Ukraine files protest over UN secretary general's remarks on Russian role in Donbas settlement

"A letter was sent to the UN with a request to circulate this letter of protest as an official document of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, respectively," deputy chief of Ukrainian presidential administration Kostiantyn Yeliseyev said at a briefing on Friday. "An indication that this mistake was recognized, an indication that the UN responded to our ambassador's reaction was that the text of the secretary general's speech at the relevant forum was changed and edited, and it now differs from its initial version," he said. As reported, in a prepared speech for an international economic forum in Russia, which was circulated by the UN, Ban said Russia as a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council has "a critical role to play" in addressing "pressing global issues, from ending the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, to safeguarding human rights and controlling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."