New York - The Ukrainian presidential election was not completely free or democratic, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said.
“We cannot help but admit that the recent election was not free or democratic in the true sense of that word,” he said at a UN Security Council sitting.
“A number of candidates were under strong pressure, including physical reprisal threats, and some of them had to drop out of the election race,” the diplomat stated.
“Media activities were strictly limited in the election. Public consolidation was largely achieved through manipulation and terrorization of whole regions of the country and unbridled anti-Russian propaganda,” Churkin continued.
At the same time, “the May 25 election was a step in the right direction,” he said. The diplomat reminded the audience about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement, which declared Russia’s respect for the choice made by the Ukrainian people.
“However, we would like to warn against the euphoria into which our Western colleagues have fallen. After all, the election is not a panacea. An assessment of the election and its possible consequences has to consider the earlier events and the conditions in which it [the election] was held,” Churkin concluded.
