MINSK, 27 September (BelTA) – Ending the bloodshed in Ukraine requires all European parties to reaffirm their commitment to the principle of indivisible security, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov said as he addressed the plenary meeting of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 27 September, BelTA has learned.
In addition to the UN anniversary, this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords. This document was initiated by the leadership of the Soviet Union and cemented the realities that had developed in Europe after World War II.
“Moreover, the act predetermined the stable nature of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States, which was reflected in all regions of the world and thereby helped make the Cold War slightly manageable. The most important legacy of the act also lies in the fact that it introduced the principle of the indivisible security, adherence to which prevented the Cold War from turning into a hot one,” Maxim Ryzhenkov said.
The Helsinki Accords provided an opportunity to build a united, indivisible and prosperous Europe during and after the Cold War. “However, history took a different path. The so-called victors in the Cold War have today completely forgotten this principle, adopted the logic of superiority and confrontation. By the way, it was precisely this logic that stood behind the process of NATO eastward expansion. As a result, the balance of power in Europe was undermined, and security threats emerged for many states. The Yugoslav crisis, bloodshed in a number of post-Soviet countries, and indeed the conflict in Ukraine are the most vivid examples of such consequences,” the minister emphasized.
According to him, it is obvious today that to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine all European parties need to reaffirm their commitment to the principle of indivisible security.
“It is important that one of the main global centers of power, the United States, is beginning to realize the importance of this thesis. Unfortunately, there is no such understanding in the EU countries, which continue to fuel the regional conflict with Ukrainian firewood,” the diplomat said. “This situation particularly requires common efforts to increase the level of trust between countries, although there are no ready-made recipes today. It is necessary to act. And in Belarus, which is located in the center of Europe, we probably understand this better than anyone. Because our land has been the pathway for the most tragic wars of recent centuries, recurring every fifty years and destroying everything but memory in their passage. That is why we say: no more hesitation,” Maxim Ryzhenkov emphasized.
Screengrab/un.org
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