By Ochiaka Ugwu
Ambassador of Russian Federation to Nigeria, Amb. Andrey Podelyshev has stated that only sustainable and lasting peace can resolve the Ukraine conflict and not temporary ceasefire as advocated by some western nations.
Podelyshev who made this known Thursday in press briefing in Abuja said the Russia’s approach to a settlement of crises remains unchanged noting that a genuine resolution was impossible without addressing the root causes of the conflict.
Tracing the root of the conflict from late 2013-14, Podelyshev narrated how the violent confrontation on Kyiv’s central square between the authorities and the opposition (the so-called Maidan), which was openly supported by the United States, the official Ukrainian leadership and opposition representatives reached an agreement on the political transformation of the country and the holding of early elections.
He said the guarantors of the agreement’s implementation were France (Laurent Fabius), Germany (Frank-Walter Steinmeier), and Poland (Radosław Sikorski).
Continuing, he said a few days later, the opposition carried out a coup d’état and seized power with the President of Ukraine forced to flee to avoid a bloody scenario while the guarantors, represented by Germany, France, and Poland, remained silent, effectively encouraging the opposition to take further unconstitutional actions.
He informed that their intention to remain silent was further revealed when a former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland admitted that $5 billion had already been spent to support opposition, and the coup d’état.
He said that upon the nationalists coming to power in 2014, declared war on everything Russian in Ukraine and in violation of the Ukrainian Constitution and Kyiv’s international commitments regarding the protection of human rights and national minorities, prohibited the use of the Russian language in education, science, culture, media, advertising, public services, and even in everyday life.
He noted that ethnic Russians who refused to renounce their ancestors and traditions faced widespread discrimination from the Ukrainian authority.
Podelyshev emphasize that, as of February 2022, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) were recognized by Russia as independent states and their accession to the Russian Federation occurred much later on September 30, 2023, based on the outcomes of the referendums held there.
He informed that Russia did not have any intention of any territorial expansion, contrary to frequent accusations, but only acted to protect the Russian-speaking population of Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), and to respond to their official appeal for support.
According to him, “How then should Russia’s actions be assessed under international law if done without bias? Western countries, while citing the provisions of the UN Charter, selectively emphasize only the principle of territorial integrity deliberately ignoring the right of peoples to self-determination and the obligation to respect “human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion”. This selective approach represents a clear case of manipulation and the manifestation of double standards.
“It’s worth recalling that in 1970—after years of debate—the UN General Assembly, by consensus, adopted the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter (24 October 1970, Resolution 2625).
“The Declaration establishes that the principle of territorial integrity applies only to those states whose governments respect the principles of equality and self-determination of peoples, and as a result, “have governments representing all the people residing in the territory without distinction as to race, creed, or color.”
“Considering that the Kyiv regime did not represent the residents of the regions of Crimea and Donbass, under the international law their representatives cannot claim that the principle of territorial integrity should be applied to Ukraine in its present form.
“Moreover, the UN International Court of Justice, when considering the situation regarding Kosovo, confirmed that any territory, declaring its independence, is not obliged to seek the opinion or permission of the central state authorities to which it belonged at the time the decision on independence is made.
“Therefore, the territories of Novorossiya and Donbass, had the right to determine their own sovereignty. This fully complies with the contemporary international law and the UN Charter. Accordingly, Russia had the right to conclude the relevant interstate agreements with these new states, what it did.
“These treaties included provisions for mutual assistance. Russia ratified them and undertook specific obligations. Afterwards, these newly established states requested our assistance within the framework of these agreements. Russia possessed both the capacity and the obligation to respond. That is what Russia did, attempting to stop the hostilities initiated by the Kyiv regime in 2014. Russia did not initiate any intervention or aggression; on the contrary – we are attempting to bring it to an end” he said.
