A Russian envoy on Thursday engaged in a Twitter squabble with the Canadian mission to the United Nations after Moscow's draft resolution - on providing aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine amid the war - drew huge criticism. The Kremlin later said it won't asked the UN Security Council to vote on the resolution.
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The Canada's UN mission had shared the letter sent by Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, on Twitter with several changes introduced. “Thank you Russian Mission UN for your letter dated March 16. Please see our suggested edits below,” it wrote. The mission cancelled several parts of the Russian letter and wrote its corrections in red ink.
For example, the first paragraph of Vassily Nebenzia's letter read, “Excellency, I am reaching out to you with regard to an urgent matter related to the dire humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine. Like other members of the international community, we are gravely concerned about its deterioration.”
This is how the Canadian mission hit out at Nebenzia by changing the paragraph, "Excellency, I am reaching out to you with regard to an urgent matter related to the dire humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine (Which we have caused as a result of our illegal war of aggression). “Like other members of the international community,” the mission cancelled this sentence and edited the following as “we are not gravely concerned about its deterioration because we are the primary cause.”
{{/usCountry}}This is how the Canadian mission hit out at Nebenzia by changing the paragraph, "Excellency, I am reaching out to you with regard to an urgent matter related to the dire humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine (Which we have caused as a result of our illegal war of aggression). “Like other members of the international community,” the mission cancelled this sentence and edited the following as “we are not gravely concerned about its deterioration because we are the primary cause.”
{{/usCountry}}In reference to another section, Canada asked: "Do you think the UN membership actually believes this?" On the final page Canada suggested part of an alternative end: "We want you to know just how little we care about the human life we have destroyed."
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Meanwhile, Dmitry Polyanskiy, first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN, responded to Canada's corrections by tweeting, "Thank you @CanadaONU for this kindergarten-level Russophobic libel!". “It only shows that your diplomatic skills and good manners are at lowest ebb and gives an idea why your country’s bid for a non-permanent seat in #SecurityCouncil was voted down twice in 20yrs by UN membership.”
Russia's humanitarian draft resolution has been strongly criticised by Ukraine and the West. On Thursday, Permanent representative of Ukraine in UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, had said that Moscow's appeal to UN members to support its most egregious hypocrisy - "humanitarian" draft resolution by a serial killer is outrageous.
Moscow has been facing increasing global isolation over the Ukraine war.