Latest news with #VasilyNebenzya
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Force Won't Free Hostages': Russia Urges Diplomacy; Slams Israel For Blockading Gaza Strip
Russia's UN representative Vasily Nebenzya has called on Israel to immediately halt violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and lift the Gaza blockade. He urged full protection for civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access. Nebenzya said forceful methods to resolve the hostage crisis have failed and demanded an immediate ceasefire through international mediation. He also endorsed Saudi and French efforts to organize a peace conference in New York this July, stressing that only a two-state solution offers a viable path to peace in the Middle East.#RussiaUN #GazaCrisis #IsraelPalestine #CeasefireNow #TwoStateSolution #MiddleEastPeace #UNSpeech #Nebenzya #GazaBlockade #PeaceConference Read More
Sky News AU
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Cynicism and hypocrisy': Russian ambassador weighs in on recent US strikes against Iran
Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya has spoken out about the recent US airstrikes targeting three key nuclear facilities in Iran. 'All of the assertions of our Western colleagues are falsehoods, calculated for an audience that has not read these reports,' Mr Nebenzya said. "The cynicism and hypocrisy of our Western colleagues reached a peak."
Irish Daily Star
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Star
Russia torches US at chaotic UN emergency session as bored diplomats scroll on phones
The Russian representative to the United Nations unleashed a scathing attack on the U.S. and Israel as he accused America of having "opened a Pandora's box" that could bring " new catastrophe and suffering ." But the representatives from the U.S. and Israel seemed utterly unenthused as Vasily Nebenzya delivered the scathing remarks during Sunday's emergency U.N. Security Council meeting. The two were seen scrolling through their phones as the Russian delegation spoke, with the U.S. delegation appearing to text someone as the Israeli representative appeared to be reading something, quickly scrolling through his phone. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump dementia fears spike after 'symptom' spotted in President's suit Read More Related Articles JD Vance faces huge backlash for bringing 'uncontrollable kids' to Trump parade Nebenzya accused the U.S. of launching a dangeorus "gamble" with the "well-being of humanity" (Image: Getty Images) Nebenzya accused the U.S. of launching a "gamble with the safety and well-being of humanity as a whole" through its strikes on Iran. "Russia condemns, in the most decisive terms, the irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative actions committed by the USA against the Islamic Republic of Iran, a sovereign member state of the United Nations," he began his lengthy remarks. "Washington yet again demonstrated its complete contempt for the position of the international community," he continued. "Washington asserted that, to further the interests of its Israeli ally, it's prepared not only to turn a blind eye to the killings of tens of thousands of Palestinian women and children and older persons but also to gamble with the safety and well-being of humanity as a whole." The Israeli delegation was seen scrolling on his phone as the Russian delegation spoke (Image: United Nations) "Through its actions, the U.S. has opened a Pandora's box — no one knows what new catastrophe and suffering it will bring," he added. Nebenzya called the U.S. and its allies "hypocrites" for failing to condemn Israel for provoking the conflict instead of curbing its efforts in the interest of peace. "Today, we once again will be hearing from the U.S. representative. We'll be hearing cynical statements about readiness to return to the negotiating table, as if there were no strikes using heavy payload bombs on Iran," Nebenzya said. "Clearly, this is being done to hypocritically, subsequently, portray Tehran as the party that spoiled the negotiations process, as the party that supposedly undermined stability in the Middle East," he continued. The U.S. delegation (right) was also seen scrolling on her phone (Image: Getty Images) The effect of that, however, would be that the U.S. will begin to appear as the boy who cried wolf, and no one in the international community will believe the country anymore as it argues that the strikes were necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. "We believe that none of our sensible colleagues in the international community will believe our U.S. colleagues anymore, much like they won't believe their attempts to convince the Security Council that Iran was trying to acquire nuclear weapons," Nebenzya said. He likened the situation unfolding today to the one that played out in 2003, when the U.S. attempted to convince the world that Iraq and other countries in the Middle East were harboring weapons of mass destruction following the 9/11 terrorist attacks a couple of years prior. There were ultimately no WMDs found, and the U.S. was forced to dial down its war efforts with its tail between its legs, finally pulling out of Afghanistan a few years ago with disastrous results. The wars in the Middle East are seen as the policy baby of former President George W. Bush, and many experts argue that they negatively tainted his political reputation and ultimately led to the Democrats taking power in 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president at the end of Bush's second term. "Today's situation is no different in substance to the one we saw in 2003 — again, we're being asked to believe the U.S.'s fairytales, to once again inflict suffering on millions of people in the Middle East," Nebenzya said on Sunday. "This cements our conviction that history has taught our U.S. colleagues nothing," he continued, then called out the supposed hypocrisy of the U.S.'s allies in the room. "We regret that, today, some of you in this room didn't and cannot muster up the courage to call a spade a spade and to condemn Washington's actions." He specifically called out the delegation from the U.K., who said in her remarks that Iran is partially to blame for the airstrikes and escalating conflict in the Middle East because of its nuclear enrichment program, which it has refused to shut down. "We've seen a lot of hypocrisy in this room, but this takes the biscuit," he said, insisting again that Iran does not have the nuclear program the West would have the world believe it does. Iranian member of parliament Qasem Ravanbakhsh, who represents the Qom province, in which the country's Fordow nuclear enrichment plant is located, seemed to admit in a statement early Sunday morning that the nuclear program does, in fact, exist, and that the U.S. strikes — which he said did not destroy the Fordow facility, as the U.S. claimed they had — only strengthened Iran's resolve to accelerate the program and retaliate against the U.S. In a statement to the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim , Ravanbakhsh said, according to a translation from Persian, "The damage to the Fordow facilities is not as great as the American media and the criminal Trump are saying, and the underground facilities have not been damaged." He added that the world "should be confident" that the "nuclear knowledge" possessed by Iran "cannot be destroyed by these crimes." Ravanbakhsh added that, by attacking Iran, the U.S. had opened its forces to "legitimized military operations." "With this action, Trump left himself and the terrorist forces of America helpless. With this stupid action, Trump legitimized military operations against his forces in the region," the MP said. He then chillingly stated that Trump should start ordering coffins for members of those forces. "Trump should order mass production from coffin manufacturing companies as soon as possible to transport the bodies of American soldiers stationed in the region," he concluded. Whatever happens ultimately "falls squarely on U.S. leadership," Nebenzya said, especially because Trump bragged about the attack on social media and in an address after it took place. "The U.S. leadership," he said, "not only publicly acknowledged its responsibility for these actions but actually flaunted it, demonstrating wholesale disregard for the norms of international law, the U.N. charter, as well as Security Council resolutions." "Just two days ago, here in this very chamber, we heard from many delegations, including the closest allies of the U.S. They called for a de-escalation and for the settlement of differences around the negotiating table, yet our U.S. colleagues yet again ignored this position, the position of the entire international community, following Israel's lead, instead of checking Israel, instead of forcing it to halt the spiral of escalation," he said.
