Nuclear Disarmament at Time of War and Occupation

Every year, in the weeks leading up to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, member-states, anti-nuclear advocates, civil society and other stakeholders intensify the clarion call for global nuclear disarmament.

This year the discussion has taken on ominous overtones with North Korea’s intensified nuclear tests and ICBM launches. Kim Jong-un taunts the United States while President Trump warns of fire and fury raining down on North Korea.

Add to that ISIS’s arbitrary terrorist attacks and threats against peaceful communities around the world and it’s easy to see that peace on Earth is not yet a done deal.

Ukraine, a former nuclear state that voluntarily surrendered its nuclear weapons, views nuclear disarmament and terrorism from the unique vantage point of being located next door to Russia, a nuclear power that had agreed to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence but instead invaded the country more than three years ago. In the ensuing months and weeks, despite denials and pledges, Russia’s undeclared war has left thousands dead and more than a million internally displaced men, women and children. The Russian army has occupied Crimea and Donbas and in many cases its artillery explosions have polluted the soil.

Indeed, it’s difficult to speak with Ukrainians about the need for global nuclear disarmament. And who can blame them?

On August 29, the UN observed the International Day against Nuclear Tests at which the Permanent Representative of Ukraine, Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, offered Ukraine’s point of view on this timely topic.

Yelchenko reminded the member states that Ukraine rightfully supported the adoption of the International Day against Nuclear Tests resolution, noting that “efforts should be made to end nuclear tests in order to achieve the global goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.” He added that entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty “without further delay” would be a major contribution to this process.

Yelchenko pointed out that Ukraine, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, strongly condemns the North Korea’s “continuous illegal activities” in developing nuclear missile capabilities. The Ukrainian ambassador emphasized the potential beneficial consequences of “collective efforts” in curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. He further issued a call to all UN member-states to fully implement sanctions against the North Korean regime that were imposed by respective UN Security Council resolutions.

Then Yelchenko presented a caustic prelude to casting Russia in the same light as North Korea and other rogue states. “Disrespect for international law and attempts to undermine or change the established world order are becoming more systematic nowadays. The North Korean actions are a testament to this trend, but not the only one.”

The other one, obviously, is Russia.

“As a country that voluntarily renounced its nuclear arsenal, Ukraine continues to face the military aggression from one nuclear state. The brutal violation of the international obligations, including under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, by the Russian Federation, who put its signature under the assurances of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, contravenes the whole UN-based security system created after World War II,” Yelchenko declared.

Three years after declaring its independence, Ukraine was arm twisted by the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia, to give up its nuclear weapons for all intents and purposes leaving it defenseless. As insane as it sounds, the apparently rational fathers of independent Ukraine had voluntarily agreed to turn over its nuclear arsenal to its biggest enemy.

Today the Ukrainian nation is reaping the lethal harvest of that ill-fated decision. Ukrainians have been heard saying that they’d rather have even one nuclear bomb rather than a dozen Budapest memoranda.

Yelchenko reminded his diplomatic colleagues that “the first obligation of three nuclear states under the Budapest Memorandum is “to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine.” The next paragraph obliged the three mentioned states “to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine.”

Sadly, even the two so-called friendly states – the United States and Great Britain – haven’t lived up to their end of the deal and now are struggling to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s aggression.

For Russia, the Budapest Memorandum is another in a long line of accords, including the Minsk truce treaty, that it promised to observe but very soon thereafter changed its mind.

“Taking into account the aforementioned, we would like to stress again that full compliance with existing international obligations by all states is the main precondition of achieving the world free of nuclear weapons,” Yelchenko stated.

Fortunately, Ukraine is not yet a victim of a Russian nuclear attack but its regular soldiers and terrorist mercenaries have been successful in killing thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.

Nuclear disarmament, nuclear test ban treaties, treaties on conventional weapons and even the Sustainable Development Goals, as hopeful as they sound, are meaningless when Russia’s signature is included. The fault is not with these needed agreements, which can benefit humanity, but rather with Russia. Once the Kremlin’s signature appears on a document, it is doomed to failure. Violations and transgressions will appear.

UN member-states, anti-nuclear advocates, civil society and other stakeholders must find a way to force Russia to abandon its criminal behavior or else face ostracism.