You're reading: Protests start ahead of Putin’s UN speech on Sept. 28

Protests have already begun today in New York ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech on Sept. 28 at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, where President Petro Poroshenko will also speak.

Putin is expected to use his time to condemn Western sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea and war against Ukraine, but analysts expect that Putin’s focus will be promoting multilateral action against ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Poroshenko, who is expected to speak ahead of Putin, will likely bring more attention to his call for the United Nations to cancel Russia’s veto as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Putin, whose speech is expected to start about 7 p.m. Kyiv time, is also scheduled to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama later, about midnight Kyiv time.

The focus of the Obama-Putin talks is expected to be Syria, where Russia has long propped up the dictatorship of President Bashir al-Assad. But Ukraine will also likely be a topic, with Ukrainians hoping that Obama will stay firm on economic sanctions until Russia returns Crimea and ends the war in Ukraine’s eatern Donbas.

New York

One of the demonstrators at a Sept. 27 rally to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin in New York. Putin, who has waged war against Ukraine since February 2015, will speak at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 28.

A Stand Up To Putin at the UN rally got under way at 10 a.m. New York time on Sept. 27 and was expected to last two hours. A second one was scheduled to take place at 2:30 p.m. outside the Russian Mission to the United Nations, on East 67th Street and Lexington Avenue.

Another rally is expected to take place on Sept. 28 at 10 a.m. New York time at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, East 47th Street & 1st Avenue, and last until Putin starts speaking.

Several groups are involved in organizing the protests, including the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

According to Porosheno’s website, Ukrainian will “propose changes aimed to restore the historical mission of the UN Security Council as a mechanism to protect global security.”

Speaking to journalists in New York, Poroshenko said: “After the annexation of Crimea and aggression in Donbas, when a permanent member of the UN Security Council blocks the actions and instruments of the Security Council, we must either increase the efficiency or build new security mechanisms.”

He also will press for international unity and solidary with Ukraine.

“The annexation of Crimea, aggression in Donbas, sanctions against Russia and well-coordinated actions aimed to force Russia fulfill the Minsk agreements are the first priority of all our partners,” Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko discounted as Russian propaganda allegations that Ukraine could become a bargaining chip in negotiations between the U.S. and Russia on the Syrian issue. “It is a part of Russian information war against Ukraine and the entire civilized world aimed to show that the world is allegedly tired of Ukraine,” Poroshenko said, stressing his commitment to the Minsk peace agreements which, among other conditions, require Russia to withdraw troops and equipment from Ukraine, end support of separatists and allow Ukraine to resume control of its borders.

“We efficiently coordinate our actions to ensure the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements, prevention of fake elections that Russia plans to conduct in October and November and implementation of actions in response in case the elections are held. We must force Russia to return to the negotiating table and do everything to ensure immediate implementation of the Minsk agreements,” Poroshenko said.

According to Poroshenko’s official website, he and his wife, Maryna will lay flowers to the memorial in honor of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He will also meet with members of the Atlantic Council and give an interview to the Washington Post.

Natalka Pisnya of Ukraine Today interviewed Yuriy Sergeyev, head of Ukraine’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, ahead of the meeting. Sergeyev also criticized Russia’s ability to block UN actions with its veto.

“The voluntary usage of veto is harming, has harmed and will harm the very core of the Security Council,” Sergeyev told Ukraine today. “How to protect peace and security is you are using the veto which enlarges the danger to peace and security.”