![]() The Russian Federation’s delegate criticized Western countries for hypocritically calling for the conflict to end, while pumping Ukraine with weapons. Speakers, however, varied in their emphasis on how the conflict should end: through de-escalation, diplomacy, or the withdrawal of Russian troops. In the ensuing debate, many Council members voiced concern over the mounting toll of the war on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as its fallout beyond the country’s borders. ![]() “In the instance of the European Union, it may end up being suicidal for many of its citizens.” Western countries must stop contributing to the influx of arms, he said, warning of dire consequences if such powerful weapons landed in the hands of criminal elements in Europe and beyond. “The injection of these military grade weapons into an environment as unstable as Ukraine is beyond irresponsible,” he stressed. Some of these armaments could easily take down a civilian passenger aircraft or be used with devastating effect on a convoy of civilian vehicles, as the ones that many diplomats in the Council chamber routinely use to cross their respective nations. Garland Nixon, a political analyst and journalist, pointed out that, since February 2022, the United States Government has injected over $100 billion in arms and assistance to the conflict, including many handheld weapons with incredible destructive capabilities. To this end, he cited key arms control instruments such as the UN Register of Conventional Arms and the Arms Trade Treaty and looked forward to the General Assembly’s endorsement of a new Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management, and its subsequent operationalization. Measures to address such risks, including enhanced marking practices, comprehensive pre-transfer diversion risk assessments and end-user certificates, are essential for preventing further instability and insecurity in Ukraine and beyond, he continued. “Large-scale influx of weapons and ammunition into any armed conflict situation raises significant concerns for peace, security and stability, including due to diversion and proliferation risks,” he observed. The issue of arms supplies to Ukraine was taken up again at the Security Council, putting on display divisions among briefers and Council members, with some contending that the unchecked flow of weapons dragged out the conflict, and many others defending Kyiv’s legitimate right to defend itself against the Russian Federation’s ongoing war of aggression.Īdedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said that transfers of weapons systems and ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces had expanded in recent months, in the context of the full-scale invasion of that country.
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