Peace for Ukraine: Not Anytime Soon
"Any parallel or alternative attempts to seek peace are, in fact, efforts to achieve a lull instead of an end to the war. [Those who support our cause must] put pressure on [Russia].""Do not divide the world. Be united nations. And that will bring us peace.""When some propose alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called sets of principles, it not only ignore the interests and suffering of Ukrainians who are affected by the war the most, it not only ignores reality, but also gives Putin the political space to continue the war."Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
 |
| UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Volodymyr
Zelenskyy (at podium and on screens), President of Ukraine, addresses
the general debate of the General Assembly’s 79th session |
Speaking
before the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Ukraine's
president appealed to global leaders to take a firm stand alongside his
country, not to seek "a lull" rather than a "real, just peace",
at a time when two years have passed since the Russian 'special
military action' invasion of Ukraine and the third year has begun of
unremitting warfare, the constant bombing of Ukraine's territory and the
slow and steady advance of Putin's territorial plans, at the dreadful
price of thousands of human lives, both Ukrainian and Russian.
President
Zelenskyy is only too well aware of the pressure he faces from his
allies in the West, as well as some of his own fellow Ukrainians,
anxious to have him negotiate a ceasefire. Yet he well understands that
such a ceasefire will inevitably work in Moscow's favour; no withdrawal
of forces, no return of Ukrainian sovereign territory to its rightful
owners, no reparations from the wholesale destruction of civilian
infrastructure in towns and cities shelled indiscriminately by the
Russian military.
Above all, it would give Russia the opportunity to rest, regroup, re-plan, recruit and return refreshed to the battlefield.
As
fr as Volodymyr Zelenskyy is concerned, no alternative exists to the
peace formula he presented two years earlier that seeks the expulsion of
all Russian fores from his country, Russian accountability for war
crimes, release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and deportees, nuclear
safety, energy and food security assurances. Russia has not yet
addressed the UNGA's annual gathering of presidents, prime ministers,
monarchs and allied high officials.
Only
low-level Russian diplomats have been dispatched to represent Russia on
the world stage to hear out Zelenskyy's speech. High-level meetings at
the General Assembly are absent the presence of Russian President
Vladimir Putin, this year; his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is mean
to present Russia's address. From Moscow, Dmitry Peskov attacked
Zelenskyy's remarks at the Assembly when the Security Council was told
Russia needs to "be forced into peace", by the Ukrainian president.
According to Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, that claim represents "a fatal mistake", as "a profound misconception which, of course, will inevitably have consequences for the Kyiv regime".
This year's UN General Assembly sees the war in Ukraine moved aside
from stage central while the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and escalating
developments along the Israel-Lebanese border now share the spotlight.
Ukraine officials rejected a proffered Chinese and Brazilian peace plan. President Zelenskyy addressed that as well: "You will not boost your power at Ukraine's expense",
he remarked heatedly. Both Ukraine and Russia are locked in a grinding
battle along their contiguous border, a 1,000 kilometre front line. With
Ukraine facing down Moscow's territorial expansion ambition under the
thin guise of 'saving' Ukraine from neo-fascism, and Russian-speakers in
east Ukraine from Kyiv's malign intentions.
Russia's intimidating tactics veer off into not-too subtle threats highlighting its huge nuclear arsenal.
Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin alluded to a shift in his country’s nuclear doctrine, Sergey Lavrov accused the West of using Ukraine as a tool to try "to defeat"
Moscow strategically, "preparing Europe for it to also throw itself
into this suicidal escapade."
"I’m not going to talk here about
the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to
victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is." | Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs addresses the UNGA meeting on September 28, 2024 AP |
Labels: Peace Prospects, Russian Intransigence, Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian Counteroffensive, United Nations
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, September 28, 2024
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