These words also describe the hopes of the world in the founding of the UN, as the best protection mankind could conceive against another world war: the commitment of the nations of the world to resolve disputes peacefully, and protect the territorial integrity of countries against invasion by its neighbors. The UN worked as hoped when Iraq invaded Kuwait, and the Security Council voted to force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait under the action of a multi-national military force.
But in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the UN Security Council is incapable of acting similarly, due to Russia’s veto of any such action. However, UN Resolution 377, enacted in November of 1950, authorizes the UN General Assembly to act in place of the Security Council to end such a conflict when Security Council action is blocked by a veto. The UN General Assembly has only voted on two censure resolutions with no demand for a cease fire, and no consequences if not honored. So these resolutions have had no impact on Russia’s actions in Ukraine. And the destruction of the civilian infrastructure, the human atrocities and war crimes, have continued for more than eight months.
The continuing conflict is becoming increasingly dangerous to the citizens of Ukraine and to the world. Russia’s consistent missile attacks on the civilian infrastructure, to deny civilians far from military targets the basic elements of life such as electricity, heat and water, are on-going war crimes. Human atrocities continue to be discovered as Ukraine reclaims Russian occupied territories. Ukraine is not going to surrender to Russia and give up its sovereignty. Putin is unlikely to politically survive a battlefield loss to Ukraine. Putin needs an off-ramp that he can position to his citizens as having achieved the initial purposes for sending troops to Ukraine or this illegal conflict will not only continue, it may lead to dangerous escalations.
It seems under Resolution 377, the UN General Assembly could enforce a cease fire and install a multi-national Peacekeeping Force. Rather than oppose this action, Putin could “spin” it as achieving the goals he announced for the invasion: eliminating the Nazi influence, preventing Ukraine from invading Russia, and protecting Russian speaking people in Eastern Ukrainian, all secured by the UN actions.
The Russian annexation of Crimea and the Eastern districts would need to be negotiated after the current conflict ends. The UN should insist on supervising these negotiations, with the threat of facing a vote in the General Assembly to lose their Security Council seat if Russia does not agree to cancelling annexation and withdrawing from Ukrainian territory.
With Cincinnati’s sister city connection to Kharkiv, I’m sure many local citizens hope the UN can find the courage to take bold action in the General Assembly and demand action to end to this unlawful invasion. Let us hope that the US Administration and our UN Ambassador will lead the UN General Assembly to take bold action under Resolution 377 now.
Bob Viney is a former nuclear submarine officer, business executive, adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, and the author of American Turning Point: Repairing and Restoring Our Constitutional Republic.
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