The United Nations Security Council rejected the Russian Federation’s proposal to discuss the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999. The agenda was not adopted, yet this topic was nevertheless discussed. The Russian ambassador said that NATO committed „illegal aggression against a sovereign country under false pretenses“, and the Chinese ambassador said that it was an „illegal war“. On the other hand, US representative underlined that NATO’s actions in 1999 „were necessary and legitimate in order to stop the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo“, and the French ambassador called for an end to the discussion, saying that „history should be left to the historians“.
Russia’s proposal to discuss the bombing of FR Yugoslavia was supported by three members of the Security Council, while the remaining 12 abstained.
Although the motion to discuss the bombing was not sustained, the topic was nevertheless discussed.
How the discussion went
The vote was preceded by a discussion between the ambassadors of Russia and France, Vassily Nebenzia and Nicolas de Riviere, who expressed opposing views on the need to discuss the bombing in the UN Security Council.
„Russia proposed this without consulting Serbia, which was put in front of a fait accompli. I told the Serbian diplomats that this kind of session would not be held… I invite the representative of the Russian Federation to hold this kind of discussion in aria format, say tomorrow,“ said the French ambassador.
The Russian ambassador, on the other hand, alleged that some members of the Security Council are against the discussion, because „NATO’s aggression was launched under a false pretext.“
„We should leave history to the historians, and justice to the tribunals… We should use the time of this council wisely,“ said the French ambassador.
Wood: We have nothing to hide – NATO prevented ethnic cleansing in 1999
The French stance received the support of the deputy US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, who said that the US abstained from voting due to the way in which Russia proposed the discussion.
„We can support a meeting in an appropriate format that would focus on the impact of the events of 1999. We cannot support a meeting that instrumentalizes the tragic events of the last century for the continuation of a propaganda campaign,“ he said.
He also claims that Russia’s opposition to a representative of Kosovo attending the meeting showed its goals.
„The meeting called by Russia is not about the (Security) Council abdicating its responsibility to maintain peace and security, but about the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate the Council, implement its propaganda, inflame ethnic tensions in the region in pursuit of destabilizing ambitions in the region.“
On the other hand, the representative of the US said that his country „has nothing to hide“ regarding the support of the NATO operation in 1999.
„NATO’s actions were necessary and legitimate to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo,“ he claims.
Nebenzia: „Illegal aggression against a country“
The Russian ambassador said in response that his „colleague from the West“ made cynical statements.
„This is not a historical issue. The situation in Kosovo is still part of the agenda of this Council and it is being actively discussed,“ he emphasized, noting that the situation in Kosovo is „catastrophically worsening“ today.
„These days, the whole world is remembering the NATO victims of the tragic events in the Balkans, which were an illegal aggression against a country. I understand that the NATO representative refuses to hear about it, but it is a reality, which is not only linked to the past, but also to what is happening in the Balkans today,“ he pointed out.
He recalled that the bombing lasted 78 days, causing indescribable suffering.
Propaganda from the West turned KLA leaders into warriors of goodness
„It was a brutal violation of international law,“ the Russian ambassador emphasized.
Speaking about the allegations of NATO member countries that the aim of the bombing was to prevent ethnic cleansing, Vassily Nebenzia says:
„Actually, the police and the army fought against terrorist gangs in Kosovo. The KLA mercilessly destroyed Serbs and Albanians who were not loyal. But the propaganda from the West has turned the leaders of the KLA into gorillas who are lovers of peace and warriors of kindness, while those who tried to protect law and order have become criminals,“ he said.
„Illegal War“
The deputy Chinese ambassador to the UN, Geng Shuang, said that China supported the UN Security Council session on the 25th anniversary of the start of the bombing of Yugoslavia, in order to „look back at this important historical moment, apply true multilateralism, advocate fairness and justice…“
„Unfortunately, some members expressed doubts about this and the SC has just voted on this issue. We are disappointed with the results of the vote,“ he said.
Commenting the bombing, Shuang said that NATO attacked a sovereign state – FR Yugoslavia without the approval of the Security Council.
„That’s how they started an illegal war in the Balkans. 25 years have passed since the war, but tensions in Kosovo are still high and the wounds of people in the Balkans have not healed,“ this Chinese official said.
The representative of Slovenia in the Security Council also addressed this council, saying that Slovenia abstained during the vote on Russia’s proposal because the topic does not help build trust but divides and politicizes the Security Council.
„This will not lead us to a safer future. That is why Slovenia decided to abstain on whether the meeting should be held,“ he said.
Three decades after the wars, the wounds are healing, but they still hurt. We see no reason to open them
Speaking about the 1999 war, he said that Slovenia remembers great suffering, the killing of civilians, mass refugees and war.
„We remember the inability of the Council to act when it was necessary, we remember the failed peace initiatives and the fear of repeating the ethnic cleansing,“ he said.
He asked Russia and all other members of the UN Security Council to remain focused on „the main role of this body, which lies in maintaining international peace and security“.
Ahead of this session, the head of Serbian diplomacy, Ivica Dačić, said that it is unknown whether it will be held until the end, because some Western countries are asking for a procedural vote before adopting the agenda.
Dačić said after the session that Serbia was disappointed because the UN Security Council was prevented from „hearing the truth about NATO’s aggression against FR Yugoslavia“.
„We came here at the invitation of the UN Security Council. We believe that the topic is extremely important for the international legal order and that today, just as the bombing of Serbia was carried out as a precedent, a precedent took place during the procedural vote,“ he stated.
At the beginning of March, Russia proposed a session of the United Nations Security Council dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Japan, as the chairman of the Security Council, supported that initiative and scheduled the session.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
