Topic: Ukraine
Country: Egypt
Delegate Name: Ben Schneider
School: East Grand Rapids High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Egypt position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
Ever since Ukraine’s separation from the Soviet Union after the Soviet Union’s collapse in December 1991, relations between Ukraine and its powerful neighbor, Russia, have become strained, especially since the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine to Russia in February 2014, when pro-Russian demonstrators and Russian troops seized the peninsula following the Ukrainian revolution where former president Viktor Yanukovych was driven out of the country after declining to join the EU in exchange for a 15 billion dollar bailout by the Russian government. Ever since the annexation, there has been military conflict between the countries as to the status of Crimea. With tensions high between Russia and Ukraine, DISEC must find a way to restore peace between the two countries.
Egypt-Ukraine relations have been good since the creation of Ukraine. Egypt has an embassy in Kiev and Ukraine has an embassy in Cairo. The two countries have a good economic relationship, and Egypt is one of Ukraine’s major trade partners in the Middle East. They are on good standing with each other and have held meetings together on strengthening trade between the two countries as well as their security issues. However, Egypt has much deeper ties with Russia, both economically and strategically. Egypt does lots of business with Russia, including arms dealing, and agrees with Russia on its position on the conflict in Syria and Libya.
The Ukraine-Russia conflict has been the subject of multiple UN resolutions, including General Assembly Resolution 68/262. This resolution called upon all states to “desist and refrain from actions aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” This is a clear reference to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its military involvement in the seizure of Crimea. Egypt abstained from that vote. This resolution also established that the Crimean referendum establishing it as a part of Russia was invalid because it was held during Russian military occupation.
The country of Egypt believes that the ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia should continue to be upheld to prevent further casualties and that both Russia and Ukraine should use their influence to keep the separatists from fighting further. The state of Crimea currently is not one that will be changed, but the countries involved can withdraw their most destructive weapons from the border and continue to uphold the Minsk agreement.
