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Ecuador does not recognize Ukraine’s interim government as legitimate. The country, along with 58 other nations, abstained from voting on a draft resolution on Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa called the current Ukrainian government the product of a coup d’etat. Russian UN Envoy Vitaly Churkin said that the outcome of the voting is a positive trend for Russia, as now it’s obvious there is no threat for isolation of the country on the international stage. Boris Martynov, Deputy Head of the Institute of Latin America in Moscow, shared with the Voice of Russia his take on the issue.

Mr. Martynov, tell us how can you comment on the statement by Rafael Correa in respect of Ukraine’s issue and the fact that Ecuador abstained from the vote?

Yes, you know it is small wonder that so many Latin American countries namely Ecuador voted against, abstained or were absent during the vote in the General Assembly, small wonder because Latin American countries have experienced for so long time different kind of pressures from the US and different kinds of coup d’etats made by the US. They know all to well what it means – the word ‘democracy’ in the mouth of the US and what it really means- the word of ‘human rights’- in the mouth of the State Department and so on. Well, I suppose that there are also some legal problem which Latin American countries also do not want to maintain the US position. Well, it is really very difficult to understand for them why the US and NATO countries and Great Britain think that people of the Falkland or Malvinas islands really deserve the right to outer determination though there are also 1,800 of them. And at the same time the people of Crimea which is more than two million people which expressly said their desire to belong to the Russian Federation -why don’t they deserve this outer determination? So the policy of double standards – the Latin Amricans are pretty well fed up with that.

As well as Ecuador some other Latin American countries, total of 58 countries, abstained from the voting on resolution. Does it mean that they actually support the reunification of Russia and Crimea, or maybe at least the West is somehow ready to put up with the outcome of the Crimean referendum?

I think that of course there was a pressure on them and there was some desire of the US to continue their own line. But the abstention is I think very eloquent in itself. And I suppose that this is only a beginning and there is no any sense speaking about some isolation of Russia. No sense, absolutely. It is only the beginning and when other countries, such countries which abstained or were absent, when they will see more and more that there appears some country which can follow its own line in the international politics and international economies they will join this line, gladly will join. And they will support more and more the independent policy of Russia, of China, of the BRICS countries and other countries in the world which try to maintain their own positions and their own interests in the world.

And finally, with everything that happened in results of the vote and everything that happened on the international stage right now. Do you think it all means that Russia doesn’t really face a threat of economic isolation?

I think it doesn’t. The West understand all to well that Russia has its own ways and means to counterbalance the situation and to counteract any serious sanctions from the West. Well, Russia tries not to show the essence of this countermeasures prematurely. Because everything can happen. But I suppose that the situation is as it is and will continue so. Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_03_31/Latin-America-didnt-back-UN-Crimea-resolution-as-it-fed-up-with-USs-democracy-expert-2568/