WASHINGTON, October 10 (RIA Novosti) – Europe needs to respond to violations committed by Ukrainian military units that were disclosed in the latest UN human rights report, two authors who have written extensively on Eurasian affairs told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
"Ukrainians are dying at the hands of their own government which, aside from being suicidal for Kiev, is a crime against humanity," said Paul Fitzgerald, who has co-authored several books with his wife, Elizabeth Gould, on the consequences of Western involvement in Eurasia.
Washington has largely ignored atrocities committed by the Ukrainian government along with the influence of right-wing nationalist groups because of what the couple refers to as "ideological blinders."
But the silence of European leaders in the face of such charges has been deafening, especially considering, according to Gould and Fitzgerald, the rise of neo-Nazism is coming from Europe's own backyard.
"The facts of the UN report speak louder than the droning of the endless Western propaganda," added Gould.
The UN's report, which was released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Wednesday, contains testimonial evidence of Kiev-controlled forces continuing to violate international humanitarian law through the use of disproportionate force, shelling of residential areas, enforced disappearances and mistreatment of detainees.
Over the past few months, Moscow has repeatedly highlighted the importance of a thorough and transparent international investigation into civil deaths. However, Kiev officials insisted on conducting their own investigation, which never yielded any results.
Alexei Pushkov, a senior Russian parliamentarian, said on Wednesday that the UN study was the first step towards admitting the responsibility of Kiev-controlled troops for the shelling of residential areas and civilian losses.
Amnesty International has said that the Ukrainian government was also to blame for war crimes and human rights violations committed by Ukrainian volunteer battalions in eastern regions.
