Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls for urgent peace talks and warns of catastrophe in Mariupol
Source: The Guardian
Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has called urgently for meaningful and fair peace talks over Russias invasion amid further attacks, including a claim by Moscow that it had used a hypersonic missile for the first time, hitting a depot in the west of the country.
In a video address early on Saturday, Zelenskiy said: Its time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise Russias losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound.
The war must end, he added. Ukraines proposals are on the table.
Hours later, Russia said it had used a hypersonic weapon for the first time, to destroy an underground military depot in western Ukraine. Hypersonic missiles are fast weapons that can evade detection by missile defence systems.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/19/ukraines-zelenskiy-calls-for-urgent-peace-talks-and-warns-of-catastrophe-in-mariupol
Mariupol is discussed further down in the article. If you're not registered with The Guardian, just click on "I'll do it later" to read whole article.
Also posting this DU link to a video I posted earlier concerning Mariupol:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017722185
Lovie777
(11,992 posts)Lonestarblue
(9,883 posts)And is there anything the UN can do on the basis of an illegal invasion and a humanitarian crisis? Im sure the Biden team is exploring every avenue, but damn this is hard to watch. Putin keeps escalating with his weapons, now with hypersonic missiles fired from sea. Putins terms seem to be to demand all of Ukraine, preferably with the country leveled and no citizens left alive.
Every possible sanction needs to be leviedno holding anything back for the future. I think some Russian banks are still able to use SWIFTcut everything off. And countries like the UK need to do a better job of impounding Russian assets. Boris has been slow walking the job.
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)That is what the UN is for.
bluewater
(5,376 posts)United Nations peacekeeping was initially developed during the Cold War as a means of resolving conflicts between states by deploying unarmed or lightly armed military personnel from a number of countries, under UN command, to areas where warring parties were in need of a neutral party to observe the peace process.
...
Peacekeepers monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they may have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development. Accordingly, UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_peacekeeping
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) was an international organization formed under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1035 on 21 December 1995. It completed its mandate on 31 December 2002, when it was succeeded by the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Mission_in_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina
bluewater
(5,376 posts)So, no, UN Peacekeepers are not deployed in active combat zones.
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)Fighting did not stop until about 2000, after NATO bombed Serbia. The Srebrenica ethnic cleansing occurred while the UN was there.
https://www.hrw.org/report/1995/10/15/fall-srebrenica-and-failure-un-peacekeeping/bosnia-and-herzegovina Fighting was so bad that NATO had to come in to Bosnia 1994-1998.
https://shape.nato.int/page14672955
And thanks for bringing up NATO. None of the former Yugoslavian republics were members of NATO, yet NATO came to their rescue against Serbia's Putin, Miloshevic. NATO bombed the shit out of Belgrade in Serbia, defeating Miloshevic. NATO bombed Serbia's main TV station in 1999 and killed many civilians. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_bombing_of_the_Radio_Television_of_Serbia_headquarters#:~:text=The%20NATO%20bombing%20of%20the,NATO%20missile%20hit%20the%20building. Putin is now using that NATO bombing as justification for his bombing of Ukrainian cities.
bluewater
(5,376 posts)of UN Peacekeepers.
Can you see the difference between that and the situation in Ukraine where no peace treaty, or even truce, is signed?
But I take your point. Combat did indeed also ensue in Bosnia AFTER the Peace Treaty was signed and deployment of the UN Peacekeepers. So, yes, the Peacekeepers were in an active combat zone after the fact.
Now, can you understand my point, and I apologize for not stating it clearly enough, namely UN Peacekeepers cannot be authorized and deployed into an active combat zone where there is no formal truce/treaty between the combatants.
So, to my main point, no, the UN cannot deploy Peacekeepers into Ukraine at the present time.
If they legally could, I would think President Zelensky of Ukraine would have already made such a request.
Thanks for the discussion.
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)Zelensky has been begging the UN to step in. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskiy-un-appeal/31474443.html But Russia is a member of the UN Security Council with veto power, so it has been vetoing actions or preventing votes altogether.
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220316-live-un-security-council-members-call-for-emergency-ukraine-meeting-thursday
That's why Russia needs to be kicked out of the UN, as Ukraine has been requesting the UN do, since Russia is not abiding by the rules for members, namely to not attack their neighbors.
The top UN court ordered a halt to Russia's Ukraine offensive. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague ruling called for an immediate suspension. The Kremlins spokesman said Russia cannot take this decision into account."
So what is the use of having a UN to prevent wars if it can't do its job?
bluewater
(5,376 posts)Seems so.
Enjoy your evening.
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)Why is Russia still a member of the UN Security Council when it is in direct violation of the UN membership requirements? Russias veto makes a mockery of the UN Security Council.
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russias-veto-makes-a-mockery-of-the-united-nations-security-council/
Link to tweet
I don't think anyone in Ukraine is enjoying their evening.
former9thward
(31,806 posts)The United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, declared explicitly for the first time last night that the US-led war on Iraq was illegal.
Mr Annan said that the invasion was not sanctioned by the UN security council or in accordance with the UN's founding charter. In an interview with the BBC World Service broadcast last night, he was asked outright if the war was illegal. He replied: "Yes, if you wish."
He then added unequivocally: "I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN charter. From our point of view and from the charter point of view it was illegal."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/16/iraq.iraq
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)It only enforces its rules against weak, small nations.
bluewater
(5,376 posts)Evolve Dammit
(16,632 posts)rockfordfile
(8,682 posts)orangecrush
(19,237 posts)Putin doesn't follow rules, but NATO has to.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,112 posts)KYIV, UkraineRussian and Ukrainian forces are battling on the city streets of Mariupol, officials said Saturday, as Moscow aims to create a corridor between Russia and its annexed region of Crimea.
During three weeks of bombardment and attack, Ukrainians said they had kept Russian forces at bay on the outskirts of the southern port city, but that has changed. The fighting is already in the city itself, an official from the mayors office said via text message. But Mariupol remains a Ukrainian city.
Government forces in Ukraine said they kept up the resistance Saturday. Fierce battles between the defenders of Mariupol and the occupier continue, including on the city streets, said a report on the Telegram channel of the volunteer group Azov Battalion, whose members have been fighting alongside regular government forces inside the city.
The military repulses the enemy, who does not stop the attack on Mariupol with his artillery and aircraft, the report said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukrainian-forces-try-to-hold-mariupol-as-combat-reaches-city-streets/ar-AAVge28