“There is no alternative for the Minsk agreements at the moment, their implementation however depends on Russia’s determination to cease its aggression against Ukraine, withdraw its troops and stop supply of weapons and military equipment as well as support to separatists in the conflict area”, said the Minister at the UN Security Council meeting. He emphasised that Russia is a party to the conflict in Ukraine and is directly responsible for escalation of the conflict. Mr Linkevičius reminded the members of the Security Council that adequate sequence of commitments established by the Minsk agreements should be observed.

“First of all, we must insist on Russia’s commitments to deescalate the military conflict and only then ask Ukraine to make political concessions”, Mr Linkevičius said. The Minister urged Russia to return the Ukrainian government authorities the control of   borders with the Russian Federation and release abducted and illegally detained Ukrainian citizens: pilot Nadiya Savchenko and Oleg Sentsov and other hostages.

When he spoke of the local elections to be held next year in the Ukrainian territories that are currently controlled by Russian supported separatists, Minister Linkevičius emphasised that international community must take an active part in organising and monitoring the elections and to prevent repetition of the situation which happened during the so-called referendum on Crimea. “Elections which take place in the presence of foreign firearms cannot be free nor fair”, highlighted the Minister.

Mr Linkevičius drew attention to severe human rights violations and poor humanitarian condition in territories occupied by Russian supported forces, where illegitimacy, lawlessness of armed gangs of separatists, illegal detentions, persecution, torture and even killings of dissenters prevail. The Tatar minority in Crimea find themselves in extremely difficult situation.

The Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs urged the institutions of UN and other international organisations to step up their efforts in the occupied territories and continue monitoring and reporting the human rights situation there. The Minister encouraged the international community to continue their support to Ukraine in its efforts to implement democratic reforms. 

“The people of Ukraine have a right to build their future themselves without external violence and interference of their big neighbour”, Mr Linkevičius said.

The Head of Lithuania’s diplomacy also reminded at the UN Security Council that the conflict provoked by Russia left 9,000 killed, 20,000 people injured; 1.5 million were forced to flee their homes. More than 5 million people are in need of humanitarian aid. Lithuania actively supports Ukraine’s with Crimea sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.

The situation in Ukraine at the UN Security Council meeting was presented by Jan Elliason, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Ivan Šimonović, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, as well as by the representative of the UN Humanitarian Aid Agency and the Head of the OSCE mission to Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Lithuania has been elected as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period of 2014-2015.

Photo: UN Photo/Evan Schneider