 "Where are UN and its peacekeeping forces as Europe debates troops in Ukraine?")
As Europe scrambles to address the question of peacekeepers in Ukraine, a notable absentee in the discussions is the United Nations (UN).
That is not the case just with the war in Ukraine. Even as conflicts are raging in many parts of the world, such as in Europe, West Asia, and Africa, the UN is not just absent in peace negotiations but is also largely absent in the enforcement of peace agreements. Instead, the UN has been subject to criticism and controveries across conflict zones.
In Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping mission has been criticised for being a toothless tiger over the failure to enforce the withdrawal of Hezbollah. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, UN agencies have been accused of being infested by Hamas members .
While the criticism of UN in West Asia or Africa is part of the broader crisis of relevance that the UN faces, the reason for the absence of UN in the war in Ukraine is much more fundamental.
Why UN is out of picture in Ukraine
The UN is out of the picture in Ukraine as the aggressor Russia is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and is bound to veto any proposal for a peacekeeping operation that does not suit its interests 100 per cent.
For a UN peacekeeping mission to be established and a peacekeeping force to be deployed anywhere, the concerned states must consent to it and the UNSC permanent members must approve it.
In case of the war in Ukraine, Russia is bound to veto any such mission and is unlikely to consent to it in the first place.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThis is why the idea of a UN peacekeeping mission until it is in line with maximalist demands of Russia is dead on arrival.
As Trump withdraws, 2 proposals emerge in Ukraine
In the absence of a UN peacekeeping mission and US security guarantees, European leaders are scrambling for responses. At least two proposals have been floated.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have floated a plan that will deploy fewer than 30,000 soldiers to Ukraine to enforce any peace deal. While the plan does not include the United States and is not endorsed by Nato, it seeks deployment of US warplanes and missiles and a multinational Nato forces in an eastern European Nato country so it might be operationalised in case Russia attacks Ukraine or peacekeepers in violation of the peace deal.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the creation of an “army of Europe” to address the security needs of the country.
Zelenskyy’s call came at a time when US President Donald Trump has left Europe and Ukraine to their fate in the face of Russian aggression and is on his way to kill the US-Europe alliance.
At the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said that it was clear that the old US-European relationship was “ending” and Europe “needs to adjust to that”. As Trump has indicated openneess to cut a deal with Russia and leave Ukraine in the lurch , Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would “never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement”.
No UN involvement in West Asian crisis
In theory, the UN is involved in the West Asian crisis, but its utility is essentially marginal at best and non-existent at worst.
In the Israel-Hamas War, the ceasefire-cum-hostage deal was mediated by Qatar and Egypt and was faciliated by the United States. The UN was absent and was limited to humanitarian operations in Gaza which were marred by a host of controversies.
The UN Palestinian refugees agency, UNRWA, has long been accused of recruiting terrorists from Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. The UN-run schools in Gaza have also been used as shelters, armouries, and launch-pads by terrorists. The UN has also criticised for not taking up the issue of hostages taken by Palestinian terrorist gorups during the October 7 attack.
In West Asia, the UN’s credibility is not just tattered in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it is also in tatters in Lebanon where the UN peacekeeping mission has failed over the years to enforce UNSC Resolution 1701, which was implemented to end the Israel-Hezbollah War of 2006.
As per the UNSC Resolution 1701, Israel was to withdraw from the Lebanese territory that it had come to control in the Israel-Hezbollah War of 2006 and Hezbollah was to withdraw from southern Lebanon and move northward in the country. While Israel withdraw from Lebanon, Hezbollah never vacated southern Lebanon and continued anti-Israel terrorism.
Even though UN peacekeepers were deployed in Lebanon, Hezbollah never vacated the region and was not deterred from joining plotting anti-Israel activities. Following the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah opened a second front against Israel.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
