Kenya rejects Russia’s move to recognize Ukraine separatists » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 22 — Kenya has condemned Russia’s decision to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as independent states by citing a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Martin Kimani, said Russia’s decision to recognize separatists undermined ongoing diplomatic efforts to deescalate tension.

He spoke during an emergency United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Monday night.

“Kenya is gravely concerned by the announcement made by the Russian Federation to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk areas of Ukraine as independent states,” Amb. Kimani said.

“Kenya registers its strong concern and opposition to the recognition Donetsk and Luhansk areas of Ukraine as independent states,” he added.

The Council meeting was convened hours after President Vladamir Putin signed a decree on Monday to recognize the independence of the two Ukrainian breakaway regions after which he ordered the deployment of troops to two the breakaway regions.

Putin justified his decision by blaming NATO for the crisis and calling the United States-led alliance an existential threat to Russia.

Reacting to Putin’s declaration, Kimani stated that “multilateralism lies on its deathbed tonight. It has been assaulted as it has been by other powerful states in the past.”

He strongly condemned the trend in the last few decades of powerful states, including members of the UNSC, of breaching International Law with little regard.

Amb. Kimani said that Kenya subscribes to the established norm for diplomatic means to solve disputes, even as he said diplomacy had undermined by actions from Russia.

In concluding, he called on all UN member states to rally behind Secretary-General António Guterres in defending multilateralism and called him to bring his good offices to bear to help the concerned parties resolve the situation peacefully.

Other nations such as the United Kingdom and the United States also condemned Russia’s move citing similar grounds as Kenya.