Double boycott of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during UN conferences

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov faced two major boycotts on Tuesday as he spoke at two international forums, reflecting Moscow’s diplomatic isolation following the invasion of Ukraine.

The first case occurred when numerous delegations, including those of Ukraine and Western countries, left the room at a time when the speech of Lavrov at the Conference on Disarmament, leaving the place almost empty.

Less than an hour later, a new room abandonment occurred when the Russian minister was speaking by video before the UN Human Rights Council.

Lavrov He had planned to travel to Geneva to participate in the two conferences but canceled at the last minute invoking the “anti-Russian sanctions” that prevent him from flying over the territory of the European Union, which forced him to send his interventions by video.

At the Conference on Disarmament, a forum created in 1979 to curb the arms race, diplomats walked out of the room at the start of Mr. Lavrovconfirmed an AFP journalist.

Outside the chamber, diplomats gathered in front of a large Ukrainian flag and applauded loudly.

The applause could be heard in the room where the speech of Lavrov with only a few ambassadors present, including those from Venezuela, Syria, Yemen and Tunisia.

“It is important to show a gesture of solidarity with our Ukrainian friends,” declared Yann Hwang, French ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, the only multilateral instance of the international community for negotiations in this sector.

show of support

Something similar happened when the broadcast of Lavrov’s recorded speech before the UN Human Rights Council began.

Diplomats filed out of the room as video of the Russian minister played, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

“Thank you very much for this wonderful show of support for the Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence”declared the Ukrainian ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, who led the way out of the room.

“Any invasion constitutes a violation of human rights… massive violations and loss of civilian life,” said the French ambassador Jerome Bonnafont.

Russia became an international outcast from the start of the invasion of Ukraine last week, leaving dozens dead in the cities and forcing thousands of people to seek refuge in neighboring countries.

In fact, the Conference on Disarmament began with a minute of silence for the Ukrainian “victims”.

“Russian indiscriminate attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure are war crimes and violate the Rome Statute.” declared at the Conference on Disarmament the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba.

The Rome Statute is the treaty that created the International Criminal Court.

“Russian aggression is a global threat. The answer must be global”Kuleba said.

While, Kyiv garnered support on Monday for an urgent debate at the UN Human Rights Council this week, which will seek to launch a high-level investigation into violations committed in the conflict, beginning with Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

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