Samantha Power wrote an article about Vitaly Churkin
Former US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power in his article for the NYT shared his impressions from working with Vitaly Churkin. She noted that they had many disagreements, but acknowledged that they needed each other.
Former permanent U.S. representative to the United Nations Samantha Power admitted that he is heartbroken after the death of the Russian representative at the organization Vitaly Churkin. About it Power wrote in an article published in the newspaper the New York Times. In it she shared her experience with his Russian counterpart in a world organization.
“He was loyally defended the terrible actions of President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine and Syria. But at the same time, he was a master of words with an epic sense of humor, a good friend and one of the best hopes to the United States and Russia worked together. I am grief-stricken over his death,” writes Power.
She also shared memories started to work on a post of the US Ambassador to the UN. “When I came to new York, my predecessor Susan rice told me, “invest in your relationship with Churkin. It will drive you crazy, but you will need each other,” recalls Power instructions rice.
Because Russia has a veto in the Security Council, I needed support for Vitali to get a conviction Council to send peacekeepers to conflict zones or to impose sanctions on countries or individual violators grajdanskaia Powerbase US Ambassador to the UN
The former Ambassador also noted that almost every speech at the UN between her and Churkin, ended with a sharp, and sometimes venomous statements.
“But ultimately, we knew that we must work together, and we worked, including imposed the toughest ever sanctions against North Korea, helped to fight the Ebola epidemic and elected a new Secretary-General,” said Power.
“Vitaliy has spent his professional life defending his country, whose culture and traditions he revered. Despite the fact that he never shared with me my point of view about their President, I felt that he appreciated the fact that Putin has restored Russia’s importance on the world stage, but I prefer peace methods,” writes Power.
She added that to her knowledge, Churkin never considered as a sign of protest against the actions of the Russian President his resignation from the post of Ambassador. “But if he did, then most likely it would be replaced by someone less willing to make compromises that would weaken the ability of the United Nations to strengthen peace and security, and in the future would lead to the erosion of Russian-American relations,” writes former US Ambassador.
“While other American diplomats came to the UN and left there, there was one old-timer, Vitaly Churkin, formidable enemy, a caring friend and fierce defender of Russia, the country he loved and where proud,” summed up Power, noting that the restoration of Russian-American relations Washington should not turn away from those with whom “we strongly disagree”.
Churkin represented Russia at the UN since 2006. He died February 20 in new York.Presumably the cause of death was a heart attack. On 24 February he was buried in Moscow on Troekurov cemetery.