Fewer than four months after Russia’s forces invaded the neighbouring Ukraine, dozens of UN ambassadors from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia attended a reception to celebrate the nation’s national day on a June night beneath the chandeliers of Russia’s United Nations mission in New York.
“We thank all of you for your support and your principled position against the so-called anti-Russian crusade,” Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told them, after accusing countries he did not name of trying to “cancel” Russia and its culture.
After an initial burst of UN denunciations for attacking Ukraine, the crowd of ambassadors demonstrated the challenges western diplomats face in trying to maintain international commitment to isolate Russia diplomatically.
Western diplomats recognise they are constrained in their ability to significantly further target Russia beyond having meetings due to frustration and concern among some countries that the war is consuming too much global attention nearly six months in with no prospect of the United Nations being able to put an end to it.
“As the war has dragged on, it has become harder to find meaningful ways to penalize Russia,” said Richard Gowan, UN director at the independent International Crisis Group.
In some instances, Western nations are holding off on taking certain actions out of concern for lukewarm support since rising vote abstentions have shown a growing hesitation to openly criticise Moscow, diplomats and analysts said.
COSTUMES AND CHOCOLATES
According to diplomats, the European Union considered a plan in June to name a UN expert to look into human rights issues in Russia, but it abandoned the idea due to concerns that over half of the 47 members of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva may oppose it.
According to the Russian representation to the UN in Geneva, Western countries “know all too well that it’s impossible to isolate Russia since it’s a global power.”
The best “national clothing” for a reception in June was chosen in a secret vote in Geneva, despite the diplomatic isolation. After winning, a box of chocolates was given to a Russian envoy, as seen on camera. The delegation representing Ukraine left.
Russia can avoid serious measures like sanctions because it has a veto on the UN Security Council, which has 15 members, but it has also fought to stymie support for Western diplomatic initiatives elsewhere.
Russia issued a warning to nations that a vote in favour of suspending Russia from the Human Rights Council or an abstention would be seen as “unfriendly,” which would have an impact on their relations. The 193-member UN General Assembly voted in April to do so.
After receiving 93 votes in favour, 24 votes against, and 58 abstentions, the US-led initiative was approved.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, claimed that Russia has been successful in persuading certain nations to support it despite a “false narrative” that Western sanctions are to blame for a world food crisis sparked by Moscow’s war.
RED LINES
After the invasion on 24 February, the General Assembly voted to censure Russia and demand that it withdraw its soldiers less than a week later. Three weeks later, it once more condemned Russia vehemently for inciting a “dire” humanitarian crisis.
“Support will wane because the March resolutions represent a high water mark; and there is no appetite for further action unless red lines are crossed,” a senior Asian diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Such red lines, according to some officials, could include the use of nuclear or chemical weapons, the mass killing of civilians, or the annexation of Ukrainian land.
Focusing on elections to UN agencies has been successful for Western countries. For the first time since UNICEF was established in 1946, Russia failed to retain its board position in April, as well as its seats in other organisations.
But in May, when it came time to vote on a Ukraine resolution at the World Health Organization, some 30 states—half of them from Africa—failed to show up, leading several delegates in attendance to quip that they must be missing a party.
Ukraine has requested that Russia be expelled from the UN. But in order to take the extraordinary action, the Security Council must propose it, which Russia might veto, and then the General Assembly must vote on it.
Removing the representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s credentials is another possibility, but doing so would require at least 75% backing from the General Assembly.
(With inputs from agencies)
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