On April 29, Russian Senator Andrey Klimov briefed journalists from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations about the situation in Ukraine.
He repeated several discredited talking points about Ukraine, including the false claim that Ukraine “intended to launch a nuclear weapons program.” (Ukraine, in fact, gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees that Russia and other would respect its independence, sovereignty and existing borders).
Klimov claimed that “illegal actions against Russia”, and not Russia’s illegal war, have disrupted international relations and caused prices to rise and “social tensions around the world”.
He also stated that unarmed Ukrainians are free to leave the country at any time, while Russia provides humanitarian assistance that is attacked by Ukrainian forces.
“Russia is the only country that delivers direct humanitarian aid to people (food, water, medical care). Sometimes Russian humanitarian convoys are bombed with weapons that NATO supplies to Ukraine. Like the American bombers used to do when they bombed Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam,” Klimov summed up at the Russian Embassy in the Philippines.
There is no evidence that Ukrainian forces are bombing Russian humanitarian convoys with “NATO weapons.”
It is also unclear what Klimov meant by direct humanitarian aid. Since Russia has invaded Ukraine and occupies parts of its territory, it could mean that the Russian military is in a position to provide “direct” aid to civilian populations (without transferring it through international aid organizations or other mechanisms).
Still, dozens of countries are providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in response to the catastrophe that Russia has created.
Chief among them is the United States.
“The United States is the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine,” a spokesperson for the US Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) told Polygraph.info.
“The United States has already provided more than $653 million in humanitarian assistance to refugees, displaced persons, vulnerable populations and communities in the region since Russia first invaded Ukraine eight years ago, including nearly $302 million this year,” the spokesperson said. of the OSCE.
“Our assistance covers critical needs such as safe drinking water, shelter, winterization services, livelihood assistance, sanitation, hygiene supplies, emergency health supplies and protective services to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of people. people, as well as emergency food assistance. .”
The OSCE spokesman also pointed to a March 24 White House announcement that the United States is prepared to provide An additional $1 billion in humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine and beyond, in part due to “a marked increase in food insecurity.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to what the United Nations called a “serious humanitarian crisis.” creating an estimate 5.6 million refugees, 7.7 million internally displaced persons, thousands of civilian victims and millions of people in need, including children.
The head of the World Food Program saying Russia’s war in Ukraine could lead to the worst global food crisis since World War II.
Many countries and organizations are working to prevent catastrophes.
The United States, for example, delivers humanitarian aid through US-funded non-governmental groups and international organizations such as the United Nations.
Data of The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also show that the United States and its partners remain the largest donors to UN humanitarian response plans and funds.
The European Commission, through its EU Civil Protection Mechanism to Ukraine, has channeled nearly 24,000 tons of aid to Ukraine from 29 countries, the 27 EU member states, plus Norway and Turkey. The United Kingdom has also committed some 240 million dollars in humanitarian assistance.
Inter-agency convoys led by the United Nations, in collaboration with non-governmental partners, had delivered supplies to Ukraine five times from April 24.
And more than 100 Ukrainian non-governmental organizations they are working throughout the country to prevent disasters. A Ukrainian NGO said the biggest threat to their work was “constant shelling and shelling” by Russian forces.
Whatever help Russia is giving is dwarfed by the destruction its illegal invasion has caused. And the Russian forces have humanitarian workers bombed, ambulances Y fleeing civilians.
CNN reported that Russia had carried out “double tap” attacks against the first emergency services – “[h]aim at a target, wait a few minutes for first responders to arrive, and then hit the same spot again.”
That fits into a broader pattern of attacks against civilians and infrastructure.
Michelle Bachelet, United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, said The Associated Press on April 22 that international humanitarian law had apparently been “set aside” since Russia invaded on February 24.
“The Russian armed forces have indiscriminately shelled and shelled populated areas, killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure, actions that may amount to war crimes,” read a statement from his office.
Attacks on health facilities are systematic.
World Health Organization has documented more than 100 attacks on Ukraine’s health services since April 7: 89 against health facilities and 13 on transport, including ambulances.
Klimov’s claim that non-combatant Ukrainians are free to leave is contradicted by reports that civilians are being sent to the filtration fieldswhere those suspected of being linked to the Ukrainian government or independent media have reportedly faced interrogation, torture and even murder.
Russia has accused Ukrainian forces from bombing humanitarian aid and refugee convoys. Those claims have not been independently verified, and while they must be investigated, Russian state media reports are compromised by a complete lack of press freedom and loyalty to the Kremlin.
“Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, almost all independent [Russian] the media have been banned, blocked and/or declared ‘foreign agents’”, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) saying.
Other media outlets “are subject to military censorship.”
Reference-www.polygraph.info