At the UN Security Council, Melnik sharply rebuked Nebenzia, who had invited the Ukrainian ambassador to Russia
Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, reacted sharply to Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya’s invitation to visit Russia. According to Melnyk, there can be no question of reconciliation between Ukraine and Russia in the foreseeable future, so he has no intention of visiting Moscow for the next several decades.
Melnik made these remarks at a UN Security Council meeting convened at Russia’s request following a strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on occupied Luhansk, according to Ukrinform.
“I would like to invite Mr. Melnik to Russia… so that he can see with his own eyes how Russia’s economy is ‘collapsing,’ not only in Moscow but also in the provinces,” said Nebenzia, who resides in the United States.
“Even if Russia is defeated, even after the fall of Putin’s regime, reparations will be paid—when the next Russian government begs on its knees for forgiveness, and all war criminals are convicted. There will be no reconciliation between Ukraine and Russia for decades, and perhaps even centuries,” he replied.
The Permanent Representative of Ukraine also noted that he would not agree to travel to Moscow “even as part of the Ukrainian delegation that will be present when Russia signs the act of surrender.”
He emphasized that, in his opinion, Russia is losing the war not only on the front lines but also in the diplomatic arena, particularly at the United Nations. Melnik stated that the convening of this meeting is evidence of the Kremlin’s desperation, as well as a “sign of weakness and an attempt to turn the tide and elicit sympathy.”
In addition, the Ukrainian representative ironically advised Nebenzia to convey a message to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin: “Boss, it’s all over.”
As a reminder, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting at Russia’s request following a strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a Russian military facility in the temporarily occupied city of Starobilsk in Luhansk Oblast.
However, no one called a meeting after the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) lost a shipment of humanitarian aid worth over $1 million when a Russian missile struck a logistics facility in Dnipro.
