Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard
22:25:50
23/10/2016
denyaleto.livejournal (Resident of Donetsk)
“After the creation of the UN 65 wars were started, and all in interests of one country,” declared Gaddafi in 2009. And he tore up the charter.
October 24th – Day of the United Nations. UN. Two letters, which should guarantee peace.
On this day, in 1945, the Charter of the United Nations entered into force. On the ruins left by the Second World War the organization was created, which put in front of itself a good, romantic, and naive aim… peace all over the world.
In the first article of the UN Charter the goals of the organization are lists:
1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.
But what was committed to paper was specifically refracted in reality: in place of the guarantor of the world, a giant bureaucratic machine grew that became a hostage of its own Charter. The “blue helmets” of the UN represent peacekeeping forces, which are armed groups, but do not have the right to use force even in cases when it is necessary. In order to send them somewhere, months are necessary in the least in order to gather the Security Council, to undergo the procedure of coordination, approval, to overcome the resistance of certain members of the Security Council, to make a decision, to adopt a resolution…
Four examples: the Balkans, Iraq, South Ossetia, and Donbass.
Yugoslavia
One of the obvious facts of inactivity of the UN is the conflict in Srpska Krajina. In August 1995, the operation of the Croatian forces against the proclaimed Srpska Krajina begun, which was called “Storm.” Operation “Storm” (“Oluja”) began at 5.00 am with the simultaneous blows by the Croatian troops along the frontline. Along with a massive artillery barrage, the Croatian air force hit command posts and communications of the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina. The Republic of Srpska Krajina ceased to exist in four days. On the demarcation line of the parties stood UN peacekeeping forces. Instead of preventing the Armed Forces of Croatia from attacking Srpska Krajina, the armed employees of the UN mission left their positions, thus opening a corridor for attacks on Serbs.
***
The day when the UN’s face was shoved in the dirt – March 24th, 1999. On this day the military operation of NATO against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia began. What is characteristic is that it was the first military operation Western countries dared to carry out without a UN mandate. The results of the military operations:
1. The Destruction Of Yugoslavia.
2. The overthrow of the Milosevich regime.
3. Kosovo – region controlled by US authorities, where the largest U.S. military base is located.
4. Strong economic blow to the EU – the Euro exchange rate fell sharply.
As can be seen from the results, with the tacit consent of the UN, the US government was engaged in the achievement of their own military-political interests, and in no way attempted to bring democracy to the former Yugoslavia.
Iraq
Having become aware of its impunity, the US decided to invade Iraq. By its invasion of Iraq, which was in contrary to all the voting in the UN Security Council, the United States showed that this international institution is the same as it was a few decades ago – exclusively a political platform for expressing subjective views.
The military operation of the USA and allied countries against Iraq, undertaken with the aim of overthrowing the government of Saddam Hussein and which became the first phase of a dragged out Iraq war (2003-2011) began on 20th March 2003. The reasons for the invasion of Iraq was fictional. This became known when it was too late. The USA achieved their own interests and once again humiliated the UN.
It can be concluded from this situation: The role and meaning of international organizations in resolving global issues has been practically reduced to zero. Thus, despite the repeated statements by the UN about preventing the outbreak of hostilities in Iraq, the US ignored any declarations and pursued a foreign policy exclusively in the interests of achieving their own aims. In this regard, it is possible to say that in the world only those who possesses powerful armed forces that are able to resist any enemy have the most political weight.
South Ossetia
The conflict in Georgia dates back to the late 1980’s, when the activation of the Georgian national movement for independence from the allied center (with the simultaneous rejection of the minority peoples of Georgia to the right to autonomy) and the radical actions of its leaders led to a sharp deterioration of relations between Georgians and ethnic minorities. Conflicts flared up and faded. In 2008, the conflict enflamed again after Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia’s capital and the Russian peacekeepers were killed by the Georgian Armed Forces.
At night, after reports from Tskhinvali of a massive attack by Georgian troops on the South Ossetian capital, the Russian representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin called an emergency meeting of the Security Council of this organization.
“The UN Security Council will not tolerate any attempt to resolve the conflict by force, and Georgia should understand this,” said the representative of Russia to UN Vitaly Churkin.
However, the Security Council showed merely Olympian calm. The UN Security Council didn’t adopt any resolutions or statements on the outcome of the emergency session.
