On 24 August, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, told the Security Council that Moscow would not agree to any arrangements it considered to be detrimental to its «security interests». He rejected a ceasefire without Russia’s demands being met, describing such a scenario as an attempt to «freeze the conflict».
Briefly about the main points
- Moscow has rejected a ceasefire without preconditions.
- Nebenzia sees the ceasefire as an opportunity for Ukraine to rearm.
- A Russian diplomat stated that «ultimatums» were unacceptable.
- The EU has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
- Nebenzia referred to Kyiv’s sanctions against «Masha and the Bear».
Moscow is linking the dialogue to the fulfilment of its own demands
Nebenzia stated that the frequency of meetings Security Council Moscow’s position on Ukraine will not change. According to him, Russia does not support a ceasefire without its demands first being met, as this would allegedly give Ukraine time to regroup and rearm.
The Russian diplomat also claimed that Ukraine and its partners are attempting to put pressure on the Kremlin by military means — in particular, through strikes on targets within the Russian Federation. He said he saw no grounds for a «substantive political and diplomatic dialogue» as long as Moscow regarded such an approach as «speaking the language of ultimatums».
The EU has called for a ceasefire to be implemented first
At the same meeting, the European Union called on Russia to agree to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire, and subsequently to resume negotiations on a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on international law and the UN Charter.
The parties’ positions differ precisely on the sequence of actions: Moscow is publicly insisting on preliminary political and security conditions, whilst the EU is proposing a ceasefire pending discussions on the terms of a future agreement.
Nebenzia mentioned the sanctions against the creators of «Masha and the Bear»
Nebenzia devoted a separate section of his speech to the Ukrainian sanctions against individuals and companies linked to the Russian animated series «Masha and the Bear». He cited the decision as an example of the Ukrainian authorities’ attitude towards Russian cultural products and referred to accusations that the series promotes militarist narratives.
Ukraine introduced the restrictions on 20 August by a decision of the National Security and Defence Council, which was enacted by the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The sanctions have been imposed on the «Animaccord» studio, its founder and chief executive, as well as others involved in the production, distribution and rights management of the project. Kyiv explains this move as a measure to counter Russian propaganda, particularly content aimed at children.
According to the Office of the President, the sanctions target five Russian nationals and four organisations. Ukraine plans to share information with its partners with a view to potentially coordinating restrictions in other jurisdictions.
