“It is getting harder to punish Russia”: why the West does not propose new sanctions

The United Nations has no chance Military conflict in UkraineWestern diplomats admit there is limited scope for pressure on Russia. writes about him ReutersNoting the “disappointment and anxiety of some countries that the war has drawn too much of the world’s attention”.

“The longer the war drags on, the harder it is to find reasonable ways to punish Russia.”

Richard Gowan, UN director of the Independent International Crisis Group, said:

According to the agency, in some cases Western countries avoid concrete steps, fearing that support for such measures will be weak. Observers believe it is increasingly abstaining from the UN vote, as more and more members of the organization are unwilling to oppose Moscow publicly.

“It is impossible to isolate Russia”

In June, the European Union discussed appointing a UN expert to investigate human rights abuses in Russia, but shelved the idea for fear that nearly half of UNHRC members might oppose it.

“Countries ask: Is it really wise to be among those who beat Russia?”

– said Olaf Vintsek, director of the Geneva branch of the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

By contrast, the Russian mission at the UN in Geneva claims that Western states “know very well that it is impossible to isolate Russia because it is a world power.”

The publication states that Russia has veto power in the UN Security Council, which consists of 15 members. By using this Moscow can “protect itself from important actions”. For example, it is the veto right that does not allow sending UN peacekeepers to Ukraine – previous deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proposed to do this. UN peacekeepers are brought in to prevent or eliminate threats to peace and security through joint coercive action when economic and political measures are not sufficient.

In addition, the Russian Federation allegedly campaigned to “blunt support for Western diplomatic moves,” according to Reuters. For example, ahead of the UN General Assembly vote to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council in April, Moscow warned countries that they would see yes or abstention votes as a “hostile” move and promised results. However, the US initiative received 93 votes in favor and 24 against, with 58 countries abstaining.

Sanctions and red lines

US Permanent Representative to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Russia had managed to convince some countries with a “false narrative” that Western sanctions were responsible for the global food crisis “fueled by the Moscow war”.

However, according to him, this did not strengthen Moscow’s support. “More than 17 African countries abstained from fear of Russian intimidation tactics,” he said in a Senate speech in July.

Within a week of February 24, nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly voted in favor of “rebuking Russia and demanding the withdrawal of its troops”, and three weeks later the UN again harshly condemned Russia for “creating a dire humanitarian situation.” condemned,” the release notes.

“Support will decline because the March resolutions represent the high point and there is no desire to take further action unless the red lines are crossed.”

A senior Asian diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Some diplomats have suggested that such red lines could be a nuclear or chemical attack, major civilian casualties, or annexation of Ukrainian territory.

Against this background, Western states have been successful and focused on the upcoming elections to UN bodies – in April, for the first time since its founding in 1946, there was a UN children’s agency UNICEF, unable to be re-elected to the Russian executive board and won a seat. several other bodies. However, as early as May, nearly 30 countries in the World Health Organization, half of which are African, did not vote on a resolution on Ukraine.

“We were most surprised by the idea that such a conflict was actually encouraged to continue indefinitely,” he said.

A senior African diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed to the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine and the lack of real negotiations for a peaceful end to the conflict.

“Remove Russia from the UN Security Council”

Remember, in early April the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky suggested The UN Security Council dissolves itself, reformats itself, or removes the Russian Federation from its membership. For the first time a call for the removal of the Russian Federation from the UN Security Council heard In Zelensky’s video message on February 26. But this requires a recommendation from the Security Council, which can be blocked by Russia itself.

“Another option would be to withdraw the powers of the representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but this would require the support of at least a majority of the members of the General Assembly,” the publication said.

On March 2, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution co-sponsored by 96 countries. The document condemns the “Russian occupation of Ukraine”, demands the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the annulment of Moscow’s decision to recognize the independence of the DPR and LPR.

This resolution was passed with 141 votes in favour, five against and 35 abstentions. Only Russia itself, Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Eritrea voted against.

We also include the United States and a number of EU countries. requested The UN Security Council will hold a meeting on Ukraine on August 24.

“A relevant request has been sent to the head of the UN Security Council,” the source said. TASS in a worldwide organization. This meeting is expected to discuss the results of UN Secretary General António Guterres’s visit to Ukraine.

According to the latest UN data, since the start of Russia’s special operation, 18.3 million Ukrainians have left their homes, with 10.6 million forced to flee the country and become refugees.

Reuters, citing sources in diplomatic circles, writes that the West did not propose new measures against Russia at the UN, fearing low support for such steps. According to the addressees of the publication, many members of the General Assembly do not want to take new steps until the red lines are crossed. Such extremes could be a nuclear or chemical attack, mass casualties among the civilian population, or annexation of Ukrainian territory. Read more in the article “socialbites.ca”.



Source: Gazeta

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