The National
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Russia warns of 'unpredictable consequences' if Iran-Israel conflict escalates
Russia 's ambassador to the UN said on Tuesday he sees no willingness from Israel to engage in mediation efforts to end its conflict with Iran, warning of 'unpredictable consequences' as hostilities intensify. 'This thing should be stopped, because it has absolutely unpredictable consequences, given that we're talking about nuclear sites that are under threat and given that the ballistic exchange continues with heavy casualties on both sides,' Vasily Nebenzya told reporters in New York. The remarks come as retaliatory attacks between Israel and Iran continue, and as international calls grow for de-escalation. It also comes as President Donald Trump has indicated the US could enter the conflict. Moscow is seeking to be a mediator, but its overtures have yet to translate into concrete talks. 'There was a conversation between President [Vladimir] Putin and President Trump the other day, and President Putin said that we are ready to do what we can to facilitate … so in that sense, yes, we are co-ordinating, but we don't have any mediation efforts on the ground,' he said. Iran provided critical drone support to Russia during the first year of Moscow's war in Ukraine, helped it establish a domestic drone factory, and signed a 20-year strategic partnership in January, deepening defence and political ties between the two allies. Yet months after that agreement, as Iran faces unprecedented Israeli strikes threatening its stability, Russia has offered little beyond diplomatic statements and phone calls, leaving Tehran increasingly isolated. Moscow is walking a tightrope, Iulia-Sabina Joja, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told The National, as it weighs support for Tehran against protecting its broader regional interests amid Iran's declining influence. Any prolonged instability in the Middle East, especially involving Iran, could undermine Russia's delicate balancing act in the region, Ms Joja said. 'Russia has to play now a very difficult balancing game,' she said. 'On the one hand, they want to support Iran but have to be on the winning side in the Middle East to pursue their interests, and Iran is looking weak, with its interests on the losing side across the region, particularly in Syria with the Assad regime and other elements.' At the same time, Moscow's immediate priority remains its war in Ukraine, where it aims to prolong the conflict while stringing along the US with illusory negotiations. 'For them to be able to do that for as long as possible, which is their aim, they have to play nice, or at least pretend to play nice, with the United States,' Ms Joja said. 'That's why we're seeing them take a step back or adopt a more reluctant position than some expected in their partnership with Iran.' If the US joins Israel in striking Iran, Ms Joja said direct Russian intervention is unlikely. 'The US and Israel have the upper hand,' she said of their air superiority. Still, any escalation of the conflict would necessarily make Moscow uncomfortable, as it would jeopardise Russia's goals in Ukraine and its broader Middle East ambitions, including access to warm-water trade routes, she added.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ISW: Low-level delegation indicates that Russia is not interested in sincere negotiations
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have noted that Russia's decision to send a low-level delegation to a new round of peace talks in Istanbul indicates that the Russian Federation is not interested in sincere negotiations. Source: ISW Quote: "Russian officials continue to signal the Kremlin's uncompromising position ahead of proposed talks in Istanbul on 2 June, suggesting that the upcoming Istanbul meeting is very unlikely to yield substantive results in support of an enduring peace in Ukraine." Details: Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said during a meeting of the UN Security Council on 30 May that Russia was ready to fight Ukraine for as long as necessary and that Ukraine could either accept peace, presumably on Russia's terms, or face inevitable defeat on the battlefield. Nebenzya also said that the United States had recently opened its eyes to the root causes of the Russo-Ukrainian war and repeated Russian ruler Vladimir Putin's demands that the West stop arming Ukraine and cease efforts to build up forces as preconditions for a ceasefire. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on 29 May that the Russian delegation to the proposed bilateral talks in Istanbul on 2 June would be the same as the Russian delegation to the previous talks held in Istanbul on 15 and 16 May. Quote: "Russian officials' decision to reiterate long-standing demands and send the same low-level delegation to the next Istanbul meeting indicates that Russia remains disinterested in engaging in good-faith negotiations. ISW continues to assess that Russia remains dedicated to protracting peace negotiations to support continued offensive operations in Ukraine and extract additional concessions from Ukraine and the West." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
