Ukraine Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev: “Instead of preparing to kill us, he should pray for us”
Today on a special edition of CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Yuriy Sergeyev, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.N., talks to Crowley about upheaval in Ukraine.
A transcript of the interview is available after the jump.
TRANSCRIPT:
CROWLEY: Mr. Ambassador, first of all, thank you so much for joining us. I want to ask you in response to a couple of breaking developments now. The prime minister now in Ukraine says this has been a declaration of war, what Russia has done by moving its troops into Crimea. What practically speaking does that mean given that nearly everyone admits this is not a military confrontation the Ukraine can take on and win?
SERGEYEV: Yesterday, we demand the Security Council at United Nations had its meeting, extraordinary meeting. And we declared that what is going on in Ukraine is the act of aggression from the Russian side against Ukraine. So, we proved it by the United Nations documents which are defining the act of aggression which started long before the decision of the Russian parliament.
Russian ambassador could not explain the exact reason why they send the troops to Ukraine. The pretext, he explained, is absolutely shocking, because is to protect Russian speaking population. Couldn’t imagine that Russians could protect any Russian-speaking around the world, including here at United Nations. In United States, in Brooklyn.
Well — so, it means that the explaining from Russia’s side absolutely unacceptable pretext which is not foreseen by the international laws. So, that’s why, today, the prime minister said what he said. And yesterday, we were supported by the critics in the United Nations really estimating that it is an act of aggression.
CROWLEY: And I think that clearly world opinion is on the side of the government in Kiev. My question to you is, OK, it’s a declaration of war by Russia. Let’s accept that that is what those movement of Russian troops over the border has been. Now what? Because if Ukraine doesn’t have the military forces to confront Russia, who or what backs them off?
SERGEYEV: First of all, we address to the guarantors of our security, territorial integrity, the countries who are permanent members of the Security Council, and who gave us guarantee under the so-called Budapest agreement in 1994 to protect our territorial integrity. So, yesterday, on our appeal in the Security Council, the ambassador of United Kingdom addressed all the guarantors to conduct immediate consultations as it is provisioned by the memorandum.
CROWLEY: But realistically, do you expect, Mr. Ambassador, that there will be any military help for Ukraine in this confrontation or are you looking for sort of a global effort at diplomacy?
SERGEYEV: Both. We are looking for — to raise the world awareness and to address the world leaders to stop this aggression when it is very first stage and until Putin has not signed yet this decision over the parliament. Secondly, today, the parliament and the government addressed our guarantors under the Budapest memorandum, the Budapest memorandum that was signed because of our decision to get rid of nuclear weapons, to protect our nuclear objects namely the nuclear plants. So it means that we need military support as well.
CROWLEY: So, military support in terms of weaponry, but so many, including the United States seem to have at least come very close to ruling out military involvement by other nations. Is that your understanding?
SERGEYEV: We are to demonstrate that we have our own capacity to protect ourselves as it was decided today in the parliament, and we are preparing to defend ourselves. And nationally, if aggravation is going in that way, when the Russian troops, they are enlarging their quantity with every coming hour, naturally, we will ask for military support and other kind of support.
CROWLEY: Right. And lastly, Mr. Ambassador, if I may, what do you think Vladimir Putin wants?
SERGEYEV: Well, it’s difficult to explain sometimes the behavior of some leaders. But what I can tell directly now to him as well, we are on the eve of the great 40 days orthodox lent starts tomorrow. If he is a Christian, if he demonstrates his Christianity, instead of preparing to kill us, he should pray for us.
CROWLEY: Mr. Ambassador, Yuriy Sergeyev, we really appreciate your time. We hope to see you back here again soon. Thank you.
SERGEYEV: Thank you.
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