Britain Blocks UN Webcast of Russian Meeting on Ukraine

Britain has blocked the U.N. webcast of an informal Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday at which Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights – who the International Criminal Court wants to arrest on war crimes charges – is due to speak, diplomats said.

Russia had told council members that the discussion about Ukraine will focus on “evacuating children from conflict zone” and signaled that commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova would feature.

Such meetings are held at U.N. headquarters, but not in the Security Council chamber, and briefings can be done virtually. All 15 council members have to agree to allow it to be webcast by the United Nations.

Britain blocked the webcast because Russia would not confirm who would brief, diplomats said on Tuesday. Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy confirmed Britain’s move on Twitter.

“Russia will from now on block U.N. webcasts of all similar meetings citing ‘UK censorship clause’,” Polyanskiy wrote.

Later on Tuesday Russia confirmed that Lvova-Belova would speak at the briefing.

Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq