Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian officials have made some chilling speeches at the United Nations Security Council in New York, but what Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, announced on Monday arguably disturbed even the most seasoned officials on the panel. Nothing that is being reported from Ukraine is true, he said unperturbed. The atrocities in Bucha, where dozens of civilians were murdered? Were staged by “Ukrainian Nazis”. The attack on the Kramatorsk train station that also killed children? Was perpetrated by the Ukrainians themselves. Polyansky read these words from the page without batting an eyelid.
The British currently hold the monthly rotating presidency of the Council and they had convened a meeting to discuss the situation in Ukraine, with particular reference to the fate of women and children. Polyansky also commented on this topic. “We see the intention to present Russian soldiers as sadists and rapists,” he said. He was referring to the dozens of reports of rape and torture by Russian soldiers. Polyansky explained that these reports were based on “Russophobia”. Rather, it is the case that women suffer particularly because Ukraine is controlled by the Nazis.
The longer Polyansky spoke, the more absurd his presentation became. The West has unleashed an information war against Russia that is as bad as what is happening in Ukraine. What is happening in Ukraine is atrocities committed by Ukrainians. “Even experienced Russian soldiers are shocked by what they see there,” he said.
Again and again Polyansky spoke of “Nazis” who had the country under control and from whom Ukraine had to be liberated. Not only do these “Nazis” endanger Russia’s security, but also the security of its other neighbors, which is why these countries are also being helped with the “special military operation”. It almost seemed as if Polyansky wanted to demand gratitude at this point. He mentioned Poland by name, which, in view of Russian-Polish history, can only be noted there with an icy shudder.
The diplomats strive for composure
In a speech of this caliber, it was only a matter of time before Polyansky would end up with Hitler’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, and sure enough, he was soon heard saying that Goebbels would have been proud of the ambitions of Ukrainian propaganda but disappointed with the performance . After all, it is obvious that the Ukrainians only staged all the horrors. Russia is by no means waging a war against the civilian population. It is sad that Ukraine has reached this level of cruelty. At the cynical climax of his speech, Polyansky said, “And don’t say later that we didn’t warn you.”
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From all this, Polyansky concluded that the Russian action was more important than ever and that it was therefore being pursued with force. The “special military operation,” as he repeatedly called Russia’s war of aggression, was necessary for “the future of Ukraine.” Finally, he said, he wanted to end on an optimistic note: there is another Ukraine, and thanks to Russia’s actions, it now has a chance of peace.
The other diplomats on the Security Council tried to maintain composure. The British representative spoke of “extraordinary statements” by Polyansky, “and even lies”. The Albanian ambassador said that if the Russian representative says there is no war against civilians, he might as well say the earth is flat. Some people would believe that, but the vast majority knew it wasn’t the truth. The Ukrainian representative said trust in Russian diplomats was stone dead (literally using the English idiom “dead as a doornail”).
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke for the USA. She said: “When men like Vladimir Putin start wars, women are raped and killed. Children are killed.” Interesting detail: She spoke explicitly of “Russia’s war”, whereas until recently the phrase “Putin’s war” was the common phrase. She told of Ukrainian girls cutting their hair short in hopes of avoiding being raped by Russian soldiers. And she announced an immediate intervention, meaning that humanitarian aid would be provided immediately. She did not say what this should look like in concrete terms.
Although Germany is not currently a member of the Security Council, German UN Ambassador Antje Leendertse was invited to make a statement at the end of the three-hour meeting. First, she read an enumeration of the horrors that Russian soldiers have spread in parts of Ukraine; it seemed as if she wanted to counter the Russian representative’s speech at the end. She then assured that Germany would provide any support to bring the perpetrators to justice. Polyansky had already left the meeting by this time.