UKRAINE has taken centre stage in terms of international affairs. The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has issued a statement in which it expressed grave concern over the situation in Ukraine following the entry of the Russian military in Ukrainian territory.

According to the statement, the Government of Guyana deplores the threat or use of force in the conduct of international relations, and urges a peaceful resolution of the differences that currently exists, in consonance with the rule of international law and provisions of the United Nations Charter.

“The threat against Ukraine is a threat to the region and countries everywhere.

“The Government of Guyana supports the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General to bring a speedy resolution to the situation in Ukraine, and cease the threat to international peace and security.

“The current military action in Ukraine is contrary to the principles of respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and the non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state.”

And in another statement issued by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the regional body “strongly condemns the military attacks and invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, and calls for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the military presence, and cessation of any further actions that may intensify the current perilous situation in that country. The recognition by the Russian Federation of the regions of Donestsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

According to the CARICOM Statement, “the hostilities against Ukraine go counter to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state, and the prohibition on the threat or use of force and the peaceful resolution of disputes which are the bedrock of this community.”

This is, indeed, a worrying development which does not augur well for peace and stability, not only in the Ukraine but in the world at large. Already, a significant number of casualties have taken place, not to mention the environment of trepidation and fear both in Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and, for that matter, the global community as a whole.

Already, the impact of the conflict is being felt globally, with rising fuel prices and turmoil in the financial and stock markets. In such an environment, there are no winners, and the entire world is worse off for the conflict.

The Government of Guyana has taken a principled position on the matter, based on the canons of international law, and its own security interests. Faced with the territorial claims on its own territory by its neighbours on both the east and the west, it is only natural for the country to embrace principles that are firmly rooted in international laws and established protocols and conventions.

Diplomacy, it is said, is war by other means. The failure of diplomacy to resolve issues involving territorial claims or matters, or the security interests of nation-states is fraught with dangers, as is currently the case in the Ukraine. It is a matter of concern that the conflict was allowed to escalate, even as the United Nations Security Council was in session to deliberate on the issue, which, in some ways, has rendered the United Nations mechanism to resolve disputes almost of token value.

The world is watching with keen interest to see how this development will play out. There is one thing, however, that is not in doubt, namely that in an environment of war, there can be winners. This is why the call by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to give peace a chance has resonated with progressive-thinking leaders and humanity as a whole.