Ukraine hints conflict with Russia led it to back UN measure

Kiev says anti-settlement Security Council motion, which led to Netanyahu canceling visit by Ukraine’s PM, won’t harm countries’ good ties

Ukraine on Monday defended its decision to vote in favor of an United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements last week, apparently pointing to its own conflict with Russia as a driving force behind its decision.

Without explicitly mentioning the Russian annexation of Crimea and a civil war in the country’s east with Moscow-backed separatists, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it “experienced itself the tragic consequences brought by” the violation of international law, effectively drawing a parallel between Israeli building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and Russian policies.

“That’s why our position was formed on the basis of our consistent line to ensure the respect for the international law by all its subjects,” the statement read.

UNSC Resolution 2334, which was passed by a 14-0 vote on Friday, with only the United States abstaining, calls on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem,” while also expressing its “grave concern that continuing Israeli settlement activities are dangerously imperiling the viability of the two-state solution.”

Since the measure was passed, Israel has taken a number of retaliatory steps against the countries that supported its passage, including an official dressing down of the Security Council members’ ambassadors to Israel on Sunday.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also Israel’s foreign minister, canceled the planned visit this week of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to Israel due to Ukraine’s vote in favor of the resolution.

Volodymir Groysman. (Wikimedia Commons/via JTA)

In its statement defending Ukraine’s vote in favor of the measure in light of the Israeli backlash, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry described the resolution as “balanced,” and said its “yes” vote should not affect ties.

“We are confident that active and emotional internal debates in Israel will not impact traditionally friendly Ukrainian-Israeli relationship, based on mutual respect and joint interests,” the statement read.

An unidentified armed man patrols a square in front of the airport in Simferopol, Ukraine, Friday, February 28, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Andrew Lubimov)

Following the removal from office of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 as a result of protests against his government and its policies, unmarked Russian troops invaded and occupied the Crimean Peninsula, which was was annexed to Russia after a hasty and internationally unrecognized referendum in March 2014.

Beginning in 2014, Russia has also sent troops and sponsored paramilitaries to occupy parts of eastern Ukraine and has backed the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.