Russia at U.N. accuses U.S., allies of bossing world around
Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:26pm GMT
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Russia used its annual appearance at the
U.N. General Assembly on Saturday to accuse the United States and its
Western allies of bossing the world around, complaining they were attempting
to dictate to everyone "what is good and evil."
The speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the 193-nation
assembly was the latest example of the deteriorating relations between
Moscow and Western powers, which have imposed sanctions on Russia over the
conflict in neighboring Ukraine.
"The U.S.-led Western alliance that portrays itself as a champion of
democracy, rule of law and human rights within individual countries ... (is)
rejecting the democratic principle of sovereign equality of states enshrined
in the U.N. Charter and trying to decide for everyone what is good or evil,"
he said.
"Washington has openly declared its right to unilateral use of force
anywhere to uphold its own interests," Lavrov added. "Military interference
has become a norm - even despite the dismal outcome of all power operations
that the U.S. has carried out over the recent years."
Lavrov cited the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo war, the
2003 invasion of Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and the 2011 NATO
intervention in Libya that led to the toppling and death of longtime Libyan
dictator Muammar Gaddafi as examples of U.S. failures.
Moscow has also criticized the United States over airstrikes against Islamic
State, an Islamist militant group often referred that has taken over large
areas of Syria and Iraq and is blamed for brutal slayings of civilians.
Russia on Friday questioned the legality of U.S. and Arab airstrikes in
Syria to target Islamic State because the action was taken without the
formal approval and cooperation of Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad.
He reiterated Moscow's view that the United States and European Union
"supported the coup d'etat in Ukraine" and that they were therefore
responsible for the current conflict there.
A war involving pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine has killed more than
3,000 people. Kiev and Western governments say Russia has been arming,
training and encouraging the militants, and had sent its own troops to
Ukraine to tip the balance against Kiev.
Russia, which opposes the pro-Western course of leadership in the ex-Soviet
republic, has denied that its troops have participated in the war or
provided arms to rebels.
Separately, Lavrov demanded information about the state of Libya's chemical
weapons arsenals after the Libyan government asked the global chemical
weapons watchdog to draw up plans to ship a stockpile of 850 metric tons of
chemicals overseas because of deteriorating security.
"We understand that our NATO colleagues after they bombed out this country
in violation of (U.N. Security Council) resolution would not like to stir up
the mayhem they created," Lavrov said. "However, the problem of uncontrolled
Libyan chemical arsenals is too serious to turn a blind eye."
Western countries reject Russia's allegations they violated the 2011 U.N.
resolution.
(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Peter Cooney)