The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the negation of the Security Council resolution on Ukraine have given the world watchers an opportunity to assess the role of United Nation (UN) and its relevance today in maintaining order in the civilized world. After the Second World War, the 51 Countries established the United Nation on 24th October 1945 at San Francisco, California, United States. These countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. As on today there are 193 countries members of the United Nations with two observers i.e. State of Palestine and Holy See headed by Pope. The UN Charter interalia “mandates the UN and its member states to maintain international peace and security, uphold international law, achieve higher standards of living” for their citizens, address economic, social, health, and related problems”, and promote “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion” . Most of the world leaders after creation of the UN have thought that the civilized world will live peacefully and countries people will lawfully govern themselves and countries live in harmony in the modern world after seeing that the second world war was one of the transformative events of the 20th century, causing the death of 3 percent of the world’s population of which 39 million people half of them civilians died in Europe. Apart from the death six years of ground fights and bombing resulted in immense destruction of homes and physical infrastructure.
So the world hoped to live happily ever after. However, the world is not run by peacemaking philosophers and philanthropies but the political and military leaders. The United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the word United States and since then US and its western allies have been virtually dictating terms on the functioning of UN and the world and behaving as self styled policemen of the word. The result was intense cold war between the US led NATO and Soviet Union and consequent rat race among opponent countries for arms/ missile and weapons gatherings and deployment of atomic weapons. The cold war ended with the breaking of Soviet Union. If we analyse the current Russian invasion of the Ukraine, it becomes clear how this small country with good resources was used as a pawn by the America and its western allies. Ever since Ukraine became independent and showed leaning towards US and its European allies Putin a former KGB (Soviet Intelligence wing) officer vowed to bring back the past glory of Soviet era for the Russian and took power first in the year 2000 after his popularity soared from 2 percent to 45 percent after his role in annexing Chechnya in Russia which is now known as Chechen a constituent republic of Russia. In 2014 Russia invaded Crimean peninsula and annexed it and in March 18th 2014 it became a constituent republic of Russia when Putin signed the accession. In retaliation the US and their European partners signed several agreements with Ukraine and goaded it to join the NATO. The US tried to encircle the Russia and bring nuclear and weapon arsenals to Russian doors.
The Russian President Putin warned the west and Ukraine not to join NATO and cited it as the violation of Minsk treaty of 2015 between Russia and Ukraine brokered by the French President. Now let us examine the scenario. America and its partners have a history of bombing the world all over like they did in Iraq, Vietnam and Afghanistan citing threat to international peace but withdrawing without taking the affected countries and people into confidence. America has bombed so far more than 30 countries and responsible for huge blood bath and ruining the lives of millions of people. The way they left and left behind their weapons in Afghanistan makes mockery of the UN Charter. So far the US has exercised the Veto power for more than 80 times. The Indian government’s response to American backed resolution in the UN Security Council on 26th February 2022 had wide acceptance among the Indian people as Russia has been a time tested friend and exercised Veto power in the UN four times in favour of India during the crucial times and especially in 1948 and 1971.
Mr Putin may be a dictator in the eyes of West by violating the UN Charter and he has been threatening the use of nuclear power if US and NATO comes to the rescue of Ukraine but in this war it is the reflection of a situation in which he is paying back the Americans in the same style in which they have been bombing other countries piggybacking the UN system. It is a total failure of the UN system which has been put to ransom for the US led western countries. We see the West has two value system one for them and the other for other countries. There is an entire ecosystem in US and Europe which is rabidly promoting anti national elements in India with the aim to balkanise it like Soviet Union. Take the case of farmers’ agitation last year the New York time was full of vituperative abusive writings in league anti India forces. Similarly, the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau was vociferous critic of India’s handling of this agitation and now the whole world is noticing how severely the Canada is dealing with the farmers’ agitation and the New York time is silent. It is because of this that the China is now emerging as another bully at the international level.
The crux of the matter is that the world leaders who control UN are hypocrites and just not honest and peace loving and the proposal of Veto system itself proves it as it was very wrong decision in 1945 when the UN was created. The coterie of Veto powers need to expanded rather be dismantled and a new world order should emerge after consultation which should be equitable, democratic and just and which can ensure forcefully if need be to prevent wars and blood baths.
( The writer Dr. V. K. Bahuguna is the chairman of Centre for Resource Management and environment. The views expressed are his personal)
In a new democratic order, the hegemony of one country must be discouraged. Nato is cunningly working for American interests in the name of democracy in another country. It must be challenged and at the same time, we must remember
American interference in Af-Pak region and leaving that region freely into the hands of fundamentalists. American dreams are at a heavy cost to others…..
Dr Bahuguna missed wood for the trees as he only set his sight on criticising US for all its omissions and commissions committed over the years since the inception of UNSC in 1945. Instead of concentrating on what US had done in the past to remain on the saddle of Superpower, the writer could have done well to analyse the psyche of Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring to the fore the root cause of current Ukraine-Russia tussle. After taking reins of power, Putin vehemently criticized Vladimir Lenin founder of Soviet Union for his quest for Independent Republics of erstwhile USSR. Lenin didn’t want to imprison republics to set up all powerful imperialist Russia.
In the current imbroglio between Russia and Ukraine, Putin doesn’t want Ukraine to exercise its right to be independent nation by taking refuge in the excuse of striking racial and cultural similarities between Russia and Ukraine. And all hell broke loose when Ukraine desired to join NATO much against the whims and fancies of Putin.