President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula aims to deprive Russia of ability to commit the crime of aggression against Ukraine, to ensure safety and justice for the global community.
Almost a year ago, Russia started its unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. The fact that this aggression is illegal under international law is beyond any doubt.141 countries of the world have recognized it by adopting a UN General Assembly Resolution of 2 March 2022 “Aggression against Ukraine”, which established that the Russian aggression against Ukraine is in violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and other rules of international law.
The repercussions of Russian war against Ukraine are being painfully felt around the world, especially by the hardest-hit developing countries.
Russia denies legitimacy of Ukraine as a sovereign state, seeks to destroy Ukrainian statehood, wages a highly intensive war on the Ukrainian territory, attacks residential areas and critical civilian infrastructure, especially of energy generation and energy distribution sectors.
Ukrainians hate the war and dream to restore peace. But not at any price. The peace will come after Ukraine territorial integrity has been fully reinstated within the internationally recognized borders. Idea of considering “new territorial realities” declared by Moscow is unacceptable.
The Ukrainian army have already liberated almost half of the territory seized by invaders at the first stage of the war.Russia in its turn has not achieved any strategic goal of his bloody war against Ukraine.It becomes increasingly clearthat Russia haslost its aggressive war in terms of strategy.
Despite the calls for negotiations emanating from many world capitals, the Russia has shown no intention of stopping its all-out invasion of Ukraine. Thus, restoring peace in Ukraine requires decisive and pro-active actions, not bare declarations.
The time to sit downat the negotiating table will come sooner or later.
On 15 November 2022, during the G20 Summit in Indonesia, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a peace initiative called thePeace Formula. The Initiative aims not only to put the end to Russia’s war of aggression and bring peace to Ukraine, but– in its global dimension – is aimed at restoring respect for the UN Charter and the rules-based international order.
The Peace Formula includes the following 10 points:
- Radiation and nuclear safety. Russian invasion of Ukraine posed hitherto unprecedent threats in the spheres of nuclear security. Starting from occupying Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plants by Russian troops, taking hostages their personnel, and ending withscaremongeringwith nuclear war by Russian leadership. All kinds of Russian nuclear blackmail must be stopped and non-use of nuclear weapons by Russian Federation must be guaranteed.
- FoodSecurity. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is the only reason for the current global food crisis that badly affected all developing countries. The food security of the world has been endangered as traditional logistic chains disrupted, Ukrainian sea ports – blockaded, millions of acres of Ukrainian farmlands turned into minefields.
Even in war conditions, Ukraine managed to retain its position in the world`s top 5 agricultural exporters, thus remaining areliable guarantor of global food security. Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine exported more than 40 mln tons of grains, oilseeds and processed products to provide food for hundreds of millions of people across the globe, including Pakistan under the Black Sea Grain Corridor and “Grain from Ukraine” initiatives.
The ensuring of freedom of navigation in the Black and Azov seas is vital to guarantee further successful and smooth implementation of the abovesaid initiatives.
- Energy Russian war against Ukraine negatively affected the world price situation for energy resources and electricity.For the first time in human history, Russia has been using cold as a weapon, targeting Ukrainian energy and heat infrastructure in the winter period, as well as, using its energy resources as a leverage of geopolitical blackmail on a global scale.
Ukraine’s energy system survivednumerous massive missile and drone attacks by Russia.As a result of the Russia’s missile terror and the use of Iranian drones,nearly 50% of Ukraine’s energy grid has been damaged.Millions of Ukrainians left without heating, water and electricity in the winter time.
Implementing the Peace Formula will make it impossible for Russia to attack critical infrastructure of Ukraine, as well as will facilitate restoration of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure through provision of international assistance.
- Release of all prisoners and deported persons.So far,Ukraine has freed 1,762 people from Russian captivity.Russia still is keeping thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in terrible conditions.They are subjected to torture and other forms of inhumane treatment. Almost 3 million people from Ukraine, including minors, were forcibly relocated to Russia, including its most remote regions. They are forced to go through a system of filtration camps.
