31 Dec, 2023 02:36

NATO state too ‘scared’ to attend UN meeting – Russian diplomat

Dmitry Polyansky has accused the Czech foreign minister of cowardice

The Czech Republic does not have the courage to publicly respond to Moscow’s claim that missiles made in the country were used by Ukraine to kill civilians, Russia’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, said on Sunday.

Russia called an urgent meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday, requesting that theCzech delegation attend and “explain whythis country’s ammunition is being used for killing civilians in Belgorod,”Polyansky said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian troops used Czech RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launchers to fire at the border city of Belgorod earlier that day, killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 100.

Prague declined to take part in the UN meeting. “We refuse to be summoned anywhere by Russia,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky wrote on X (formerly Twitter), accusing Moscow of “propaganda.”

“When Russia wants to discuss the withdrawal of its occupying troops at the Security Council, we will be happy to come,” Lipavsky wrote.

Polyansky fired back on X. “Your cowardice and simple-mindedness have been noted,” the Russian diplomat wrote. “We assume that theCzech Republic will no longer participate in UN Security Council meetingson the issue of Ukraine.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also blasted Prague’s actions. “I didn’t think that the Czech Foreign Ministry would beso ignorant as to not know how the UN Security Council functions,” she wrote on Telegram.

Speaking at the Security Council, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia alleged thatUS and British “consultants” helped Kievplan the “premeditated act of terror” against civilians in Belgorod. He warned that those responsible would be “punished.”

Ukraine denied the allegations and accused Moscow of “terrorism” after the Russian Air Force carried out large-scale strikes in the neighboring country. According to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, 39 people were killed and nearly 160 were injured during the bombardment on Friday.

The Russian MOD stated that it was onlystriking ammunition depots and other military targets. Russian officials further claimed that civilian deaths were caused by the faulty work of Ukrainian air defense systems deployed in residential areas.

(A NATO members bombs used in a terrorist attack in civilians in Russia is a serious International violation of war. They really fucked up!)

https://www.rt.com/russia/589956-czech-cowardice-un-security/

>>20158789

AUGUST 6, 2015

CAN KILLING OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS AT WAR BE JUSTIFIED?BY: Syed Alam (’17), J.D. Pace Law School

According to the ICRC Principles of Distinction between Civilians and Combatants Rule 1, one of the pillars of international humanitarian law permits military commanders to direct operations against military objectives. At the same time, however,Rule 1 also requires that military commanders distinguish between civilian and military object. This concept was already codified in St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868, which states that States engaging in a war should only commit acts that will help them to weaken the military forces of the enemy party.

It is the duty of the military commander to determine who civilians are and who military opponents are. At time of war, every military force faces a threat from their opponent; however, it hardly faces threats from civilians. Thus, civilians should not be harmed during any war. It is the duty of the military commander to take such steps and measures as to prevent harm to civilians.

How do we define civilians? According to article 50(1) of the Additional Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions, 1949, civilians are the persons who do not belong to one of the categories mentioned in articles 4(A)(1)-(3) and 4(A)(6) of the Third Geneva Convention 1949. The categories listed are member of armed forces, member of militias or member of volunteer corps. A person who by any act is not facilitating or acting as part of the armed conflict is a civilian. Additionally, as held by the criminal tribunal in Blaskić, “[i]n case of doubt whether a person is a civilian, that person shall be considered to be a civilian.”Prosecutor v. Tihomir Blaskic, Case No. IT-95-14-A, Judgement, ¶ 111 (Int’l Crim. Trib. for the Former Yugoslavia Jul 29, 2004).

