A legally-acceptable peacekeeping force can only be set up through the auspices of the United Nations Security Council and that would mean both sides of the war agreeing, writes Joe Lauria.
March 27, 2023: Members of the U.N. Security Council abstaining from a Russian resolution to investigate sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline; the resolution failed due to a shortage of votes in favor. (U.N. Photo/Manuel Elías)
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
Britain and France say they want to send European troops to Ukraine as “peacekeepers” if a ceasefire should be achieved.
So far, however, only Britain and France seem interested in contributing “boots on the ground” and “planes in the sky” to the so-called “coalition of the willing.”
But even if there were to be a long-term ceasefire, there is almost zero chance that British or French forces would ever deploy to Ukraine. That’s because in order to establish a true peacekeeping force, both sides of a conflict must agree.
Russia has made it abundantly clear for some time now that under no circumstances would it accept NATO troops near the war zone posing as so-called peacekeepers.
In fact, Moscow has warned that British, French or any NATO forces without a U.N. mandate would be seen instead as co-belligerents with Ukraine — the only side that would welcome them.
A legally-acceptable peacekeeping force can only be set up through the auspices of the United Nations. And that is because agreement is needed among the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the body that establishes U.N. peacekeeping missions.
That means that both sides in this conflict — the United States, Britain and France on one side, and Russia on the other — must agree to set it up. Under U.N. peacekeeping practice, no nation that has had a hand in the conflict can contribute troops to the U.N. force.
That’s why you’d see Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Indian, Irish, and Brazil soldiers keeping the peace in Ukraine, once the killing ends. (Sweden has been a big contributor in past missions but it has now joined NATO.)
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the possibility of U.N. participation in an arrangement for peace for the first time. He floated the idea of the U.N. providing a temporary administration of Ukraine to hold elections for a government with whom Russia could complete a peace deal.
It’s hard to imagine the British, the French or the U.S. not vetoing that. All of this, of course, is a long way off.
Euro Dead End
Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets French President Emmanuel Macron for a bilateral meeting at the Elysee, August 2024. (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street)
European leaders know that the only chance Ukraine has to win the war is direct participation by NATO forces, which could lead to World War III and the end of the world.
That’s why NATO hasn’t been so foolish to try it. To make sure, Putin has from the start of Russia’s entry into the war in February 2022 warned NATO that Russia was ready to use its nuclear arsenal if NATO attacked it.
That was portrayed hysterically in Western media as Putin “threatening” nuclear war on the West, when it was instead a warning which has prevented NATO from doing anything stupid that could lead to the ultimate disaster.
The British-French proposal then to send “peacekeepers” to Ukraine is totally unrealistic and has only one aim: the public relations value of keeping various European political careers afloat:
Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission president who acts (and is treated) like an elected head of state except Europe is not a state and she was not elected by the people. She said Russia was in “tatters” and that its desperate military was reduced to using “washing machine” parts for repairs.
She’s moved all her chips onto the “Ukraine Victory” box and can’t back down now. So she and the others on this list encourage the deaths of many more Ukrainians, knowing full well that the longer the war goes on the worse deal Ukraine will get. But it’s about them (and destroying Russia), not Ukraine.
Emmanuel Macron has been playing a weird game on Ukraine since the months leading up to Russia’s large-scale intervention in 2022. He visited Moscow practicing the now lost art of diplomacy trying to avert a larger conflict. (And now at least he’s open to a U.N. peacekeeping mission.)
Two years ago he privately advised Volodymyr Zelensky at a dinner in Paris with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to give up and take the best deal: Ukraine had lost the war. Even Germany and France, long-time mortal enemies on the continent, had reconciled and Ukraine would have to do the same with Russia.
Yet he’s trying to prolong the war he now knows Ukraine is losing even worse than before.
Keir Starmer. Though he has only been in office nine months, he has already invested a huge amount of political capital in Ukraine, risking the ire of Britons dependent on the government for help to survive with his expenditures to Kiev. And why? Like too many British prime ministers, he looks in the mirror and sees Winston Churchill. Thus the rhetoric about “boots” and “planes” in Ukraine.
It turned out to be all bluster. There’ll be no peacekeepers without the U.N. and no Ukrainian defeat that can be dressed up as victory.
