UN Warns Violence In East Could Destabilize All Of Ukraine

Ivan Simonovic, UN assistant secretary-general for human rights, says unrest in eastern Ukraine threatens security across the whole country.

A UN official has warned the unrest in eastern Ukraine risks "seriously destabilizing the country as a whole."

Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic addressed the UN Security Council on April 16.

Simonivic discussed a recent UN human rights report focusing on Ukraine, which states the arming of protesters in eastern Ukraine must end and encourages "an inclusive, sustained and meaningful national dialogue."

The report also largely refutes Russian claims that the large ethnic Russian minority in the region has been under attack there.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin called the human rights report "biased."

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant slammed what he called Russia's "fantasy narrative" on the crisis in Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power accused Moscow of "a well-orchestrated professional campaign of incitement."

French Ambassador Gerard Araud said Russia "must stop its destabilizing activities, it must stop yelling 'civil war.'"

Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev said that what his country needed to break from the corruption and other bad ways of the past "is that Russia leaves us in peace."
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters