By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL (TURKISH JOURNAL)- On Friday, in formal statements at a press briefing about the Russia-Ukraine crisis, two Senior U.S. administration officials aka official one and official two, explained President Biden’s view about the ongoing situation. Senior administration official two said that Biden understands this is “not just a threat to European peace and security, but to global peace and the international order.” The official added this is the reason Biden instructed all his envoys to find every diplomatic path to de-escalate the crisis and find a peaceful resolution.
Both officials said that the crisis has come to the point where the U.S. on Friday, requested an open UN Security Council meeting where each member state will have an opportunity to voice their views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and offer recommendations for de-escalation. Senior administration official two said the United Nations is involved and that U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield and her team have been continuously working with the Ukrainian and Russian missions along with members of the Security Council as well as U.S. partners and allies. The official said the Biden administration tirelessly sought diplomacy with more than 100 meetings with NATO, the EU, the OSCE, Ukraine, Russia and other partners and allies. He added that in all the meetings, the U.S. was very clear about dialogue and diplomacy being the sole path to provide a lasting solution to the security concerns surrounding Ukraine, Russia, the U.S. and its allies and partners.
In Monday’s open UN Security Council meeting, Russia will be asked to support its claim that it has no intention again of invading Ukraine, Senior administration official two, said. What that would look like, he explained, would be Russia showing conciliatory de-escalation actions to rachet down the tense situation on the Ukrainian border – ultimately a good faith withdrawal of the massive troop deployment on Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus where Putin has already installed thousands of troops in close range to Ukraine’s capital. The official continued by explaining that Russia’s threat to Ukraine violates the premise of the UN Charter and will have “grave implications for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the safety and security of all Member States.” As Senior administration official two stated: “Any further invasion of Ukraine would be profoundly destabilizing from a political and a humanitarian perspective – for Ukraine, for Europe, and for the broader international community.” He added that this is exactly the type of situation the UN and Security Council were created to deal with. He said Security Council members all agree that a public discourse in the Council will support and complement the dialogue and diplomacy that has been taking place over the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, Senior administration official one said, “we believe engaging diplomatically in the Security Council is a key part of that effort.” He reiterated that under the UN Charter it is the Security Council’s main responsibility to maintain international peace and security. He echoed Senior administration official one’s comment that the crisis is a “clear threat to peace and security, and we believe that the situation on the ground requires us to engage in preventative diplomacy to avoid a crisis before it is upon us. In our view, it would be a dereliction of the Security Council’s duties to take a “wait and see” approach in this instance. The Council’s full attention is needed now to examine the facts and consider what’s at stake for Ukraine, for Europe, and for the international order should Russia further invade Ukraine.”
To that end, in Monday’s UNSC meeting, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield will present the facts of the case and carefully explain what the consequences could be for the EU, global peace and security. Senior administration official one, said that every UN Member State will bear a consequence in any outcome of this crisis if Russia were to actually invade Ukraine. He alluded to the fact that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the situation “risks opening a Pandora’s box across the globe” that would contradict UN Charter principles and the international order. He explained that the UN Charter has been in existence for 80 years and its foundation is based on “respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States.” Blinken had expressed that this crisis could also have “devastating humanitarian consequences” as well, the official added. The reason is because the UN is currently giving aid to three million people in eastern Ukraine who need help as a result of seven years of conflict caused by Russia and its proxy forces. It stands to reason that any further Russian invasion of Ukraine would worsen the already precarious humanitarian situation in Ukraine, he added.
Monday’s meeting is seen as a chance for Russia to fully explain its actions, the official said, adding, “and we come prepared to listen.” He commented: “We will also be prepared to call out disinformation and diversionary tactics Russia may use, including their claims that Ukraine is provoking the conflict and that NATO is to blame for these tensions. We’re unfortunately all too familiar with these tactics.” The meeting will also be an opportunity for Russia to hear the Security Council views on international order, Senior administration official one, said. Senior administration official two mentioned that the U.S. is hopeful that Russia and the Biden administration can come to “understanding agreements together” that he added, would “ensure our mutual security.” Senior administration official one, said the open session allows every member of the Security Council to voice their view on this situation and to see whether everyone is on the same page about de-escalation of conflict or not. Also, Senior administration official two said there is “broad support” for the open Security Council meeting. When asked what role China may play at the meeting, he highlighted that the U.S. administration has been in “very active dialogue” with China about a range of issues including the current crisis. He added that Secretary Blinken “spoke to his counterpart in China, a day ago and that we’ve been in active diplomatic conversation with the Chinese mission in New York about this meeting and the issue as it relates to the Security Council.” He pointed out that “it’s not in China’s interest to see a conflict in this situation, not just because of the Olympics,” he said. He added: “I think more broadly, the impact of a devastating conflict in Europe would have on China’s interests all over the world. So, we hope that China will be speaking to these principles, the importance of upholding these principles, and to the path of diplomacy on Monday as well.” Senior administration official one added: “If you look at China’s statements in the Security Council, you’ll see a frequent refrain that China urges Council members and the broader UN membership to pursue the peaceful settlement of disputes.” He added that is one of the “fundamental tasks of the Security Council.”
The crux of the matter, according to Senior administration official two, is “the questions on the table on Monday, really go to the heart of the UN Charter – whether one country can militarily threaten or invade its neighbor, whether a country can seek to change the borders of another by force, even whether a former empire can use force to wrench its former territory from a sovereign nation. These are the profound questions of international peace and security, and I think the world’s powers, the members of the Security Council have an opportunity to speak, as I said, on the record, on this crisis. And it basically boils down to the question of whether there should be a path of war or whether there should be a path of diplomacy. And I think the question is – and I think the expectation is – that members of the Security Council will be weighing in on that question in support of a diplomatic approach.”
