Poland & Estonia Add to Roster of Ukraine Comments at @UN75

The leaders of Poland and Estonia added their voices to the roster of UN member-states that raised the issue of Russian aggression against Ukraine in their addresses this week during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

Noting the importance of quality relations among states, Polish President Andrzej Duda, stated that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine shows disrespect for international law.

“There cannot and there will not be a lasting peace in the world unless law is abided by. Our attachment to this value is mirrored by the slogan ‘peace through law,’ which we promoted inter alia during our two-year-long term as an elected member state of the Security Council. In our actions undertaken in the UN forum we are consistent in highlighting the fundamental role of international law in preserving the global security architecture. It is indispensable to ensure cooperation among states in a situation when the fundamental norms of international law are violated, for instance in case of the aggression of the Russian Federation on Georgia or Ukraine,” Duda said.

Turning to the parallel crisis in Belarus also inspired by Russia, Duda said he has appealed to the international community through the UN Human Rights Council to pay attention to the violation of humans rights in that country.

“In the name of Solidarity we should all speak with one voice and demand that fundamental human rights be respected both in Belarus and in other places across the globe. Repressions of political opponents, mass detentions of peaceful protesters or violence and torture being applied against them cannot be tolerated in any state. Belarusians, just like any other free nation, have the right to shape their political future in a sovereign way, without external interference, without domination of other capitals, with the right to freely participate in international cooperation in line with their national interests,” he said.

President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid, in her remarks, said “As we tackle the global pandemic, conventional and unconventional threats have not disappeared. The world around us is as unpredictable and unsecure as it was before. Take the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Syria. Or the conflict in Sahel and the recent devastating disaster in Lebanon. As well as the grave human rights violations in Belarus.

“Overall, the pandemic has even reinforced some of the consequences of conflicts, for example the health and well-being of the most vulnerable – the children, women and adolescents. The pandemic has been used as a pretext to lift sanctions or restrict humanitarian aid. New divisions have emerged. This, my friends, is unacceptable.”

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy at UN: So Long as Wound Is Bleeding, Pain will be Felt around the World

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly for the second time in his presidency, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, denounced of the illegality of Russia’s occupation of Crimea and its aggression in Donbas and sternly warned the international community that as long as this wound in Ukraine continues to bleed, pain will be felt around the world.

In a speech today that seemed to throw down the gauntlet before world leaders, Zelenskyy challenged the United Nations to “play an important role in restoring sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, along with respect of the international law.” Furthermore, he said, “It is unacceptable when sovereignty of the independent state is violated by one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council,” implying that Russia should be brought to justice for its transgression.

“Until the wound in the center of Europe is bleeding, the pain will be felt all over the world. And the only recipe for the efficient treatment is the de-occupation of Crimea and Donbas,” Zelenskyy declared.

Zelenskyy criticized the UN member-states for becoming complacent about local, regional and global calamities. He objected that Crimea and Donbas have become “customary elements of the international landscape” where reports, conferences and protocol statements on the anniversaries of occupation have become sufficient forms international reaction.

He regretted that officials and diplomats at the UN have been hearing about Crimea and Donbas since 2014 but without results and that’s where the “biggest problem” lies. “And it is not only about the Ukrainian case; it is about all global threats to the planet, reports on which are getting longer and longer with every passing year. And what is the most terrifying is that calamities have become a new normal. The world got accustomed to horrible news. They still shock but are quickly forgotten once a new information bomb explodes on the global agenda,” Zelenskyy said.

The international order has been contaminated by “bugs” and “viruses” that have led to a new war in Europe since the end of World War II, he explained.

Referring to himself as the head of a state in which in the 21st century the Russian Federation annexed the Crimean Peninsula and head of the state, which is containing Russia’s military aggression in Donbas for the seventh year in a row, Zelenskyy seemed to be censuring other countries for their inability to contain global contaminants that have caused unrest in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Rhetorically asking what would the founding fathers of the UN say if they knew that 75 years after the establishment of this promising global organization there would be another bloody war in Europe, Zelenskyy described the pain that Ukraine is feeling: “That in Crimea human rights would be flagrantly violated, that persecutions of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars would be taking place. That militarization of the peninsula and water areas around it would be building up, which would undermine security balance of the Black Sea region. Would they change something in the UN Charter and mechanisms of the United Nations had they known that 75 years later, as a result of the war in Donbas, there would be 14,000 killed and almost 1.5 million people would lose their homes?”

Again implicitly telling UN member-states that they’re not sufficiently involved in solving problems, Zelenskyy asserted that in the past year Ukraine proved that it “really strives for peace.” He said Ukraine managed to unblock the dialogue and resume meetings of the Normandy format leaders, and made substantial progress in mutual release of the detained persons. Then, since July 27 a comprehensive ceasefire has been in place, he continued, which, “despite attempts to disrupt it, still gives hope for achieving sustainable ceasefire. And it is badly needed to keep moving towards genuine peace.”

Again turning the member-states’ inattentiveness to the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said “Next steps on this way should become the withdrawal of unlawful military formations and armaments from the occupied territories, return of control over the state border, and, finally, restoring territorial integrity of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders.”

With Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, being the cause of carnage and violence in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said the prestige of that UN body could be further depreciated. Replying to his own insinuation, he assured that his country “will actively participate in its reform.” He said the Security Council should become more representative, balanced, transparent and efficient. “It is in the United Nations’ vested interest to have an effective instrument if somebody is violating and abusing the veto right and the status of the permanent member,” he said.

Zelenskyy proposed the establishment of an international Crimea platform to protect the rights of Crimeans and de-occupy the peninsula and he invited participation by allies of Ukraine.

“I also call for support of the updated resolution ‘Situation with human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine’ that will be presented to the General Assembly by the end of this year,” he revealed.

Quoting his assertion of last year that “There is no more a notion of somebody else’s war. Our planet is not that big anymore,” Zelenskyy suggested that calamities such as MH17 cause environmental damage, propaganda results in the wanton dissemination of lies that slyly border on plausibility, and diseases like Covid-19 kill arbitrarily.

“Ukraine, being one of the countries that from 2014 on actively counteracts the propaganda and information attacks, stands ready to initiate the establishment in Kyiv of the headquarters of the international office to counter disinformation and propaganda,” he said.

Finding equitable solutions is a test for all countries, Zelenskyy opined. “A race for limited resources will only exacerbate the problems. What we need is sincerity in dialogue and active solidarity, because this is where the value of multilateralism lies. We have to overcome together the most serious economic crisis of the last years,” he implored world leaders.

Zelenskyy reminded the General Assembly that every year the call for actions instead of talks has been getting louder. They testify to the crisis the United Nations, the security architecture, the health of humanity, our economies and the world as a whole find themselves in, he observed.

While the 75th anniversary of the UN’s foundation should become an impetus for transforming the organization into a more dynamic and efficient body, Zelenskyy expressed the hope that his speech next year “will come down in history as an example of returning to active multilateralism and efficient international solidarity.”

Lithuania Expresses Total Support for Ukraine in UN Speech

The President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, speaking this morning during the General Debate at the 75^th UN General Assembly, expressed his country’s total support for Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty in the face of aggression by Russia.

Nausėda noted that ending the Russian occupation of Crimea as well as regions of Georgia means restoring justice in the region.

Nausėda continues his country’s unwavering support for Ukraine that began with his predecessor Dalia Grybauskaitė. This example of mutual support by former captive nations of Russian subjugation should reaffirm for Moscow and the global community that Russian regional threats persist but the countries of Eastern Europe are looking out for each other’s best interests.

“Furthermore, for the sixth-year Russian forces are occupying Ukrainian Crimea and continuing military actions in Eastern Ukraine. Lithuania welcomes Ukraine’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war and calls on Russia to move closer to a sustainable political resolution. Any future agreement should fully respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity – no other solution is possible,” Nausėda said.

“My country continues to support Georgian and Ukrainian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders. No occupation, be it Crimea and Sevastopol, or Abkhazia and South Ossetia, will be forgotten or forgiven! Restoring justice is the only way forward.”

The Lithuanian leader urged the leaders of the world to restore international order by investigating crimes against humanity and punishing the perpetrators “by all the available means.”

“This principle should also apply to those who intentionally break the international norms. More than a decade has passed since Russia invaded Georgia. One fifth of Georgian territory remains occupied by Russian forces in an evident violation of the international law. The situation in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is worsening due to renewed ‘borderization’ activities, restricted movement and illegal detentions of local people,” he said.

Turning to the vital topic of nuclear energy, Nausėda, said its safe and secure development is not every country’s goal, pointing to Russia’s dangerous actions. He accused Moscow of going forward with nuclear energy development without much thoughts about a clean and sustainable future.

“We see the new nuclear power plant in Belarus as a geopolitical project aimed at maintaining Russian sphere of influence. Built without proper risk assessment and necessary consultations just 40 kilometers from our capital city, it challenges regional nuclear and environmental safety, as well as the functioning of the Baltic States electricity systems and the overall security of whole Europe,” he stated.

While the Latvian president’s remarks didn’t mention the Russo-Ukraine war, the statement did criticize Moscow for its revisionist approach to World War II.

“Concerning the wider phenomenon of disinformation, I would like to address one example. Russia’s increasingly revisionist approach, especially in the context of World War II events, is unacceptable. Russia makes continuous attempts to turn history into a disinformation tool. This goes hand in hand with continuing restrictions on democracy and free speech. We call for an independent, international investigation into the recent poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable,” President of Latvia, Egils Levits, said today.

Levits also said his country is greatly concerned by events in nearby Belarus, especially the brutal repression underway in the wake of the August 9 elections.

“We call for new, democratic and transparent elections and an end to the repression of peaceful demonstrators. Latvia is currently providing medical treatment to several victims of the repressions. We also call on Russia to desist from any further interference in Belarus, so that its people can decide for themselves the future of their state,” Levits said.

“The women of Belarus especially have shown great strength and courage. Svetlana Alexievich, laureate of the 2015 Nobel Prize for literature, speaks of ‘thirst for changes, thirst for new life, thirst for honesty.’ In Latvia we still remember such thirst 30 years ago. We are always ready to share our rich experience of regaining democracy and freedom.”

Rise of the Iron Curtain and UN’s 75^th

From time to time, the United Nations, which is observing its 75^th anniversary this year, makes a noteworthy statement that properly assesses the situation in the Russian empire that also benefits Ukraine and the other former captive nations.

A few years ago the vaunted global institution located on Manhattan’s Eastside declared Russia to be an aggressor state because of its invasion of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. (See my blogpost on December 20, 2016, https://thetorncurtain1991.blogspot.com/2016_12_18_archive.html)

The United Nations, an institution that does not readily censure a member-state as powerful as Moscow, had officially denounced Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, as an “occupier” of foreign lands just like Nazi Germany and other tyrannical empires were – my clarification.

Last week, while discussing the deplorable and dangerous situation in Belarus, Anaïs Marin, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, at the Urgent Debate on the situation of human rights in Belarus Human Rights Council 45th session, urged the global community to help the small country before an iron curtain again descends on Eastern Europe.

The reference was to the infamous iron curtain, the impenetrable barrier between East and West, between Soviet Russia and Europe, between the free world and the captive world, between good and evil, that was erected by the Kremlin at the end of World War II. It was among several visible signs of Soviet Russian oppression along with the red star and hammer & sickle.

After the war, Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill coined the well-known phrase in his Fulton speech: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of central and Eastern Europe.”

Until 1991, when the former captive nations declared their independence from Soviet Russian subjugation, the iron curtain meant no one on the eastern side can leave the so-called workers’ paradise. Indeed, those countries’ ultimate bold move to freedom and democracy after centuries of domination was hailed by many as the destruction of the nefarious iron curtain.

I created The Torn Curtain 1991 blog in 2012 as a signal that the Kremlin’s wall has not been demolished as many regarded because Russia’s desire for aggression, belligerence, invasion, subjugation and repression has not abated. The iron curtain has merely been torn by the newly-independent states and is subject to repair by Moscow in order to perpetuate its 1,000-year-old empire.

Thus the insinuation by Anaïs Marin.

Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and other former captive nations have made their break from Russian dominance though they are regularly compelled to fight for their independence with Kyiv facing a bloody life and death battle with Moscow every day. However, the small, unfortunate captive nation of Belarus, which is administered by the Kremlin’s gauleiter Aleksandr Lukashenko, is still firmly hogtied by Russia. The Belarusian nation has been engaged is its own momentous fight for its national existence since mid-summer. Hundreds of thousands of people have faced Lukashenko’s well-armed militia with thousands of peaceful protesters beaten and arrested.

Marin said in her address that the “catastrophic human rights situation” in Belarus that continues to “deteriorate.” She charged that “the authorities have denied Belarusian citizens their legitimate right to participate in public life.”

“The whole world has seen how the repressive capacities of the law-enforcement and judicial systems are used in Belarus to harass, threaten, punish or otherwise silence any dissenting voice. Deaf to domestic and foreign calls to engage in an honest dialogue with the opposition, the Authorities cynically brought charges against members of the Presidium of the Coordination Council,” Marin stated.

She concluded by urging the free world to stand up and be counted in Belarusian nation’s corner: “I call on the authorities to shed full light on these tragic events and to guarantee the right of victims of torture to obtain redress. Given the abuse they suffered, these victims are in such a state of post-traumatic shock that they still require urgent humanitarian aid.

“Excellencies, Let’s not allow another Iron Curtain to descend on the European continent. Border closures will not stop international scrutiny. In view of the seriousness of the reported abuses, let me recall that human rights violations are not an internal affair: they are of interest to the international community. I therefore reiterate my call on the Belarusian leadership to reason, and to exercise restraint. The only possible way out of this crisis is dialogue, which must be open, honest, and inclusive, involving all stakeholders, including in particular opposition and civil society leaders.

“To conclude: Belarusian society has changed considerably over the past years, and in recent months it developed a capacity for civil resilience, and inventive ways to demand respect for human rights. Belarusians showed how eager they are to see, and take part in, democratic changes, in order to build a better country for themselves and their children.”

Marin’s statement on September 18 received a lot of media attention all over the world. Sadly, though, since then her words have evaporated amid the noise of other global issues. But they are remarkable and must be remembered along with Churchill’s prophetic homily. They are also extraordinary because they were uttered in the United Nations headquarters by a UN official. They should be remembered because they warn of another Russian-built iron curtain that can rise in Europe and enslave peoples for generations to come.

For the record, the 71st General Assembly adopted on Monday, December 19, 2016, a resolution on human rights in Crimea, titled “Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine),” which was initiated by Ukraine and supported by the UNGA Third Committee. Seventy-three UN member-states, including Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and others backed the document, 76 abstained, and Russia plus 22 others voted against it. The resolution cited four times the word “occupier” in relation to Russia’s enslavement of Crimea. Most importantly, the resolution condemned “the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine —the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (hereinafter “Crimea”) — by the Russian Federation.” It also notably reaffirmed its “non-recognition” of Russia’s unlawful annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea after a fabricated and rigged referendum. It’s on the record for future generations to read.

Hopefully, the member-states speaking at the General Debate of the 75^th UN General Assembly that is currently underway will remember to promote the permanent freedom and independence of the former captive nations by taking a sledge hammer to Moscow’s rising iron curtain.