The split between Russia and Western powers over Georgia reverted back into full view on the U.N. Security Council when Russia disallowed a declaration that when approved would have extended the U.N. observer mission in Georgia.
The observer force came to inception 1993, but Russia claims that the mission was invalidated by last year’s conflict over breakaway regions in Georgia.
“The U.N. mission’s previous mandate has actually ceased to exist in the wake of Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia last August,” said Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s U.N. ambassador, who said it was “not acceptable ” to extend the mission.
After the veto Monday night, a statement from the office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. would “take all measures required to cease the operations of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia effective 16 June.”
Ban “will consult with his senior advisors and his special representative on the immediate next steps,” the statement said.
Russia and Georgia were involved in a five-day conflict last August regarding the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia — the first time Russia sent troops abroad in anger since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Western powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom and France supported the Georgian government in a conflict that renewed Cold War sentiments.
The European Union began a probe to find out the how the war began that is due to be completed by the end of next month.
The focal point of dispute remains Georgia’s territorial integrity. As a result of last year’s war, Russia now considers South Ossetia and Abkhazia sovereign nations independent from Georgia. Russia has no support from the global arena for that position aside from the nation of Nicaragua.
The Georgian ambassador to the United Nations, Kakha Lomaia, addressed the Security Council following the vote, saying his nation deeply regrets the apparent end of the mission. He called Russia’s position “unconstructive.”
The statement from Ban’s office added, “The Secretary-General regrets that the Security Council has been unable to reach agreement on the basis of a package of practical and realistic proposals he submitted to the Security Council aimed at contributing to a stabilization of the situation on the ground.”
