By Peter Richards
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — CARICOM countries Monday adopted opposing positions on the war in Ukraine as member countries of the United Nations adopted a resolution on the third anniversary of Russia’s military invasion.
CARICOM had in February 2022 issued a statement “strongly” condemning the military attacks and invasion of Ukraine by Russia and called “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 Donetsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine,” CARICOM said.
It had noted that “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”.
The 15-member regional integration grouping called on all parties involved “to urgently embark on intensified diplomatic dialogue to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a sustainable peace”.
In February 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a virtual address to the regional leaders during their summit in The Bahamas, urged them to support a motion being presented at the United Nations condemning Russia’s invasion and continued war with Ukraine.
“I thank you for being on the side of the law. I thank you for your efforts to bring stability to your region and the world. But real stability is possible only when we all together protect the world from state thuggery,” Zelenskyy said, adding “so I encourage you to further cooperation”.
On Monday, 93 countries voted in support of a nonbinding resolution condemning Russia as the aggressor in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The European-backed resolution, which does not carry any enforcement, still passed overwhelmingly and is meant as a global vote of solidarity against Russia’s unprovoked attack on its neighbour and continued aggression.
The CARICOM countries that voted in support of the resolution are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines joined 65 countries in abstaining while Haiti was among 18 countries, including the United States, that voted against the resolution.
Dominica was not present for the vote.
None of the CARICOM countries that either voted against or abstained have given a reason for their position.
The US also abstained from voting on its competing resolution after the Europeans, led by France, succeeded in amending it to make clear Russia was the aggressor.
CARICOM leaders, who met in Barbados last week for their 48th regular meeting are yet to officially issue a communique on their three-day meeting that ended on Friday.
But during the end-of-summit news press conference, Barbados Prime Minister and CARICOM chair, Mia Mottley, said the leaders had “looked at the geopolitical issues, global political geopolitical issues,” but made no specific reference to the ongoing war in Ukraine.