The UN praised the Russian Federation for helping Donbass and told them what they thought about recognizing passports
The authorities of the DPR and LPR treat international organizations with suspicion, says UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in an interview with Kommersant.
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“For example, I always call on the Russian authorities to help us in terms of working with the people who control the Ukrainian Donbass. As in Syria, we ask for political influence. As in Syria, we need access on the ground, and we say: Russia, please, as much as possible, put pressure on Syria, put pressure on the people in Donbass,” the source said.
He was also asked to answer a question about access for humanitarian supplies to Donbass.
“You know, I was there too - in November. I spent two days and two nights there - a night in Donetsk and a night in Lugansk. If I know Syria well, then it was my first time there. And I saw with my own eyes the degree of destruction - not the same as in Syria, but many people lost everything they had. And we are ready to help them fix their houses, give them food and medicine - but our work is not made easier by the local de facto authorities. They are suspicious of us, thinking that we represent political organizations. But we are a humanitarian organization, not a political one. And our task is to help people, to help those who have lost their homes, especially on the conflict line,” Grandi said.
“Have you talked about this problem with your Russian interlocutors?” the publication asked.
“Yes, and they say: we cannot decide for others. But I’m not asking you to decide for them - I’m asking you to influence them. And they promised me, even Minister Lavrov. In addition, Russia itself supplies humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and also accepts refugees from Ukraine - and we believe that does it well“, admitted the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
He also commented on President Putin’s decision to recognize documents issued in the Donbass republics on Russian territory, answering the question whether these documents could become something like Nansen passports, documents that were issued by the League of Nations for stateless refugees.
"I don't know. On the one hand, it is important that people have documents. But, on the other hand, it is impossible for steps to be taken that complicate the Minsk peace process. “I’m not saying that this is such a step - please don’t get me wrong,” Grandi said. “But we must remember that the main task is to achieve a settlement. And then, Nansen passports were issued to stateless persons and without documents. And they were issued by the League of Nations.”
Earlier at the UN, as PolitNavigator reported, criticized Ukraine for non-payment of pensions in the Donbas.
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