Shameful speech by Russian ambassador to the UN: Serbs suffered as much as others, if not more

Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that Russia advocates for the investigation of all crimes committed during the conflict in BiH against all peoples, Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats, questioning whether it is necessary to ask who among them suffered more, reports the Patria news agency.

Citing the fact that several hundred thousand Serbs had to leave their homes, Churkin said it can be concluded that Serbs suffered as much as others, if not more.

He added that the task before the region and the world is to achieve a complete calming of the situation in BiH, and that adopting the draft resolution put forward by Great Britain would be counterproductive and would only lead to increased tensions in the region.

"That draft is unconstructive, confrontational and politically motivated. It contained significant distortions resulting in blame for what happened being placed solely on one people. The approach of singling out only one of all war crimes is absolutely inappropriate and deepens the already divided society in BiH," said Churkin, as reported by Sputnik.

He recalled that Russia proposed an alternative, balanced version, but that its key proposals were ignored.

"The diametrically opposed reactions of a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional society only strengthened our conviction that such a document, if adopted, would not serve peace in the Balkans but would only revive old wounds further, condemning the region to perpetuating tensions and distancing the prospects for establishing lasting peace," the Russian ambassador stated.

Churkin said that such a stance was also presented in letters from officials of Serbia and Republika Srpska addressed to the UN.

He warned that in the broader context of the proposed draft, one cannot fail to notice an attempt to exert pressure on Banja Luka and Belgrade.

"The task of the Security Council is to strengthen peace, not to shake it," Churkin concluded, adding that historians should be left to deal with the genesis of the Yugoslav crisis, and that the Security Council should not interfere in that.