Territorial integrity of Ukraine, Palestine paramount
The Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter expressly prohibits the threat or use of force and calls on all its members to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of other States. The threat to this lofty principle has never been greater, especially since the dawn of Donald Trump 2.0. Thus, it is incumbent upon all countries, especially the Security Council, and those involved in bringing peace to any country facing threat to its sovereignty, to respect and preserve the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the affected nations – in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
We are talking about Palestine and Ukraine here. One wonders how the status of borders of these two countries could be reshaped with least respect for their inalienable right to their territory and their involvement in peace talks. In 1974, the United Nations General Assembly’s Resolution 3236 recognised the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty in Palestine. Since 2014, Russia has brazenly violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and annexed Crimea and has since February 2022 been waging a full-scale invasion.
These are indisputable facts. While Donald Trump’s anti-war stance is most laudable, one cannot but notice missteps in its approach to peace. He cannot change the history by claiming it was Ukraine that started the war on Russia. It amounts to backing the version of the aggressor.
In the case of Palestine, too, Trump’s stance against the return of lakhs of Gazans to their destroyed homes and habituations and a stupefying proposal for a US takeover of Gaza to transform into ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ is quite sad, and threatens to upend the foreign policy of the US – restoring long-lasting peace for Israel by rooting for the Two State Policy. It is the irony of the times.
The ongoing meeting of the United Nations Security Council is seized of this matter to uphold sovereign equality. A few powerful countries are seeking to monopolise the international affairs and imposing solutions upon the aggrieved peoples. It is a question of identity and dignity of Ukrainians and Palestinians. In both the cases, there is an eye-popping intervention by Trump, which does not seem to carry any logic. Restraining the entry of displaced Gazans into their territory and forcing neighbouring countries of Egypt or Jordan to settle the Palestine refugees in their territories amounts to destabilising the very nations which are friendly to the West, while stirring the whole Arab unrest. Besides, Trump’s proposal, even it fructifies, will not bring durable peace to Israel, as the hitherto hard-won peace treaties with Israel will unravel and neighbouring borders will turn into hotbeds of extremism. Add to it threats from Iran’s proxies who would have a stronger resistance narrative to leverage the injustice to Palestinians – to rally forces against Tel Aviv. Except in Israel, there is no appetite for the new US President’s unilateral peace proposal.
In the case of Ukraine, too, the entire Europe is disgruntled and fiercely opposes peace talks between US and Russia, without involving Ukraine. February 24 marks the third anniversary of Russia’s all-out assault on Ukraine. President Donald Trump is making a bid for peace, by reaching out to Russia alone and seems willing to thrust its will on Ukraine. Can there be ceasefire, or peace, without the Russians moving back, and involving the Ukrainians in talks? If Trump wants Ukraine demilitarised with a neutral status as Russia desires, would he, or can he, compel Russia to return the seized territories to Ukraine? Ceasing the wars should not mean giving legitimacy to the territorial seizures by the aggressors. A strong multilateral system is crucial to find sustainable solutions to complex challenges to global peace, as also growing climate crises.
