Russian Permanent Representative is Cited to the Austrian Foreign Ministry
Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, reportedly commented in response to a tweet by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanking the U.S. for arms deliveries, saying "No mercy for the Ukrainian people!" The Austrian Foreign Ministry is now summoning Ulyanov to "resolutely stand up against such inflammatory statements."
Mikhail Ulyanov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to International Organizations in Vienna, during the IAEA 1611th Board of Governors meeting on the Situation in Ukraine. / Picture: © IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency / Dean Calma / Flickr Attribution (CC BY 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
The Russian Federation's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, posted a putrid tweet on Twitter calling for no mercy to be shown to the Ukrainian population. The ambassador's tweet was in response to a tweet by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy thanking the U.S. for the arms supplies that have been helping Ukrainian forces defend against Russia's invasion of Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Wir stehen für freie Meinungsäußerung. Aber wir sind auch frei darin, entschieden gegen solch verhetzende Äußerungen einzutreten. Daher wurde der russische Ständige Vertreter Mikhail Ulyanov für Sonntag ins Außenministerium zitiert.
— MFA Austria (@MFA_Austria) August 20, 2022
The Austrian Foreign Ministry responds to the tweet and summons the representative. According to Austria's Foreign Ministry, they are in favor of "freedom of expression," but also "resolutely oppose such inflammatory statements."
Ulyanov tries to justify himself
Ambassador Ulyanov uses his Twitter profile very excessively and is very active on the social media platform. The Russian diplomat has also attracted attention in the past with provocative posts. However, the infamous tweet has been deleted and Ulyanov justifies his action with his actual "intention" for the tweet. According to him, so it was Selenskyj who had no mercy on the Ukrainian people for getting his country's weapons and thus furthering the war instead of simply capitulating.
Meaning that Kiev does not care about its own population when it categorically rejects diplomatic efforts and concentrates exclusively on accumulation of weapons from the West. https://t.co/QlwCpoPweG
— Mikhail Ulyanov (@Amb_Ulyanov) August 20, 2022
Ulyanov's comment has since been deleted - but the discussions about it continue. He sees himself as a victim in the "information war", and insinuates that he was deliberately misunderstood.
Information war has no rules. My critical observation of the policy of pumping Ukraine with weapons combined with the rejection of diplomacy (leading to further suffering) is interpreted as a call for genocide. Sneaky interpretation which has nothing to do with me and my words.
— Mikhail Ulyanov (@Amb_Ulyanov) August 20, 2022
Attempts to associate my words about Kiev’s policy with a call for genocide are outrageous and absolutely unacceptable. Dirty methods.
— Mikhail Ulyanov (@Amb_Ulyanov) August 20, 2022
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry calls for Ulyanov to be declared "Persona non grata"
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in a relation to Ulyanov's tweet, called on Austria to expel the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov.
Russia’s Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov is calling for the elimination of the Ukrainian nation. This genocidal language must not be tolerated. We call on the entire diplomatic community in Vienna to boycott Ulyanov, and on the host country, Austria - to declare him persona non grata. pic.twitter.com/tbCTW4dU6s
— Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) August 20, 2022
This was announced on Twitter by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleg Nikolenko, on the grounds that Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov calls for the destruction of the Ukrainian nation. "This language of genocide must not be tolerated. We call on the entire diplomatic community in Vienna to boycott Ulyanov, and the host country Austria to declare him persona non grata," Nikolenko wrote.