On the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) considered on Thursday a resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of Vladimir Putin’s troops from Ukrainian territory. In New York to announce Canada’s support for this umpteenth resolution condemning Russian aggression, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly implored all UN member countries to “choose peace” by voting in favor. “Russia’s war against Ukraine is unjustifiable. It is illegal. She is cruel and inhuman. We have to put an end to it,” she told the UN assembly.
However, in an interview with the newspaper Politico on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference last weekend, Mrme Joly had adopted a much more belligerent tone towards Russia. “Now is not the time to talk about peace. It is time [d’]arm [les Ukrainiens] “, she had then launched. His two statements are not necessarily contradictory. One can very well wish for peace while preparing for war.
Other countries, however, advocate the start of peace negotiations with Russia after a year of horrible war – this is the case, in particular, of China, which made public a proposal to this effect on Friday. Although one can question Beijing’s good faith in this matter, it should also be noted that Canada carefully avoids any reference to a possible diplomatic end to this conflict which marks our time and whose consequences for the future of world order will be decisive.
This reservation contrasts with the attitude of Emmanuel Macron, whose declarations on the war inevitably arouse controversy. In an interview given to Figaro On the plane bringing him back from Munich, the French president said he wanted Russia to defeat Ukraine. “But I am convinced that in the end, it will not be concluded militarily, he added. I don’t think, like some, that Russia should be totally defeated, attacked on its soil. These observers want above all to crush Russia. This has never been France’s position and it never will be. The French president distinguishes himself from other heads of NATO member countries — with the exception of Recep Erdoğan, of Turkey, and Viktor Orbán, of Hungary — by considering Mr. Putin as someone who is always friendly .
Often seen as sitting between two chairs in international affairs, Canada has this time resolutely chosen its camp. Our aid to Ukraine in the past year is over $5 billion, which puts us in fifth place behind the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Germany. Certainly, Washington funds Ukraine’s war effort more than all the other countries combined. In one year, the United States has provided kyiv with more than US$70 billion in military, humanitarian and financial aid.
And while US President Joe Biden promises to speed up the shipment of weapons, despite the angry outbursts of some Republicans in Congress, Canadian military aid is reaching its limits. Mme Joly boasted during a visit to Ukraine last week of the arrival in Poland of the four Leopard 2 tanks promised by Canada. Justin Trudeau announced on Friday the dispatch of four additional tanks. But Canada, whose arsenal is almost dry, will have difficulty continuing to supply arms to Ukraine if the conflict continues.
Mme Joly emphasizes Canada’s efforts to help non-governmental organizations distribute humanitarian aid in Ukraine and to support Ukrainian authorities in their investigations aimed at documenting alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. of Russia in view of possible trials before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. Minister Joly is also campaigning for the establishment of a special tribunal which would investigate crimes of aggression committed by Russia and which could then institute proceedings, as other international bodies are not empowered to settle such disputes.
The Trudeau government, however, avoids designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, as requested by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and some federal parliamentarians so that victims of Russian terrorist activities can sue Russia for damages in Canadian courts. Only Syria and Iran are currently on Canada’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, a list that has not changed since the former Conservative government of Stephen Harper passed the Justice for Victims of acts of terrorism, in 2012. Adding Russia to this list of pariah states would force Canada to sever diplomatic relations with Moscow. Many Canadian companies oppose it, fearing Russian retaliation.
In the end, on Thursday, 140 UN countries joined Canada in voting for the non-binding resolution calling on Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine. Seven countries voted against. Syria, Belarus, North Korea, Mali, Nicaragua and Eritrea supported Russia. The Russian representative to the UN accused Western countries of being “ready to plunge the whole world into the abyss of war”. Thirty-two countries, including China and India, abstained from voting. After a year, this war is clearly not coming to an end. A second anniversary seems very likely.