Topic: 2025 – Situation in Ukraine
Country: Slovenia
Delegate Name: Ella Woods
Country: Slovenia
Delegate: Ella Woods
School: East Grand Rapids High School
Committee: Security Council
Topic: Situation in Ukraine
The crisis in Ukraine escalated into full invasion in February 2022. The root causes of the conflict are territorial disputes which stem from Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Putin has long questioned Ukraine’s right to exist claiming that, “modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia.” Other than territorial disputes, Putin feared that Nato was trying to institute Ukraine as a member in order to use it as a strategic location against Russia. For several reasons, some believe Putin’s motive of invasion was to erase the state of Ukraine. The UN can push for peace talks, impose more sanctions, and help protect civilians. But Russia, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), holds veto power. An issue that has highlighted a constraint of the UNSC. The UN and many countries have provided funds, pushed for peace talks, and imposed many sanctions but these actions have only served to prolong the conflict.
Peace is crucial to ending the conflict in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the conflict, countries have been supplying arms to both sides of the war. A first step in controlling the flow of weapons into the war zone is ensuring the weapons are being tracked. This will allow the UN to impose penalties on violators and begin monitoring the flow of arms. Which in turn will prevent “grey zone” warfare. While ideally less weapons would be provided to fuel the conflict, Ukraine has a right to defend itself. Under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations so it is not the responsibility of the UNSC to stop them from receiving military funding and aid. In fact, trying to divert sources of weapons could cause arms to fall into the hands of unintended organizations, like the Wagner group out of Russia. Our focus should be on protecting the safety of civilians. The UNSC can provide defense weapons, such as anti-aircraft guns. When used appropriately these will decrease infrastructure destruction.
When the UNSC can agree, and no countries with veto power are involved it can act decisively. For example, during the Korean war the UNSC recommended that member states provide forces which convinced 16 member nations to send troops. These measures were only able to be passed because the Soviet Union had recently boycotted the UNSC and chose not to participate. An example of a conflict in which a nation vetoed an act and prolonged suffering is Syria. In Syria, over 2,700 Syrians had been killed when Russia and China vetoed a resolution. The veto prevented action and enabled further violence.
Slovenia believes that civilian protection should be the UNSC’s primary concern. The UNSC should attempt to resolve the conflict as quickly as possible by establishing a way to track weapons entering Ukraine, providing funding primarily for defense weapons, and continuing to attempt peace talks.
https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15286.doc.htm
https://thesoufancenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TSC-Special-Report_Ukraine_April-2022.pdf#:~:text=NON%2DSTATE%20ACTORS%20FIGHTING%20FOR%20RUSSIA%20On%20the,Russian%20Imperial%20Movement%20(RIM)%2C%20are%20detailed%20below.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0q964851po
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/united-nations-korea
https://www.globalr2p.org/publications/syria-veto-costs-lives
