In Ukraine, Yanukovych Heads East, Putin and Obama Talk, Including on Syria Hagel Gets His Call, UN Not Shown

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 21 -- Here's how fast things have moved in diplomacy on Ukraine: today Presidents Obama and Putin had a phone conversation which a Senior US State Department Official called "positive" and at the US' initiative.

  The official said that Yanukovych has gone on a trip to his eastern base in the country, and recounted a rumor that the deposed interior minister has fled to Belarus.

  US State Department official William Burns will be heading to Ukraine; Vice President Joe Biden has spoken nine times with Yanukovych: twice in November, once in December, three times in January and on February 4, 18 and 20. Even Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel finally got through to his Ukraine's counterpart.

  Amid the self-congratulation, the United Nations was once again on the margins. The UN has made much of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's talk with Yanukovych at the Sochi Olympics, and another phone call today.

  But tellingly, the Senior US State Department Official while citing a "good offices" role for "the international community" did not mention the UN once, in opening remarks nor in response to the eight questions taken. (Two were from the New York Times, the second of which referred to Putin's call with "President Bush.")  An overly long question from Le Figaro was cut off.

 Back on February 19 when Lithuania's foreign minister Linas Linkevieius came to the UN Security Council stakeout, that country seemed to be the one to ask him about. Inner City Press asked Linkevieius about his visit to Washington; he replied among other things that there is a need for "more coordination." Video here.

  Later on February 19 a US Senior State Department Official told the press that "Russia has not been transparent about what they are doing in Ukraine," citing that Russia for example does not provide read-outs of its contacts in Ukraine. 

  The US' own high level contacts have gotten more difficult: "they are not picking up the phone," the official said, adding that three European Union foreign ministers are on their way.

  Of the four questions Linkevieius took at his UN stakeout, one was on the UN's North Korea report, another on Venezuela. A Russian reporter waiting at the stakeout with his hand raised was not given a question. This is the UN.

  Moments later at the UN's February 19 noon briefing, outgoing UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky was asked about a perceived double standards in responses to Bosnia and Ukraine. (The question was echoed on February 20, comparing Ukraine with Bahrain). Nesirky said every situation is different -- of course -- and also said the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had met for 90 minutes in Sochi with President Yanukovych.

  Ironically the US Senior State Department Official on February 19 was asked about Yanukovych becoming more hardline after his visit to Sochi. From Foggy Bottom to Turtle Bay, the view is different -- in the case of the UN, often marginal and self-serving. For example, Ban Ki-moon gave no read-out of his beginning of the year call with the president of his native South Korea.

  Ah, transparency. Watch this site.

Footnote: On the Obama - Putin "positive" call, Inner City Press muses it may signal a 15-0 vote in the UN Security Council on the Syria humanitarian resolution about which Inner City Press asked State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf earlier on February 21, click here for that.

   

On Ukraine, US Says Russia Not Transparent, Lithuania FM Calls for More Coordination with US

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 19 -- When Lithuania's foreign minister Linas Linkevieius came to the UN Security Council stakeout late on the morning of February 19, about to head to Ukraine, that country seemed to be the one to ask him about. Inner City Press asked Linkevieius about his visit to Washington; he replied among other things that there is a need for "more coordination." Video here.

  Later on February 19 a US Senior State Department Official told the press that "Russia has not been transparent about what they are doing in Ukraine," citing that Russia for example does not provide read-outs of its contacts in Ukraine. 

  The US' own high level contacts have gotten more difficult: "they are not picking up the phone," the official said, adding that three European Union foreign ministers are on their way.

  Of the four questions Linkevieius took at his UN stakeout, one was on the UN's North Korea report, another on Venezuela. A Russian reporter waiting at the stakeout with his hand raised was not given a question. Ah, transparency.

  Moments later at the UN noon briefing, outgoing UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky was asked about a perceived double standards in responses to Bosnia and Ukraine. He said every situation is different -- of course -- and also said the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had met for 90 minutes in Sochi with President Yanukovych.

  Ironically the US Senior State Department Official was asked about Yanukovych becoming more hardline after his visit to Sochi. From Foggy Bottom to Turtle Bay, the view is different -- in the case of the UN, often marginal and self-serving. For example, Ban Ki-moon gave no read-out of his beginning of the year call with the president of his native South Korea.

    Is Jeffrey Feltman going to "get" Ban Ki-moon to send Robert Serry, or someone else, to Ukraine again? Or as Linkevicius relied, will there be "more coordination"? Watch this site.

   

On Ukraine, EU's Ashton Tells Inner City Press Nuland Is Her Friend, Denies Sphere of Influence

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 14 -- When the European Union's Catherine Ashton came to the UN Security Council stakeout along with Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevieius, Inner City Press asked her about Ukraine. Earlier in the day Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused the EU of trying to exert a "sphere of influence" over Ukraine.

  Last week, as Inner City Press has pursued at the UN, leaked audio had US official Victoria Nuland saying Jeffrey Feltman, formerly a US official and now with the UN, had gotten Ban Ki-moon to send Robert Serry to Ukraine, which Nuland said could help "f*ck the EU."

  After two questions about Central African Republic, Inner City Press asked Ashton, you know what Victoria Nuland said, and now Lavrov's spoken of the EU trying a sphere of influence in Ukraine, what IS the EU's approach there?

  Ashton replied, "I say hello to my friend Victoria Nuland, and she is my friend. And I say hello to my friend Sergey Lavrov. It's very simple, the EU is actively engaged. there are four areas of work. The first is to deal with use of violence, brought to justice in transparent and open way. Secondly, the 2004 constitution, updating. Free and fair election. And then the economic challenges. In my meetings, we hope to help on all of those areas."

  By then Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin had left the Security Council's session on EU cooperation, as had the US' Samantha Power. But the question of roles on the Ukraine remains unresolved and unanswered, particularly at the UN.

  This week Ban Ki-moon held a question and answer session with 15 correspondents, of which a transcript of the Q&A was never released despite requests by the Free UN Coalition for Access. Ban's spokesperson, however, responded that in the session with the 15 correspondents, the issue of Ukraine and Feltman had not come up. Video via here.

  At Ashton's stakeout on February 14, several correspondents who had been at the "secret" and Ukraine-less Ban session lobbied to be handed questions, of the boom mic operator and then of the Lithuanian mission spokesperson. This, the Free UN Coalition for Access respectfully opposes, given for example that Lithuania should not be choosing the questions for the EU's Ashton. We'll have more on this.