Fiji conversation around the Ukraine-Russia war
IT has been one year since Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the world continues to experience its ripple effects reach down to the smallest states in the global system.
During a special panel discussion with panelists from the delegation of the European Union, Embassy of the United States, British High Commission and academics from the University of the South Pacific, representatives gave their insights on the conflict.
Charge d’affaires, Dr Erja Askola from the Delegation of the European Union stated Fiji and its Pacific partners unanimously supported the six UN General Assembly resolutions condemning and isolating Russia.
She said the Pacific region was the only region in the world that did so unanimously.
“But indeed resolutions are not enough and we are also taking unprecedented actions together with our like minded partners from sanctions to diplomatic isolation of President Putin and his regime,” Dr Askola said.
She said the EU had supplied weapons for defense and military training for Ukrainian personnel.
In addition to that team Europe offered significant financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“We have also cut our dependency on Russian fossil fuels. This is another way to actually reduce the capacity of the Kremlin to finance the war.
“We have managed in close cooperation with our key partners to reduce 50 per cent of energy revenues of Russia.”
She said if they did not clearly denounce Russia’s aggression and failed to hold the state accountable it would open the door for other regional powers in the world to follow suit.
“Interestingly, when we look at the political consequences of this war, some of them are precisely what Putin wanted to avoid with the war.
US Embassy’s deputy chief of mission Antone Greubel said Russia’s savage attacks meant that Putin had no interest in meaningful diplomacy.
“Russia and Russia alone can end this war today,” he said.
He said President Putin targeted civilian infrastructure, destroyed agricultural infrastructure and threatened livelihoods, froze and starved Ukraine civilians, forced them from their homes and as a result drove up energy and food costs not only across Europe but around the world.
“We’ve seen those price increases here in the Pacific.”
USP’s lecturer in diplomacy and international affairs Dr Sarina Theys shared how the conflict was a violation of the UN charter and international law.
Dr Theys said it was a violation of human rights and undermined democratic institutions.
“Its very problematic for the Pacific Island countries because we have much to lose in the breakdown of multilateralism,” she said.
“The weakening of global institutions such as the United Nations are the disregard of the rule of law.
“It is global diplomacy that enables Pacific Island countries to have their say on the international stage and also to promote their interest.”
Dr Theys added that multilateralism was also used to protect themselves.
A masters student in politics and international affairs Aneet Kumar said the world remained a dangerous place despite the international rules-based order because of how easily the law has been violated.
He said when Russia suspended its only standing nuclear agreement with the U.S, the threat about the potential use of nuclear weapons touched the nerves of those in the Pacific region.
“Let’s not forget that the region has been affected by catastrophic effects of nuclear weapons testing by the U.S, France and Britain.”
British High Commission’s political officer, Isaac Greenwood, who had previously worked in London on responses to Russia’s invasion for the UK’s foreign office described how the war itself felt personal to him. He spoke on his short time in Ukraine.
He had spent a couple of months towards the end of 2021 in Ukraine. This was before the invasion.
He said while Ukraine was not Europe’s top tourist destination, its beauty could not be missed.
“I got to visit southwest of the country, full of beautiful expansive golden domed churches, basically everywhere you turn there’s a really spectacular church,” Greenwood said.
“Its hard to forget the images you see at the moment of Ukraine, primarily ruined buildings and battlefields.”
He said while he went about questioning some of the Ukrainians of the imminent threat as Russian troops were already massing the streets, what struck him was how unperturbed they seemed.
“The Ukrainian people were resilient, aware of this threat existing but they weren’t letting it get in the way of living their normal lives.”
While war is unpredictable what makes this one dangerous is that a nuclear power is involved. More similar debates and dialogues on the war would be healthy and informative for Fijians.