According to article 50(3) of the Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions 1949, even if a civilian population includes some armed people, still they do not lose their civilian status. For example,if militants enter a park filled with civilians – an attack cannot be launched in the parkeven if intended to only target the militants because under the principle of distinction the civilians ought to be protected. The criminal tribunal in Prosecutor v. Stanislav Galić further confirmed this principle and held that “[a] population may qualify as ‘civilian’ even if non-civilians are among it, as long as the population is predominantly civilian.” Prosecutor v. Stanislav Galić, Case No. IT-98-29-A, Judgement, ¶ 143 (Int’l Crim. Trib. for Former Yugoslavia Nov. 30, 2006).

According to article 51 of the Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions 1949, the protections civilian enjoy during wartime include:

Protection against any danger arising out of military operations.

Civilians should never be the objects of attack. Any act to spread terror among the civilian people is prohibited.

Unless and until civilians take direct part in hostilities, civilians enjoy all the protections mentioned in this article.

Indiscriminate attacks such as attacks not directed against a specific military object, methods or means of combat that are not specifically applied to a military object, attacks which do not distinguish between civilian object and military object.

Any attack done to several military objects, situated within a civilian locality, bombardment upon such area in prohibited. Any act, which might result into suffering of civilians, is prohibited.

Attack towards the civilians by the way of reprisal is prohibited.

Civilians should never be used to shield any military object, to immune it from military operations, by any of the parties.

Under article 8 of the Rome Statute, war crime includes grave breaches of Geneva Conventions of 1949 and also violation of any laws and customs of international laws regarding international armed conflict. As discussed above, Geneva Convention of 1949 made it a crime to kill civilians during war. Article 8 of the Rome Statute re-affirms that position. Thus, killing civilians during war is a war crime.

Although international authorities put forth effort to protect civilians, the history speaks for itself – civilians are often not spared. Although, adequate international laws are in place, States engaged in war often overlook this principle of distinction.The law appears clear – civilian killing in war is a crime. The question then is why these international laws are ignored? States have often used the term ‘collateral damage’ to justify the killing of civilians. However, human life is priceless and no cause is big enough to spare innocent human life. The United Nations should find a way to enforce the international laws addressing civilian killing in war for the sake of humanity.

https://pcjc.blogs.pace.edu/2015/08/06/can-killing-of-innocent-civilians-at-war-be-justified/

31 Dec, 2023 12:58

US wary of completely ruining relations with Russia – Lavrov

At the same time, Washington is not yet prepared to respect Moscow’s interests, the foreign minister has said

The US is wary of burning down relations with Russia “to the ground,” but it is not yet ready to respect Moscow’s interests, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RIA Novosti.

In an interview published on Sunday, the minister commented on Russian President VladimirPutin’s recent statement that Moscow is ready to restore “full-fledged relations” with the US if it starts respecting other countriesand seeking compromise instead of “addressing their problems using sanctions and military force.”

Russian-American relations have been strained to the breaking point because of Washington, whichhas “doctrinally formalized the task of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia,” Lavrov said. He noted that while the White House is cautious not to completely ruin “what is left of relations” with Moscow, theUS is “clearly not ready” to conduct a dialogue“on the basis of mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests.”

Peaceful coexistence between Russia and the US can be achieved only if Washington recognizes Moscow’s “fundamental national interests,” but the US ruling elite “denies the realities of a multipolar world and still think in terms of their own superiority and exclusivity,”Lavrov said.

For Moscow, it does not matter who wins the 2024 US presidential election becausethe political establishment in Washington “sees Russia as an enemy and an existential threat,”regardless of party affiliation, he added.

Since Crimea voted in a referendum to become part of Russia in response to the Maidan coup in Kiev in 2014, the US has been the main enforcer of sanctions on Moscow, imposing more than 4,500 restrictions, according to Castellum.AI.

On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that the US had asked G7 members to “explore ways to seize $300 bn in frozen Russian assets” and channel them to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said thatMoscow has a list of US, European, and other assets to seize in retaliation, and that these measures have been analyzed “in advance.”He stressed that Russia “will do everything” to ensure that they suit its own interests.

https://www.rt.com/russia/589970-us-relations-russia-lavrov/