But the British governments preceding Starmer invested heavily in the new Great Game of weakening and overthrowing the Russian government. How can he give up now?
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former U.N. correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and other newspapers, including The Montreal Gazette, the London Daily Mail and The Star of Johannesburg. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London, a financial reporter for Bloomberg News and began his professional work as a 19-year old stringer for The New York Times. He is the author of two books, A Political Odyssey, with Sen. Mike Gravel, foreword by Daniel Ellsberg; and How I Lost By Hillary Clinton, foreword by Julian Assange.
This is another excellent piece by Joe Lauria. Thanks, Joe, for putting these absurd comments by Macron and Starmer in perspective for us. Ray McGovern has recently discussed Putin’s recent speech in which he said the Russians are concerned about increased involvement or ascendency by the Ukrainian Nazis. I believe Putin suggested going to the UN also.
“This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the possibility of U.N. participation in an arrangement for peace for the first time. He floated the idea of the U.N. providing a temporary administration of Ukraine to hold elections for a government with whom Russia could complete a peace deal.” JOE LAURIA
No doubt about it, Joe Lauria called it, “The course of this three-year conflict since Russia’s intervention makes clear that the longer Ukraine tries to fight, the worse deal it will get, no matter how many public relations points it might win along the way.” JOE LAURIA, “The Phony Ceasefire.” MARCH 16, 2025; AND, Above, “Emmanuel Macron visited Moscow practicing the now lost art of diplomacy trying to avert a larger conflict,” i.e., FEBRUARY 7, 2022, “Emmanuel Macron & Vladimir Putin appeared at a press conference after spending more than five hours locked in head-to-head talks.”
…..…. “Ask your readers, do you want war w/Russia?” Because that’s what will happen if Ukraine, which has made a pledge to take back Crimea by force, joins NATO. You will fight a war against Russia. Russia is one of the world’s leading atomic powers. There would be [NO] no victors; Macron does not desire such an outcome.” Vladimir Putin, 2.7.22
“AGAIN, Russia has said, from 2008, incorporation of NATO into that alliance is a red line. How many times do we need to repeat ourselves?” Vladimir Putin 2.7.22
No doubt, Russia rocks the Queen. Ukraine is the Pawn. Et tu, USG/NATO?” Imo, time the USG calls 1-800-911-V.I.P.S., for advice b/c Russia’s running “intellectual & verbal rings” around the USG, NATO & Volodymyr “El Chapo” Zelensky, the de facto President of Ukraine. Imo, Veteran Intelligence Professionals For Sanity (VIPS) could effect a “piece” plan w/peace! The USG needs VIPS on speed dial!!!
…. The owl asks, “Who, lifts the “Martial Law,” in Ukraine? The bird tweets, the same “Ukrainian “Officials;” who made it law; &, since February 24, 2022, Ukrainians have been mandated “to fall in line,” i.e., 1) “Presidential, Parliamentary, & Local Elections explicitly banned/suspended, 2) Restrictions on military-aged men traveling abroad with some exceptions, 3) A MANDATORY Curfew imposed ACROSS the COUNTRY. One, Two, Three are in effect until the martial law is “lifted.”
…… “If “lifted” right away, it could mean an outflow of money and men that may compromise Ukraine’s ability to fend off further attacks if a peace agreement falls apart.” Andrea Januta,Kyiv-based Reporter, The Kyiv Independent.
…p.s., “Ukraine’s parliament will need to decide whether it is safe to lift martial law and then choose not to extend it when it expires or vote to lift it.” [IF, NOT FOR WAR], parliamentary elections would have been held in 2023, and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s term would have ended in May of 2024. Their terms have instead continued.” Andrea Januta 2.18.25 @ hxxps://kyivindependent.com/a-ceasefire-in-ukraine-could-bring-an-end-to-martial-law-what-restrictions-have-been-in-place-and-what-would-their-end-mean/
Once, again, JOE LAURIA’S “got” this, “It turned out to be all bluster. There’ll be no peacekeepers without the U.N. and no Ukrainian defeat that can be dressed up as victory.” Keeping U.S. grounded in truth!!! TY. “Keep It Lit!”
