Name: Niculescu Maria-Elisa

Country: United States of America

Committee: United Nations Security Council
Topic: Enforcing Peace in the Ukrainian Conflict Zone

Position Paper
“Everyone has the right to life.... and security of person.” (UDHR,1948)

The discussed topic of the Security Council refers to the question of enforcing peace in the Ukrainian
conflict zone, the subject being one of the most controversial debated topics in mass- media and not
only. It represents an important issue, especially because human rights are an aspect very much
related to it and protecting the right to life and security of persons constitutes the cornerstone of the
UN. The roots of the Ukrainian conflict, which erupted in 2014, is a power struggle between factions
within Ukraine: one wants to align with the European Union and other with Russia. The local
population has been displaced at an alarming rate since the eruption of military confrontation, with
the result that over 1.5 million people are no longer holding residence in the region. Moreover, the
annexation of Crimea worries 260,000 Muslim Tatars that were subjected to ethnic cleansing during
the Soviet rule and forced to move to Central Asia, where half of them died. The Ukrainian conflict
resulted in many lost lives and an economic decrease for both Ukraine and Russia.

The Security Council finds it difficult to pass any resolution to solve the Ukrainian conflict since Russia
used the Veto right for the past 5 years, in order to prevent it. Russia does not allow the U.N. to
monitor the mission in Crimea, so the mission interviewed Tartars who had fled the area. President
Vladimir Putin has consistently ignored the U.N.’s resolutions on Ukraine, violating calls for Russia to
respect Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and to allow U.N. inspectors into Crimea. Russia’s U.N.
delegation did not respond to multiple requests for comment. However, the General Assembly
adopted in December 2018 a resolution urging the Russian Federation to withdraw its military forces
from Crimea and end its temporary occupation of Ukraine’s territory without delay, but rejected an
amendment that would have called on both struggle between factions within Ukraine: one wants to
align with the European Union, and the sides to investigate an incident in November, involving the
seizure of three Ukrainian vessels and their crew. Furthermore, at the United Nations General
Assembly in New York, in September 2018, Ukraine and the U.S. are tried to pressure the U.N. into
further action against Russia by raising the issue of human rights abuses in the Donbas and Crimea.

On July 29, 2014, the United States and the EU extended economic sanctions against Russia. Our
nation wanted to convince President Vladimir Putin to stop supporting those who want to break up
the country by having proof that Russia supplied separatists that shot down a Malaysia Airlines
commercial jet over eastern Ukraine on July 17, killing 298 people.

The sanctions severely limit five out of the six major Russian banks' ability to obtain medium and
long-term financing from Europe. The United States also restricted technology exports to Russia's
deep-water Arctic offshore. In addition, our nation, the U.S., a worldwide human rights and
peacekeeping promoter, wants Russia to come to the table. Kurt Volker, the U.S. special
representative for Ukraine, is in New York for the General Assembly and has made it clear he wants
Russia to negotiate on a peacekeeping force. In an interview with a Russian radio station released on
Monday, he explained that the U.S. is monitoring Russian action in Ukraine, saying that Russia is
exercising direct command over the separatist fighters through both regular troops and payments to
separatist fighters.

In order to help Ukraine and enforce peace and protect the people involved in the conflict with all
costs, the U.S. and its allies will continue to modernize and arm Ukraine’s 200.000-strong military
forces, increase assistance to Ukraine’s armed forces, and ensure greater transparency by placing
independent observers in all key points, providing both naval and air support, moves that would
significantly bolster Ukraine’s defenses, but also raise the military and geopolitical stakes. The U.S.
Air Force in Europe will continue to conduct training exercises in eastern Ukraine, aimed at securing
“air sovereignty” in the region and continue to impose economic sanctions, financial penalties, and
restrictions for the states who do not comply with the decisions.

Summing up, the issue of the Ukrainian conflict zone is a major setback when it comes to protecting
the fundamental right to life. The U.S. will continue to help Ukraine and protect its national
sovereignty and people by providing it mostly with financial and military aid.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Study Guide
http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-
CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2017_754.pdf

https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/26094/can-the-united-nations-ever-broker-a
-resolution- in-ukraine
https://www.ft.com/content/5adbd298-a056-11e8-85da-eeb7a9ce36e4
https://www.thebalance.com/ukraine-crisis-summary-and-explanation-3970462
http://time.com/5561085/ukraine-elections-stalemate-russia/
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/dont-let-ukraine-drag-america-war-38367
https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/ga12108.doc.htm
https://undocs.org/S/RES/2417(2018)

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-
documents/ukraine/?fbclid=IwAR1TW7z2x5OkNkoYCcHmfxNOHK2GeS0Jh9KoFcfeo6bhhF-
ZiCw7bTfpOCo

https://www.vox.com/2014/9/3/18088560/ukraine-everything-you-need-to-know