By S.R. Insanally, former Minister of Foreign Affairs
As a follow up to my initial article on the above subject, I write now to express my satisfaction with, and support for the several statements made public by Guyana at a recent meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to discuss the situation of Ukraine.
These statements amply reflect Guyana’s concern over the military intervention by Russia in Ukraine and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They condemn Russia for its aggression and call on the Secretary General to bring an early resolution to the situation in Ukraine. Guyana states finally that its position fully accords with that of CARICOM, our regional organization as publicized on February 14, 2022 and February 24, 2022. It is a position held by the majority of speakers who intervened in the general debate.
It must now be generally clear to Russia what it must do to satisfy the demands made by members of the Security Council.
It must immediately cease its hostilities toward Ukraine and confine itself to the use of diplomacy.
Seek a peaceful resolution of all difficulties that may exist.
Cooperate with the UNSC to bring about a speedy resolution to the conflict and
Cease the threat to international peace and security.
Meanwhile, it is expected that sanctions will be maintained to remove the oligarchs and other profiteers from exploiting the population. The United Nations is compiling a record of crimes against humanity which have been on the increase in recent years. Several heads of Government have been brought before the Criminal Court in the past to be tried on such charges. In this context, one can’t help but wonder if Putin, against whom such allegations have been made, will be dragged to the Hague? Or, will his own veto come to his rescue?
The Dissolution of the Soviet empire must be an ever-present nightmare for Putin, accustomed as he is to wielding power to achieve his political goals. He was apparently very shaken by the rebellion which some of his opponents had organized against him. There are other developments which must be preying on Putin’s mind. The unification of Germany will undoubtedly have an impact on Europe’s balance of power. It is said that “a unified Germany is either too strong or too weak for the peace of Europe.” This is a problem for European security since the region is considered to be fragmented and vulnerable to ethnic and national centrifugalism.
The historian George Miller has noted that while Russia had humbled itself in the past in order to receive economic support from the West, it has now adopted a more assertive posture towards the world. As the second largest nuclear and military power., Russia’s nationalism has grown in strength. A recurring suggestion is that a set of interlocking institutions should be created to assist in managing the relationship between the East and West. Even if accepted by both sides, it is a proposal that would be difficult to implement while the Russia/Ukraine war is still raging hot.
I end with an interesting quote from Ukraine Relief/ Web.
“In reality, though, how horrific things get most depends on decisions taken in the Kremlin. Moscow faces not only the sanctions and NATO troop build-ups that Western powers will now undertake, but also prospectively, fierce Ukrainian resistance that it seems to have discounted, potentially immense costs to its global repute and the need to convince its public that this war on a neighbouring country in which many Russian citizens have relatives and friends is truly crucial to national security. Seemingly isolated, angry and set on his dangerous path, President Putin may be beyond reaching. Pivoting to the pursuit of a negotiated settlement could still lead to real reductions of forces in Europe and would do much more for Russian security than war in Ukraine”.
For, now though, that appears a distant hope. Those who oppose Moscow’s aggression need to raise the cost to Russia and prepare for what could be a long and difficult struggle.