Sorry folks. I can’t feel what I have to say with regard to anything currently taking place around the planet is relevant.
As a student of critical thought my intellect or absence there of tells me as an American what I think matters one Dog Damned bit to the rest of the world at this point in time.
As the Sons of Liberty say, no one is coming to help us right the ‘ship of state’. This results in me being somewhat distracted at this time.
To quote Dennis Hopper doing a commercial for Nike, rummaging in a locker room he comes up with a rather large Nike football shoe. ” What would Bruce Smith do if he found me with his shoe?”. He says, ” Bad things man, very bad things!”, for my countrymen and myself, family included this is what I see.
Trump is off the rails, he flaunts the U.S. Constitution relentlessly violating the oath he took upon taking office. The republicans who are just as responsible for this incomprehensible chaotic mess as democraps are must appeal to the senses or lack there of the SCOTUS to pull the plug on her highness’ grandiose misuse of presidential authority!
Bad things man, very bad things! RIP DH, I’m out!
The British ruling class has a pathological obsession with Russia that spans over 150 years. They are totally detached from reality and live in the past.
Editor Lauria: Nothing about Germany? Nothing about the 20,000 word exposee by the NYT? Nothing about it’s OVER?
NOTE: I am not a fan of the NYT, but it is what it is.
Germany is not sending troops to the “coalition of the willing,” the NYT piece is not news, despite many new details and unfortunately the war is not over yet and will probably go on a lot longer.
“Germany, for instance, has made noises about sending troops under a UN-mandate, but Russia opposes the mission and would veto it. So, Berlin’s involvement would likely be based on out-of-country support, such as logistics.”
hxxps://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-troops-peacekeepers-coalition-starmer-macron/33368770.html
If NATO was sincere about Peace they should offer to pay damages for Nord Stream pipeline, return seized Russian assets and apologize.
Explain (admit) why what happened give context (the truth), Take responsibility for causing the Russian to intervene. (and go into a self imposed timeout)
The war will end only when Russia attains its goals, namely Ukraine’s neutrality, no joining NATO, and denazification. Let Starmer, von der Leyen and Macron make fools of themselves on the world stage. To trust the West seeking a “a deal” would simply prolong the conflict. Russia will prevail.
What people don’t realize is that NATO has already thrown its best punch. Warfare has been industrial for a couple of centuries now. Its machine versus machine. The colors of the flag symbol on the soldier’s uniform as they operate the machines don’t matter. We’ve already seen what NATO can do. It doesn’t matter if the cannon fodder is from Ukraine or Poland or Germany or England or a multi-national group of mercenaries.
If Europe decides it must have war with Russia, Russia will need to make sure its maps of Berlin and Paris are up-to-date. And have some tow vehicles handy to bring trophies back to Moscow for future Victory Day parades.
One thing the world knows …. Blue Helmets are not a good thing. They always get pushed with the infamous good intentions, but it tends to end with sexual assault charges or the like. Or invaders in your country while the UN Blue Helmets chant ‘see no evil’ as in Lebanon.
The UK and French troops were only going to be targets. Their idiot leaders don’t understand that Russia ain’t playin around anymore. Sir Stormer and Macaroon both have the fantasies that if they wave the flag their troops will somehow be under magical protection. Never was going to happen. These two morons keep coming up with new versions of their fantasy when the last evaporates as smoke.
America has created a world where America can not be trusted. America never keeps it deals. Donald Trump shouts that from the Rose Garden everyday, just in case Russia didn’t learn this at Minsk. And America has in turn created a world where the world’s institutions also can not be trusted. America corrupts them all to get what America demands at any moment. Now, America has to figure out how to make peace when nobody trusts America and nobody trusts the institutions that were established after the death of Adolf to try to keep this from happening again.
David Swanson: “I get arguments by email, phone, Zoom, and in-person all the time, and have for months now, [asking] what possible choice could Russia have had, and what else could Ukraine possibly have done? […] I cannot make sense of either one, because there are always choices, there are always options – there are options on a huge scale.
