State Sovereignty Can Not Be an Argument for UN to Respond to Crisis : Samantha Power & Antonio Guterres Ethos

State sovereignty cannot be used as an argument to prevent the United Nations from taking requisite actions in life-threatening crisis, US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power told the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

Russia urges cooperation between US-led coalition, Damascus

The fight against terrorists in Syria by US-led coalition should be structured in cooperation with the Syrian government, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.

"It goes without saying that the fight against terrorism should rely on a solid basis of international law," Lavrov said at the general debate of United Nations General Assembly.

US and five Arab countries on Monday began to launch air strikes against targets of militant group Islamic State in Syria. Washington said the Syrian government had been informed of the strikes beforehand.

Lavrov: Western bloc headed by Washington rejects UN principle that all states are equal (2 video En, Ru)

The US-led Western block rejects the principle of the equality of sovereign states secured by the UN Charter while advocating democracy in the international arena, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressing the UNGA.
"The US-led Western alliance, while acting as an advocate of democracy, rule of law and human rights in individual countries, is acting in the international arena from the opposite position, rejecting the democratic principle of the sovereign right of states enshrined in the UN Charter and trying to decide for others what is good and what is bad," Lavrov said at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday.

West breaches WTO rules in relation to Russia (Putin)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West violated the World Trade Organization's (WTO) basic principles.

"The sanctions violated the principles of fair and free competition ... ignore the most-favored-nation treatment," he told a state council meeting.

Noting that a group of countries "unilaterally" attempted to contain Russia, Putin said the country's retaliatory measures will aim at protecting national interests "rather than punishing or putting pressure on someone."

Rasmussen Says NATO Won’t Amend Cooperation Accord With Russia. -Monthly press conference on Monday (Video, 19 May 2014)

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Monday that the military alliance does not plan to amend its framework agreement with Russia.

“At this stage, I do not foresee any NATO request to change the content of the NATO-Russia Founding Act, but we would also expect Russia to live up to the basic principles of that act,” the NATO chief said at a press conference in Brussels.

NATO respects sovereign countries' choice for membership.-- top official

VILNIUS, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A senior NATO official said here Thursday the military alliance respects sovereign countries' choice for its membership.

Alexander Vershbow, the military bloc's deputy secretary general, made the remarks during Vilnius Conference 2014 held in Lithuania's capital following its 10 year anniversary on March 29 of the NATO membership.

"We believe in the principles of choice. In the case of Ukraine, we gave a very positive signal in the Bucharest Summit. They made the decision to establish the policy of 'no block' and we respect that choice," said Vershbow.

Hellenic MoFA: Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statements to journalists on the margins of the extraordinary EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels (3 March 2014)

MFA, 3/3/14
E. VENIZELOS: The crisis in Ukraine has to be de-escalated. We mustn’t return to the cold-war era. Europe’s policy is a policy of principles. For us, respect for international law, respect for the existing borders – for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states – are fundamental principles.

Of course, our reaction has to be clear and absolute, but also calm and productive. Because naturally we cannot underestimate the role of Russia and of Euro-Russian relations, not just on the European continent, but on the global stage. There are solutions that, through dialogue, can be implemented and succeed. Dialogue is an imperative of international law.

EU violates principles with Egypt coup reaction, Turkish PM says

The European Union has once again disregarded its own principles with its “double-standard” view on unfolding events in Egypt, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said July 5.

“Isn’t the West siding with democracy and making efforts to implement democracy in countries? This is a test of sincerity and the West failed the class again. There is no such thing as a ‘democratic coup’,” the prime minister said in Istanbul at the Congress of Turkish Scientists Living Abroad, putting special emphasis on the European Union.

“Especially the European Union disregarded its own values once again by not calling the army’s coup a coup. I want them to read the EU acquis communautaire. Democracy does not accept double standards,” the prime minister said in an apparent reference to member countries’ harsh criticisms of the Turkish government’s crackdown on Gezi Park protesters last month.