Denunciations of Russia at UN Leave Moscow Unfazed, Obstinate

Strong denunciations of Russia for its bloody aggression against Ukraine continued this week at the United Nations, which is a positive development in global politics.

Seven years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine and occupied Crimea as well as Luhansk and Donetsk in the eastern section of the country, claiming that they’re protecting Russian-language residents. Adolf Hitler also invaded neighboring countries, stating that he was protecting “Volksdeutsche.”

This wave of censures against the evil empire was compounded by President Biden’s unexpected admission that he thinks Vladimir Putin is a killer. This welcome affirmation yesterday in reply to a question by Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos is the first such dramatic accusation by an American president that a foreign leader is a killer since perhaps the days of Hitler’s reign over Europe.

The Permanent Mission of the United States at the UN, on March 17, condemned Russia’s official commemoration of its seizure and annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula. The Deputy Counselor for Political Affairs Trina Saha decried this faux tribute as Moscow’s “misuse of its seat on the Security Council” that aims to “distort the realities of the Russian-fueled conflict in eastern Ukraine and its purported annexation of Crimea.”

The reference to misuse of Russia’s seat on the Security Council bears credence in view of the fact that Russia is not a member-state of the United Nations. Yes, you might argue that it is a founding member. No, it isn’t. History shows that the now defunct Union of you know what was a founding member. However, former Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, wrote in The Ukrainian Quarterly that after the downfall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation did not automatically assume the USSR’s seat in the UN, much less its Security Council. This technical mistake was never corrected. In other words, Russia is only entitled to wait outside the gates to the United Nations, on First Avenue, without any claims to diplomatic rights and privileges.

However, returning to the statement by the United States, Saha said the Russian-convened gathering this week was to recognize its “flagrant disregard for international law, including the UN Charter’s implicit principle that no country can change the borders of another by force.”

Saha emphatically stated: “The United States does not recognize the purported annexation, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. The United States is committed in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Furthermore, she said, the United States “call on Russia to immediately cease its ongoing aggression in Ukraine, to implement the commitments it signed onto under the Minsk Agreements, and to return full control of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.”

Noting the March 12 Arria-formula meeting on Crimea and the February 12 General Assembly Debate, Saha indicated that Ukraine has broad international support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Very true. This year has seen many such declarations by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the former captive nations.

“When the General Assembly has voted on resolutions on the human rights situation and Russia’s militarization of Crimea in recent years, the voting record is clear: Russia lacks support from the majority of the international community,” Saha said.

Arria-Formula Meeting

The following is the joint statement following Russia’s Arria-Formula Meeting on the Situation in Crimea. It was endorsed by Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“Russia held an informal meeting at the UN today to promote a false narrative about its occupation of Crimea, which it seized in violation of international law in 2014. We condemn Russia’s human rights abuses and military build-up on the peninsula. We strongly reject Russia’s attempted annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Russia’s actions are of global concern and inconsistent with international law, including the UN Charter, and contrary to the Helsinki Final Act.

“Today’s event distorted the realities on the ground in Crimea and only served the interests of Russia’s occupation. If Russia is truly interested in increasing understanding on the situation in Crimea, it would allow UN, OSCE, and Council of Europe envoys, as well as humanitarian workers, international human rights monitoring missions, and human rights non-governmental organizations, immediate and unimpeded access to Crimea.

“As we saw during the March 12 High-Level Arria-formula meeting on Crimea hosted by Estonia and with 23 co-sponsors, as well as during the February 23 General Assembly Debate, Ukraine has the support of the international community in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We call on Russia to immediately end its occupation, stop human rights abuses, release all Ukrainian prisoners it unjustly holds, cease its aggressive actions in Ukraine, respect its international obligations, and implement its commitments under the Minsk agreements. We reiterate our support for the efforts of the Normandy format and our firm commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in line with the Minsk agreements and with full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

It is obvious that Moscow is losing in the international court, where friends of Ukraine – countries that wield economic and political power and stand on high moral grounds – understand Moscow’s crimes against humanity and aren’t squeamish to say so.

On the other hand, Russia, as its habit has been, can’t be fazed by the world opinion. Consequently, the international community must sever relations with Moscow until it transforms itself.