You look at a country like Lithuania that actually put in place, through its government, plans to organize mass unarmed civil resistance to Russia, principally, and you can imagine a world in which governments […] use nonviolent action, which gains the support through video [and] through communication. You look at people in Latin America who have resisted corporate takeovers of their land through nonviolent action and skilled videography of their own actions. [For more examples, see “Growing List of Successful Nonviolent Actions Used Instead of Wars,” at worldbeyondwar.org/list.]
[…]
The reason that we look at stories like the one from [the Autonomous Region of] Bougainville, of the unarmed peacekeepers going in with guitars in place of guns, and ending a war [with Papua New Guinea] that armed ‘peacekeeping’ had failed to end over and over again, and creating a lasting peace there in Bougainville, is to suggest that there is a different type of peacekeeping, [comprised of] groups like Nonviolent Peaceforce and others that go and do unarmed protection, unarmed resistance, and who are organizing just this right now in Ukraine, have a record on a much smaller scale of accomplishing vastly more for vastly less expense than armed, so-called ‘peacekeepers.’”
Source:
“Online Debate: Can War Ever Be Justified” (with David Swanson and Arnold August), World BEYOND War, September 21, 2022
“…what possible choice could Russia have had, and what else could Ukraine possibly have done?”
Nobody provides a suggestion of what else Russia could have done, after 2 failed Minsk Accords (designed to fail), the sabotaged Istanbul agreement, and numerous appeals to the relevant UN bodies. Russia exhausted ALL remedies before engaging in the SMO – at the request of the Russian-speaking Ukrainians who were being murdered since the 2014 US led-coup, carried out by neo-Nazis.
Ukraine could have accepted the numerous peace proposals. And stopped the Nazi forces.
Is Swanson saying they are equally culpable?
To let David Swanson answer your question himself, here are some articles on the subject that he has authored:
“30 Nonviolent Things Russia Could Have Done and 30 Nonviolent Things Ukraine Could Do,” March 15, 2022 (archive.ph/UQdWH)
“War Abolition and the Ukraine Problem,” November 9, 2023 (archive.ph/NK1wU)
“Act Now to Save Ukrainian Peace Activist from Prosecution,” World BEYOND War, September 14, 2023 (archive.ph/onswD)
For further details on alternatives that were available to Russia (and, for that matter, many other states that end up committing to wars of choice instead, chiefly the United States), you can refer to my comments on the article “The Onus Is on Biden & Putin,” authored by Scott Ritter and published in Consortium News on September 30, 2022.
(replying to Rita Enteen)Very well put!
With nobody trusting America, the EU or other belligerent European countries, the UN option is the only potentially viable peacekeeping solution other than a full Ukrainian capitualtion or surrender – with Russia winning conclusively.
But even with a formal UN peacekeeping initiative, it is unlikely Ukraine will honour it – with or without the help of western countries trying hard to destabalise it and pin the blame on Russia.
With no trust, there can be no ‘negotiated’ peace, only an enforced one by Russia. I think Russia knows this but wants to be seen as reasonable and willing to consider all the options.
Critically thinking people should never delude themselves that the Rockefellers donated the land for the UN with any notional fore or afterthought that altruism ever played any kind of part in their ‘gifting’ of it.
What the UN does or doesn’t do is entirely dependent on what the member states decide it should do. The US of course is the most powerful and works hard at the UN to get its way and doesn’t always succeed.
Which reminds me of Brendan Howley / John Loftus’s book “The Witness Tree” in how Israel blackmailed Nelson into garnering the support of 14 Latin American nations (where his family’s interests held sway) in getting their votes for Israel’s accession into “the community of nations.” All cloaked in fiction, of course.
Richard Grove conducted some very concise interviews with Loftus which he has shown on his “Grand Theft World” podcast, they are very much worth tracking down and listening to.
Loftus was also much involved in the Nuremberg Trials and had a long and distinguished legal career. “The Witness Tree” as historical fiction was (from what I intuit and surmise) much more non-fiction than anything else.
For the benefit of the readers herein, the story line centers around Eleanor Dulles, the “Brothers'” sister, her relationship to a non-WASP, his untimely death and the involvement of John Foster and Allen in that event. The intrigue is if anything, overpowering. The secret details in the era’s history, sublime.
Only printed in Canada, (untouchable by the usual suspects in the U.S. publishing houses.) It is available, but original copies are quite rare and expensive.