РУССКИЙ
20:25 19.04.2025 •
Vassily Nebenzia
Photo: The Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations
Remarks to the press by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia following the UN Security Council consultations on Ukraine.
Nebenzia: Colleagues, we have just finished closed consultations of the members of the Security Council on the situation around the implementation of the 30-day moratorium between Russia and Ukraine on mutual energy infrastructure strikes. Frankly, these were the most odd consultations I participated in during my time here. I spoke, the US spoke, nobody else spoke – that was it. We initially asked for consultations, but our Western colleagues requested a closed briefing by the Security Council, refusing initially to discuss it in consultations, which is also strange because we discuss in consultations many issues that the Council is dealing with, and we don't see why the Council members cannot do it on Ukraine and can only do it publicly, speaking before the cameras. As many of you know, the initiative for this limited ceasefire was put forward by President Donald Trump during his phone call with President Vladimir Putin on March 18. Shortly thereafter, both sides agreed upon a list of specific facilities to be covered by the temporary moratorium. We supported the proposal and immediately issued orders for our military to comply with. They even had to undertake extraordinary measures, including intercepting our own drones which were already heading towards Ukrainian territory.
From day 1, Russia has been strictly observing the terms of this understanding which is not the case as far as Ukraine is concerned. Although Zelensky publicly expressed support for the ceasefire, in reality, Ukrainian forces have largely disregarded it, launching attacks on Russia’s fuel and energy infrastructure on a daily basis. Since the moratorium took effect on March 18, Ukraine’s Armed Forces have conducted over 120 strikes. The targets have included energy facilities in the Krasnodar region, in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Zaporozhye, Kursk, and Kherson regions. On April 2, we circulated a letter with the list of these violations from 18 to 28 March as an official document of the UN Security Council.
To offer a few concrete examples: just hours after the conclusion of the Russia-US talks, Ukrainian Forces struck a facility in the settlement of Kavkazskaya, which plays a key role in transferring oil into the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s system. This resulted in a fire covering 1,700 square meters. On March 21, multiple attacks were carried out near the Kursk nuclear power plant, and the Sudzha gas metering station in Kursk region was sabotaged. On March 28, that station was completely destroyed using HIMARS rocket systems. Between April 8 and 9, there was a terrorist attack targeting the Korenovskaya compressor station, a key component of the TurkStream pipeline infrastructure. Then, on April 9, two drones were directed at the Temryuk gas distribution station, putting the city and port’s energy supply at serious risk. Today, the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out an attack near the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant. A drone was neutralized 300 meters from the plant’s premises, near Building “G”, which houses the world’s only full-scope reactor hall simulator.
These repeated violations highlight Ukraine’s unwillingness to engage in any serious effort towards de-escalation or peace. We continue to share updated reports about Kiev’s non-compliance with our partners and with relevant international institutions. And today we posed a question to the Western backers of the Kiev regime whether they are ready to pressure Ukraine and make Zelensky observe the terms of the moratorium on the energy strikes. There was no clear answer (as I said, nobody spoke), just the usual attempts to justify everything that the Kiev regime is doing and blame Russia for everything. We will report this to Moscow and this position will be duly taken into account. As of now, no new directives have been issued by the President of Russia regarding the status of the moratorium.
Q: Ambassador, can you confirm that there are direct talks between Russia and Ukraine somewhere in Turkey, to confirm the Black Sea ceasefire? And will there be another Black Sea Grain initiative?
A: Not that I know anything about it.
Q: President Trump said earlier today that a ceasefire is close, that it is coming. How could you evaluate these comments? How do you evaluate the US-Russia negotiations going at this moment?
A: Look, I cannot speak on behalf of President Trump. Perhaps, he knows better what I don't know. How close we are to the ceasefire is a big question to me personally, because, as I said, we had an attempt on a limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure which was not observed by the Ukrainian side. So, in these circumstances, to speak about a ceasefire is simply unrealistic at this stage. And today, we were asked at the consultations whether we would be ready for a comprehensive ceasefire. We said that there’re big issues with the comprehensive ceasefire, because we remember the Minsk agreements, how they were misused and abused to prepare Ukraine for the confrontation, and the Ukrainian authorities were completely in non-compliance with the Minsk agreements from day one. Secondly, given the current situation with the current ceasefire, without that [compliance with the moratorium] nothing else will work. Thirdly, who will be monitoring this ceasefire? These are questions that have no answers.
Q: Ambassador, the German government is contemplating giving Taurus missiles to Ukraine. If this does occur, do you believe that this would involve Germany directly into the war?
A: It will.
Q: The Trump administration is threatening military action if negotiations with Iran fail. How do you evaluate this (the threat of using military force against Iran) in general?
A: I know that negotiations between the US and Iran are ongoing. We hear from the White House that the preferred option for President Trump is to reach a political solution. Hope that will be the case.
Q: Could you elaborate a little bit on Germany being involved with these missiles?
A: Yes, Germany is involved one way or the other. NATO is involved in this conflict. We said it openly. I mean they are waging a war against Russia with the help of their proxies. If Germany supplies Taurus missiles, that will be another step in the direction of escalation.
Q: Mr. Ambassador, on the topic of Iran. Would Russia be open to taking Iran’s uranium stockpile as part of the negotiations between the US and Iran?
A: What do you mean?
Q: The 60% uranium stockpile, like Russia did during the JCPOA. Would Russia be willing to accept that as part of the negotiations?
A: Iran exports the nuclear fuel that has been utilized to Russia for a long time. It was within the JCPOA package. First, we have to understand how the situation around Iran and the deal will fare. Hopefully, as I said, it will be a political solution on acceptable terms to both sides. Iran has its own interests, including in the peaceful nuclear development, as they say all the time, and they have the full right for it. And the other side wants to make sure that this is peaceful, which Iran confirms at any particular moment when it is being asked about it.
Q: There was a meeting today between US and European officials focused on Ukraine. What would Russia like to see come out of that meeting that could hopefully lead to some kind of a cessation of hostilities?
A: We would like the Europeans to stop arming Ukraine and encouraging it to continue the conflict, and to convince it to accept the conditions that would lead to resolving this crisis. So far, we don’t see it, neither on the level of the European Commission, nor on the European Union, nor individual European countries. They’re all belligerent, many of them, most of them are belligerent. They don’t talk peace, they want Ukraine to continue. Where it will lead Ukraine, they don’t care, I’m afraid, because it leads it to an abyss.
Q: If that happened, would Russia immediately halt its military activities and ask its military partners to halt their armed shipments to Russia?
A: Look, you are now, again, referring back to the question of the comprehensive ceasefire. I already answered that question. So far, we are not in the situation where we can seriously discuss acomprehensive ceasefire.
Q: Mr. Ambassador, do you think that any ceasefire that could be reached between Russia and Ukraine should be supported by Security Council products, for example, a resolution?
A: We have one resolution that calls for ending the conflict, which was adopted at the initiative of the United States. What will be necessary if we reach any kind of agreement? We’ll see in the Council. That all depends on what will be the terms of the eventual ceasefire and what will be the language of the product to which you’re referring.
Q: Mr. Ambassador, last question. Can you please give us any update about Russia’s presence in Syria? Are Russia’s troops still in Syria? Can you tell us, if there is any dialogue between Russia and transitional government in Syria?
A: There is a dialogue between Russia and the transitional government. You know that our special envoy visited Syria, our President spoke to the transitional leader. Our troops are where they were. We were talking to the current Syrian government. Yes.
Thank you.
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