UN Unable To Protect Ukrainians – OpEd

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Despite of the worldwide anger and protest against Putin for mercilessly attacking Ukraine and killing innocent Ukrainians and forcing more than half a million of them to seek refuge in other countries,  it is extremely disturbing that Putin is continuing his  attack mercilessly and he does not care about the world opinion against such brutal aggression.

The United Nations has now discussed the grave Ukrainian crisis two times in recent days, with the UN Secretary General speaking eloquently about the need for world peace, respect for UN charter and international law and finally both of them concluded their speech in United Nations stating “peace is must” and “enough is enough”. 

However, the proceedings in the United Nations has not helped Ukraine and its citizens in anyway in protecting themselves against the Russian attack, making one suspect whether the UN is virtually reducing itself to a mere debating forum.  

The Ukrainian representative in UN,  while speaking made a telling statement that “if Ukraine would not survive, then the UN would not survive”. This statement not only reflects the anger and frustration of the Ukrainian representative but also reflect the views and opinions of very large section of world population.

While the UN Security Council gives an impression that it can only be a witness to the grave justice being done to Ukrainians, NATO and other countries who have expressed much concern about the sufferings of Ukrainians, are not taking adequate and quick steps beyond imposing sanctions, using strong words to condemn Putin and sending some arms to Ukraine.  The mere scrapping of soccer matches against Russia or removing Putin from the Presidentship of some global body are only cosmetic steps, that cause a sensation in the media and will not have a visible impact on Putin and his government.

There is an increasing worldwide view and concern that the USA and NATO countries and other concerned countries are moving at snail’s pace despite of the gravity of the situation, and instead of coming to the rescue of Ukraine with high sense of urgency.

Meanwhile, Putin is increasing the intensity of the attack and his atrocities in Ukraine by more severe bombing and killing more people.

The desperate Ukrainians facing death due to Putin’s attack and friends and family members of those who have already lost their lives, wonder that even as lives are being lost, which cannot be brought back, is there time left for the concerned world to save Ukraine?  

Certainly, this is not the time for concerned countries to keep watching and extending sanctions, which are unlikely to have an immediate impact on Russia and force it to stop the killing process in Ukraine.

Apart from the severe hardships and sufferings of Ukrainians, it is important to note that the cause of peace has been lost and the UN as an organisation has lost its credibility as a peace keeping organisation once and for all.

Where will the world go from here?

If a country or group of countries with military power would be daring enough to launch attack on weak nations and kill people in those regions to make them surrender, then the world will witness a chaotic scenario. Does Putin’s war against Ukraine point to such futuristic conditions?

Certainly, the world citizens feel extremely disturbed to see the plight of Ukrainians and think that It is necessary that concerned countries should involve themselves actively by sending their forces to Ukraine to protect this beleaguered nation from total destruction.

While the UN has become an ineffective organisation, with Putin being defiant and unconcerned, measures and some sanctions have to be reinforced with direct intervention by the concerned countries.

Many think that NATO countries want to make Putin behave even as they want to keep the supply chain for natural gas and crude oil from Russia intact. If this would really be the reason for not directly confronting Putin, then it would mean that the concerned countries are really not so concerned as they profess.

N. S. Venkataraman

N. S. Venkataraman is a trustee with the "Nandini Voice for the Deprived," a not-for-profit organization that aims to highlight the problems of downtrodden and deprived people and support their cause. To promote probity and ethical values in private and public life and to deliberate on socio-economic issues in a dispassionate and objective manner.

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