The points of the UN draft do not coincide with Zelensky’s peace plan: an attempt to garner as much support as possible. Today Tajani will speak to the Assembly, tomorrow the interview with Blinken
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW YORK — One year after the start of the war in Ukraine, the United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday a draft resolution stressing the need to achieve complete peace as soon as possible, just and lasting, in line with the UN Charter (therefore in respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity). Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani arrived in New York last night. At a meeting with Italian-Americans in the Consulate, Tajani declared that for this government there are two polar stars in foreign policy: the European Union and the United States and that Italy hopes that China will do its duty and push Russia not to go ahead with the war in Ukraine. The Foreign Minister will speak today at the Special Emergency Session on Ukraine of the UN General Assemblywill see the secretary general Antonio Guterres and tomorrow the US secretary of state Antony Blinken.
The draft resolution that will be voted on in the General Assembly is not Zelensky’s peace plan, as Ukraine originally wanted: a less detailed version. The reason you want to attempt to have as much support as possible. Ukraine and its supporters hope to increase Russia’s isolation by winning votes from almost three-quarters of the General Assembly (made up of 193 members of which 191 have the right to vote), to match if not exceed the support obtained from last year’s resolutions. Judge the differences for yourself.
This the Zelensky’s ten-point planpresented at the G20 in Bali:
1) Nuclear safety: the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine now occupied by Russia;
2)
Food safety: protect and secure Ukrainian grain exports to the world’s poorest nations;
3)
Energy security: focus on price restrictions for Russian energy resources; help Ukraine rebuild its infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks;
4) Release of all prisoners and deporteesincluding prisoners of war and children deported to Russia;
5) Restoration of territorial integrity of Ukraine. Moscow should reaffirm it, on the basis of the UN Charter. Non-negotiable, according to Zelensky;
6) R
withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities. Restoration of Ukraine’s borders with Russia;
7) Justice: including the creation of a special court to prosecute Russian war crimes;
8) Prevention of ecocideenvironmental protection, in particular demining and recovery of water resources;
9) Prevention of an escalation of the conflict; build a security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic area that guarantees the security of Ukraine;
10) Confirmation of the end of the war, including a document signed by the parties involved. The draft resolution, presented by Ukraine in coordination with the allies, which will go to the vote of the General Assembly (read in full here https://documents-ddsny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N23/048/ 58/PDF/N2304858.pdf?OpenElement) calls for the achievement as soon as possible of an integral, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Furthermore:
11) reaffirms the commitment to sovereignty, independenceunity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, which extend into territorial waters;
12) reiterates its request to the Russian Federation to withdraw all its military forces immediately, completely and unconditionallyfrom the territory of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders and calls for the cessation of hostilities;
13) calls on the parties to treat all prisoners of war in compliance with the Geneva Convention and requests the completion of the prisoner of war exchangethe release of persons detained against the law and of all civilians transferred and deported, including children;
14) calls on the parties to fully comply with their obligations, under international humanitarian law, to spare the population and civilian targetsto ensure the safe access of humanitarian aid, to avoid attacking, destroying, removing or making useless objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population;
15) asks theimmediate cessation of attacks on critical infrastructure of Ukraine and any deliberate attacks on civilian objects, including homes, schools and hospitals;
16) Emphasize the need to ensure punishment for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukrainethrough appropriate, fair and independent investigations at the national and international levels, to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes.
The resolution contains more references to peace than previous UN resolutions and reflects the thrust sustained above all by countries of the southern hemisphere, such as Brazil and South Africa, for a peace initiative. It also calls for the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian military troops within internationally recognized borders, in other words including the territories annexed by Russia in Crimea and Donbass. The choice to speak of a cessation of hostilities rather than a deliberate ceasefire: the ceasefire, according to the diplomats involved in drafting the text, would imply an interruption perhaps for the purpose of reorganizing the troops but not necessarily a permanent end to hostilities.
The resolution also speaks of justice, but Ukraine is considering presenting another resolution later this year calling for the establishment of a UN-approved special court to judge war crimes
and of aggression. Ceasing hostilities is therefore seen as the starting point to then find a diplomatic solution. Over 50 countries co-sponsored the resolution, including Italy. In addition to this, Minister Tajani will present two proposals today, which partly reflect the first two points of Zelensky’s plan and which are not addressed in the draft resolution:
1) the search for an agreement to avoid clashes around the Zaporizhzhia plant;
2) intensify the number of ships carrying grain from Ukraine to Africa. Tajani will explain that if bread protests break out in Africa, it would have an impact on migration that Italy could not handle.
The General Assembly was chosen as the fulcrum of these attempts, because the Security Council – which will discuss the war again on Friday – paralyzed by the Russian veto. A recap of previous votes: On March 2, 141 states voted to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine and demand that Moscow withdraw its troops; a few weeks later 140 states voted to ask for humanitarian access and the protection of civilians and criticized Russia for the serious situation; on October 12, 143 countries condemned Moscow’s illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine and asked all other countries not to recognize it.
February 22, 2023 (change February 22, 2023 | 1:00 PM)
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