Russia surrounded neighboring post-Soviet countries with a "belt of instability" in order to keep them in Moscow's orbit. In this regard, the UN and the EU should not shy away from active participation in the settlement of such conflicts, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Vladimir Yelchenko, said on May 9 in the UN Security Council.

"Such efforts by the EU have proved effective in the former Yugoslavia, where, despite the enormous suffering, numerous sacrifices and monstrous atrocities, all conflicts are now largely resolved. In the post-Soviet space, on the contrary, none of the conflicts, I repeat - none, has been resolved. In addition, new conflicts and new threats to the regional world are emerging, "said Vladimir Yelchenko at a meeting of the Security Council dedicated to cooperation with the European Union, the UN News Center.

"Why is this happening?" The answer is quite simple. As for the former Yugoslavia, success was achieved thanks to the strong position of the international community and its coordinated efforts, including by the United Nations and the EU. In addition, although not immediately, instigators and instigators of conflicts were removed from the decision-making process during the settlement, "the Ukrainian ambassador said, explaining that the situation in the former Soviet republics is different from the Yugoslav scenario. Yelchenko noted that since the beginning of the 1990s the Russian Federation has adopted the so-called concept of a "belt of instability along the perimeter of Russian borders". "Russia successfully creates" controlled instability "in many countries along its borders in order to keep them in Moscow's orbit and, as in the case of Ukraine, to prevent any integration with the EU," said Yelchenko.

At the same time, the diplomat stated that the current situation is not a dead-end. He is confident that conflicts in the post-Soviet space can be effectively resolved, therefore he called on the EU and the UN to show more active participation in their settlement.

It is also noted that. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Pyotr Ilyichev immediately objected to such an offer by Yelchenko stating that the connection of "other players," including the UN, would only "confuse the situation".

Earlier, Yelchenko called the "group of friends of Ukraine" within the UN a possible alternative to the "Norman format".