Russian Ambassador to Korea Georgy Zinoviev / Korea Times photo by Kim Ye-won
On the three-year anniversary of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, there will undoubtedly be another round of the disinformation campaign against my country.
The key causes of the crisis, in fact, stem from the West continuously and deliberately ignoring Russia's security interests, the expansion of NATO military infrastructure, the rejection of the principles of indivisible security and the desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
As part of that strategy, Western countries have systematically interfered in Ukraine's internal affairs, lending their full support to the unconstitutional coup of 2014 that brought to power ultraradical forces. The latter proceeded to launch a campaign to ban the Russian language, violating the rights of Russian-speaking citizens. The regions that voiced opposition were raided in a punitive military attack targeting civilians, which gave start to the bloody military conflict in Ukraine.
Russia's attempts to reach a peaceful solution were constantly sabotaged. That was the case in February 2014, when a day after the president of Ukraine and leaders of the opposition reached an agreement, Western-backed Maidan activists violated it and seized power in an unconstitutional coup. That was also the case with the Minsk agreements endorsed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015). Today, their signatories, including [former Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko, [ex-German Chancellor Angela] Merkel and [former French President Francois] Hollande, boast deliberately using the agreements to buy time and pump Ukraine with arms. Kiev did not conceal its objectives, which were a violent takeover of Crimea and the uncontrolled Donbas territories.
Russia's actions in 2022 were fully consistent with the U.N. Charter that enshrines the principles of sovereign equality of states and the right of nations to self-determination. The Declaration on Principles of International Law, unanimously adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1970, states that the principle of respect for territorial integrity applies to "states that act in accordance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples [...] and thus possessed of a government representing [...] the whole people belonging to the territory." The fact that the Ukrainian neo-Nazis did not represent the people of Crimea and Donbas requires no proof. The unconditional support that Western countries have lent to the actions of the Kiev regime is nothing other than a violation of the principle of self-determination and interference in internal affairs.
Russia's actions to protect the Russian population in the former Ukrainian territories were carried out in accordance with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter and were met by failed attempts of the West to isolate our country politically, destroy it economically and cancel it culturally. The same countries that are now hypocritically accusing Russia of aggression have either turned a blind eye or actively participated in the military interventions in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria, to name a few.
As for the prospects for a peaceful settlement, the West still adheres to the so-called "Zelenskyy Peace Formula" — an ultimatum demanding the return of Ukraine to its 1991 borders, Russia's obligation to pay reparations and for our leadership to stand trial before some international tribunal. The start of the Russia-U.S. dialogue gives hope for a more rational approach.
To achieve lasting peace, it is essential to root out the causes of the conflict. Russia is willing to come to an agreement in accordance with the proposals voiced by President Vladimir Putin on June 14, 2024. Many of its parameters were negotiated between Russia and Ukraine back in April 2022 in Istanbul. However, Kiev instigated by the West decided to renege on their pledges and defeat Russia. Obviously, we now have to take into account the fact that the situation “on the ground” has changed.
Had neo-Nazis not succeeded in orchestrating the coup in 2014, Ukraine would have remained within its 1991 borders. Had Kiev implemented the Minsk agreements, it would have kept Donbas. Had Kiev signed the peace agreement initialed in Istanbul in 2022, its terms would have been far more favorable for Ukraine. That is something its European allies should bear in mind — Russia wants peace but will fight as long as necessary to ensure its security and protect the rights of the Russian people.
Georgy Zinoviev is the Russian ambassador to Korea. The views expressed in this contributed article do not necessarily reflect those of The Korea Times. — ED.