LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese Foreign Ministry criticized harshly Russia while the Maltese top diplomat at the United Nations walked out from a UN informal meeting in protest as Russiàs children’s commissioner was expected to start addressing the meeting.
Maria Lvova Belova who was addressing the informal meeting for Security Council members was indicted earlier this month by the International Criminal Court together with Russiàs President Vladimir Putin. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Belova, and both face war crime charges, including the forceful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The informal meeting entitled ‘Children and Armed Conflict, Ukrainian Crises: Evacuating Children from Conflict Zonè was organised by the Russian Security Council Presidency.
However, the Maltese Foreign Ministry said “it was yet another clear sign of Russiàs complete contempt for the United Nations. Maltàs presence at the meeting yesterday was purely to counter Russiàs disinformation. The same messages were echoed by other like-minded Security Council members.” The Maltese government added that “Russia invited Maria Lvova-Belova to brief the Council. She has been indicted by the ICC for the alleged criminal responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. The Russians further invited two officials of the so-called ‘Donetsk Peoplès Republic’. The US, UK, Albania, and Malta, therefore, walked out in protest when these briefers took the floor,” the ministry confirmed.
Ukraine accuses Russia of having abducted and forcibly deported Ukrainian children to Russia since the start of the invasion more than a year ago. Russia denies its troops have committed war crimes.

– foto agenziafotogramma.it –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews