Ukrainian Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Ihor Prokopchuk, announced mid-day on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had “registered a direct invasion by the Russian military into the eastern regions of Ukraine.” Three hours after this announcement, as Ukraine claimed large scale movement by Russian infantry and mechanized divisions, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was convened to hold an emergency meeting on the Ukraine crisis.
UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, whose country is the current president of the UNSC, explained that the reason for the sudden meeting would be for Russia “to explain why it has its troops inside Ukraine.”
However, the emergency meeting of world powers was unable to discover any tractable reason why Russian troops had escalated their presence in Ukraine. Vitaly Churkin, Russian United Nations Ambassador, continued with Russia's boilerplate position, vehemently denying any official military involvement in Ukraine. While he did admit that there were Russian “volunteers” on the ground, he claimed that they totaled only ten soldiers.
Early on Thursday, separatist forces managed to capture the strategic town of Novoazovsk. Footage released by RT, the Russian state broadcast network, showed the separatist flag being raised over a government building. Shortly after this video was published, NATO presented satellite imagery of two Russian columns of armored vehicles and tanks. While the intensification of the conflict and Ukrainian military losses caused significant concern at the UN, top UN officials explained that the UN had no way of independently verifying the still-nascent reports of Russian military presence.
However, the United States and Germany were very willing to accept the most recent barrage of reports and went on the offensive during the emergency UNSC meeting. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Powers did not skirt around the issues at hand, boldly stating that “serious negotiations are needed, but Russia has to stop lying and has to stop fueling this conflict.”
She reminded the council that they had convened on the crisis in Ukraine a total of 24 times, and that a durable solution was yet to be reached. The blame solely fell on Russia, as Russia “has manipulated. It has obfuscated. It has outright lied.” Powers hoped to follow up the strong words with potent action, promising to meet with the G7 nations and European allies to devise more sanctions. U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, explained that the United States does indeed “have additional tools and sanctions that we can certainly choose to put in place.”
Vitaly Churkin also attempted to play hardball with the other members of the Security Council, questioning the presence of Western military advisers in Ukraine and the substantial support the Ukrainian army is receiving from the West. Churkin explained that the aid to the separatist groups in Ukraine is a “direct consequence of a wreckers policy of Kiev which is conducting a war against its own people.”
Churkin also wished to use the emergency meeting as an opportunity to “send a message to Washington: Stop interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states."
While there have been numerous meetings on the Ukraine Crisis, Russia's veto power on the Security Council has rendered the most powerful arm of the UN impotent. Russia has been isolated completely on this issue, with China receding into the background and supporting a ceasefire and negotiations.
Ukraine's next move seems to be an attempt to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO has considered Ukraine's membership in the past, and has worked closely with Ukraine over the last months on the ongoing civil war. An emergency meeting with the 28 member states and Ukraine is currently underway, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk began to urge MPs to cancel Ukraine's non-bloc status. Were Ukraine to join NATO, it would signify a huge shift in the geopolitical balance in the region, and would be a significant move to push Russia to the sidelines of European policy.
According to UN reports, at least 2119 people have lost their lives due to the conflict in Ukraine, and almost four hundred thousand have been forced to leave their homes to escape the violence. What is clear is that this conflict needs to reach a peaceful conclusion as quickly as possible, before the entire region is mired in the imbroglio of all-out-warfare.
Akshan de Alwis attends Columbia College as a prestigious John Jay Scholar. He has worked in Bangladesh, Romania, Burma, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Turkey on programs on human rights and youth and democratic participation, and helped to build the Youth for Youth Democratic Participation program in Burma.
Photo: Andrew Butko (cc).
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UNSC Holds Emergency Meeting as Ukraine-Russia Crisis Grows More Critical
September 1, 2014
Ukrainian Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Ihor Prokopchuk, announced mid-day on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had “registered a direct invasion by the Russian military into the eastern regions of Ukraine.” Three hours after this announcement, as Ukraine claimed large scale movement by Russian infantry and mechanized divisions, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was convened to hold an emergency meeting on the Ukraine crisis.
UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, whose country is the current president of the UNSC, explained that the reason for the sudden meeting would be for Russia “to explain why it has its troops inside Ukraine.”
However, the emergency meeting of world powers was unable to discover any tractable reason why Russian troops had escalated their presence in Ukraine. Vitaly Churkin, Russian United Nations Ambassador, continued with Russia's boilerplate position, vehemently denying any official military involvement in Ukraine. While he did admit that there were Russian “volunteers” on the ground, he claimed that they totaled only ten soldiers.
Early on Thursday, separatist forces managed to capture the strategic town of Novoazovsk. Footage released by RT, the Russian state broadcast network, showed the separatist flag being raised over a government building. Shortly after this video was published, NATO presented satellite imagery of two Russian columns of armored vehicles and tanks. While the intensification of the conflict and Ukrainian military losses caused significant concern at the UN, top UN officials explained that the UN had no way of independently verifying the still-nascent reports of Russian military presence.
However, the United States and Germany were very willing to accept the most recent barrage of reports and went on the offensive during the emergency UNSC meeting. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Powers did not skirt around the issues at hand, boldly stating that “serious negotiations are needed, but Russia has to stop lying and has to stop fueling this conflict.”
She reminded the council that they had convened on the crisis in Ukraine a total of 24 times, and that a durable solution was yet to be reached. The blame solely fell on Russia, as Russia “has manipulated. It has obfuscated. It has outright lied.” Powers hoped to follow up the strong words with potent action, promising to meet with the G7 nations and European allies to devise more sanctions. U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, explained that the United States does indeed “have additional tools and sanctions that we can certainly choose to put in place.”
Vitaly Churkin also attempted to play hardball with the other members of the Security Council, questioning the presence of Western military advisers in Ukraine and the substantial support the Ukrainian army is receiving from the West. Churkin explained that the aid to the separatist groups in Ukraine is a “direct consequence of a wreckers policy of Kiev which is conducting a war against its own people.”
Churkin also wished to use the emergency meeting as an opportunity to “send a message to Washington: Stop interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states."
While there have been numerous meetings on the Ukraine Crisis, Russia's veto power on the Security Council has rendered the most powerful arm of the UN impotent. Russia has been isolated completely on this issue, with China receding into the background and supporting a ceasefire and negotiations.
Ukraine's next move seems to be an attempt to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO has considered Ukraine's membership in the past, and has worked closely with Ukraine over the last months on the ongoing civil war. An emergency meeting with the 28 member states and Ukraine is currently underway, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk began to urge MPs to cancel Ukraine's non-bloc status. Were Ukraine to join NATO, it would signify a huge shift in the geopolitical balance in the region, and would be a significant move to push Russia to the sidelines of European policy.
According to UN reports, at least 2119 people have lost their lives due to the conflict in Ukraine, and almost four hundred thousand have been forced to leave their homes to escape the violence. What is clear is that this conflict needs to reach a peaceful conclusion as quickly as possible, before the entire region is mired in the imbroglio of all-out-warfare.
Akshan de Alwis attends Columbia College as a prestigious John Jay Scholar. He has worked in Bangladesh, Romania, Burma, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Turkey on programs on human rights and youth and democratic participation, and helped to build the Youth for Youth Democratic Participation program in Burma.
Photo: Andrew Butko (cc).