The Peace formulaenvisages release of Ukrainian captives held by Russia on “all for all” basis, ensuring the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held by Russia, returning civilians forcibly deported to Russia, first of all children to Ukraine, release of all Ukrainian political prisoners, who are held in Russia as well as in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
- Implementation of the UN Charter and restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the world order. The world order, based on fundamental principles of non-use of force or the threat of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states has been challenged by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Restoration of universal respect for the UN Charter is possible only by restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders as well as strict implementation of the UN Charter. Restoration of rules-based world order meets national interests of most states as it implies stigmatization of crime of aggression as well as domination of the small states by big ones in international relations.
- Withdrawalof Russian troops and cessation of hostilities. Ukraine’s goal in war with Russia is complete liberation of its territory from the aggressor’s army. Ukrainian defenders liberated nearly half of the territory seized by Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion but still 20 percent of it remains under Russian occupation.Cessation of hostilities and achieving sustainable peace in Ukraine are possible only after complete withdrawal of all Russia’s troopsand quasi-military formations from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
- Restorationof justice. Restoration peace in Ukraine is impossible without restoring justice. Russian troops grossly violate the norms of international humanitarian law and human rights in Ukraine: wage deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians; use them as hostages and human shield; commit executions and rapes; practice forceful conscription and kidnapping; attack medical personnel and facilities; use banned weapons etc.
Since 24 February 2022Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have launched an investigation into 68,670 war crimes and crimes of aggression committed by Russian occupants.
All perpetrators of war crimes should be brought to justice. Restoration of justice is a prerequisite of preventing repetition of similar war crimes in future by powers that may harbour neo-imperial or revanchist ambitions.
Establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine is a viable way to hold Russian military and political leadership accountable.
Since the beginning of Russian invasion Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have registered damage or destruction of 77,463 civilian infrastructure facilities, including 58,943 residential buildings, 2,276 educational and 436 medical institutions, 3,918 water and electricity networks.According to the World Bank, The cost of Ukraine’s reconstruction and recoveryis estimated about 700 bln USD over the next 10 years.
Four key sources of financing should be the following: confiscated Russian actives, allocations from Ukrainian state budget, funds of international partners, and donor donations from around the world.
- Ecological safety. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused large-scale environmental damage: unprecedented pollution, disruption of ecosystems and physical destruction of biological species. Environmental damage to Ukraine caused by Russia’s war is estimated at more than 46 bln USD. Ukraine’s ecosystems will need decades to recover (reclamation and demining, revival of destroyed forests and nature reserves, cleaning of rivers, lakes and marine waters, etc.).
- Preventing escalation of war and repetition of aggression.Kremlin’s efforts to strengthen Russia’s military machine will remain a formidable military threat to its neighbors, entire Europe, in the coming years, if not defeat it on the battlefield in Ukraine now. That is why Ukraine’s victory is critical to European and global security. The risk of a new escalation by Russia will persist until the security of Ukraine is guaranteed in a legally binding way, its own defence capabilities reinforced and the country incorporated intointernational security architecture.
Ukraine suggests implementing the legally binding security guarantees through the “Kyiv Security Compact” aimed at mobilizing political, financial, military, and diplomatic resources for Ukraine’s self-defence to deter an external aggression and to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity if such aggression takes place.
- Confirmation of the end of the war.After the implementation of above-mentionedsteps, the parties to the war conflict and the guarantor parties will sign a comprehensive international legal document on the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The document will resolve such issues as restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in internationally recognized borders, re-establishment of sustainable and just peace, as well as long-term security of Ukraine.
Implemented one by one or simultaneously, these points of the Peace formulawillhelp to restore peace and security not just for Ukraine, but the whole world.
In order to ensure wide international support of the Peace Formula, on February 23, 2023, the UN General Assembly resolution “Establishing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” will be adopted. The resolution will support the Peace Formula as a whole as well as will grant the mandate to the UN SecretaryGeneral to get actively involved in its implementation.
The Peace formulainitiative envisages the maximum involvement of the international community and is open to the participation of all interested states.Each of its 10 points will be coordinated by one or two country-leaders. Permanent participants (Ukraine, the USA, the EU and the UN) will also be involved in the implementation of every pillar, alongside with other stakeholders on voluntary basis.Every peace-loving nation can play its own role in implementing of the Peace Formula to demonstrate leadership in bringing peace closer.
As a respected and responsible member of the world community, Pakistan could contribute to the implementation of the Peace Formula too.
I invite the Pakistani side to consider such opportunity.