When it became clear that no results were to be expected from the UN, the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev made the decision to coerce Georgia towards peace. Georgia was boosted by support from overseas. She knew that the UN, under US pressure, would not start to respond to military aggression. Georgian military heads planned to cleanse South Ossetia, as the Croats did with Srpska Krajina. Russia was not taken into account. This was a key mistake made by Saakashvili.
The five-day war had significant geopolitical, economic and other consequences. So, on August 26, Russia officially recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent States. On 2nd September Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia. This slowed down the process of Georgia’s accession to NATO. And the UN once again proved to the world its uselessness and impotence.
Ukraine. Odessa massacre and the war in Donbass
In 2014, in front of the world’s eyes, the legitimate President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown, which led to the radicalization of society in Ukraine. Nationalists from different bandit formations received support from the government, which was brought into the Verkhovna Rada by them. The coup was not executed without the help of Western governments, who, with enviable regularity, visited Maidan, where protesters were fuelled with confidence by their support.
The Maidan revolution won, which caused a wave of indignation in the South-East of the country. In this part of Ukraine meetings of “Antimaidan” movements began to be held. The new Kiev authorities did not seek to be similar to ex-President Yanukovych. They immediately used forceful methods to combat dissents. Employees of the Interior Ministry and SBU were engaged in cleansing the leaders of “Antimaidan”. Those who disagreed with the results of the February revolution of “dignity” were taken to the torture chambers of the SBU’s basements and vanished. Over time they were successful in suppressing protests in Kharkov, Dnipropetrovsk, Nikolaev, and Kherson.
“Cleansing” took place discretely. But on May 2nd, in Odessa there was a tregedy, which was received the name of “Odessa Khatyn”. As a result, according to the Interior Ministry of Ukraine, about 50 people were killed [in reality it was over 300 – ed], most of them in the fire in the House of Trade Unions, where activists of the antimaidan movement tried to escape after a collision on Kulikovo Field with Ukrainian nationalists and radicals. The United Nations merely demanded from the Kiev authorities a thorough investigation into the incident, which continues to this day, and the perpetrators have still not been punished.
After the Odessa events Donbass rose. Then it became clear that the Ukrainian authorities will act in the same with dissidents in Donbass. It turned out much worse – the Verkhovna Rada sent the army, National Guard, and volunteer battalions to Donbass. Ukraine started a full-scale military operation using heavy artillery, aircraft, tanks, and other military equipment against the almost unarmed population of Donbass.
The reaction of the UN before the outbreak of hostilities in Donbass:
1. On 17th April the UN Security Council held another meeting on the situation in Ukraine. During the meeting the report of the assistant Secretary of the UN Security Council Ivan Šimonović was discussed. In his report, Šimonović wrote that the information about violations of the rights of Russian in Ukraine was strongly and deliberately exaggerated in order to justify the Russian invasion. He argues that the Russian media is deliberately exaggerating the situation in order to “sow fear and insecurity among the ethnic Russian community”. The US representative to the UN Samantha Power said that Russia “well orchestrated professional campaign of incitement, separatism and sabotage of the Ukrainian state”, followed by “weeks of Russian disinformation and propaganda.” This position was supported by other members of the Security Council. The opinion of the representative of Russia, who called the report one-sided and biased, caused resentment from many members of the UN Security Council.
2. On 24th April, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged “to avoid military action at any cost.”
3. On 15th June, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report about the situation of human rights in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
The Ukrainian government was not going to listen to the UN Secretary Commissioner. They didn’t need it. They followed the orders of Washington, which, with help of its representatives in the UN and media, formed a picture of the reality of what is happening in Donbass. Kiev realised that nobody will stop. That they can punish dissidents by any means. And that the UN will remain silent. What will be said can be ignored, as was done previously.
***
In April 2016, members of the UN Security Council failed to approve the Russia-proposed draft statement in support of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the conflict in Donbass. Also, this draft included the requirement to complete the investigation into the tragic events at the Odessa House of Trade Unions on May 2nd, 2014.
The war in Donbass continues. For the third year, the population of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republic defend themselves from Ukrainian aggression. At this time, UN staff are working in volunteer organizations that bring humanitarian assistance to the civilian population, but the main provision of peace – they do not fulfil.
Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.