On conducting a special military operation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
A video of the address by Putin (with English captions)
Владимир Путин (22-09-2021) (cropped) 2.jpg
This article is part of
a series about
Vladimir Putin

President of Russia

Incumbent

Policies

Elections

Premiership

Presidency

Vladimir Putin's signature
Emblem of the President of Russia.svg

Media gallery

"On conducting a special military operation" was a televised address by Russian president Vladimir Putin to the citizens of Russia and the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, hours before the invasion of Ukraine. The speech was intended to sway public opinion by describing Putin's motivations for the invasion, but its factual accuracy and ideological bent were widely criticized. For example, he said that Ukraine is a neo-Nazi state and that the invasion was justifiable self-defense under the Article 51 of the UN Charter, two claims that were widely rejected by historians and experts.

Address[edit]

On 24 February 2022, at 05:30 AM Moscow Time, state television channels began broadcasting the address of Russian president Vladimir Putin.[1][2]

NATO[edit]

In his speech, Putin spoke about the impossibility of reaching an agreement with NATO on equal terms and accused the military alliance of expanding to the east.[3] Putin mentioned the enlargement of NATO frequently in his address, calling it "unacceptable", along with the military development of Ukraine. He said: "As NATO expands to the east, with every passing year, the situation for our country is getting worse and more dangerous. Moreover, in recent days the leadership of NATO has been openly talking about the need to speed up, force the advancement of the alliance's infrastructure to the borders of Russia. In other words, they are doubling down on their position. We can no longer just watch what is happening. It would be absolutely irresponsible on our part."[3]

Putin stated that Ukraine was becoming an "anti-Russia" state, with it being supplied by other NATO members with "the most modern weapons", saying: "Further expansion of the NATO infrastructure and the beginning of military development in Ukraine's territories are unacceptable for us. The problem, of course, is not NATO itself – it is only an instrument of US foreign policy. The problem is that in the territories adjacent to us – territories that were historically ours, I emphasise – an 'anti-Russia' hostile to us is being created, placed under full external control; [it] is intensively settled by the armed forces of NATO countries and is supplied with the most modern weapons."[4]

Announcement of a "special military operation"[edit]

Putin later announced the start of a "special military operation" in the Donbas region, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, the decision of the Federation Council on the use of Russian troops in Ukraine and agreements with the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). He said:

"We have been left no other option to protect Russia and our people, but for the one that we will be forced to use today. The situation requires us to take decisive and immediate action. The people's republics of Donbas turned to Russia with a request for help. ... In this regard, in accordance with Article 51 of Part 7 of the UN Charter, with the sanction of the Federation Council of Russia and in pursuance of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance ratified by the Federal Assembly on February 22 of this year with the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, I have decided to conduct a special military operation."[5][6]

On 21 February, Russia officially recognised the DPR and the LPR as independent states,[7][8] which were agreements with the DNR and LNR referred to by Putin. They were ratified by the State Duma and the Federation Council. He said the purpose of the "operation" was to "protect the people" in the predominantly Russian-speaking region of Donbas who, according to Putin, "for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime".[3][9] Putin said that "all responsibility for possible bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine".[10] Putin also stated that Russia sought the "demilitarization and denazification" of Ukraine.[11][12]

Call to the Ukrainian people[edit]

Putin called on the Ukrainian military to "immediately lay down their arms and go home", saying: "All servicemen of the Ukrainian army who comply with this requirement will be able to freely leave the combat zone and return to their families. All responsibility for possible bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience of the ruling regime on the territory of Ukraine."[12] Addressing the citizens of Ukraine, he linked Russia's actions with self-defense against the threats created for it and "an even greater disaster than the one that is happening today", saying: "No matter how hard it is, I ask you to understand this and call for interaction in order to turn this tragic page and move forward together."[12]

Putin stated there were no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory and that he supported the right of the peoples of Ukraine to self-determination, saying: "Our plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. We are not going to impose anything on anyone by force. At the same time, we hear that recently in the West there is talk that the documents signed by the Soviet totalitarian regime, securing the outcome of World War II, should no longer be upheld."[12][6]

Warning against intervention[edit]

At the end of the address, Putin warned other countries against intervening in the conflict, saying:

"Whoever tries to interfere with us, and even more so to create threats for our country, for our people, should know that Russia's response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences that you have never experienced in your history. We are ready for any development of events. All necessary decisions in this regard have been made. I hope that I have been heard."[13][12][14]

Aftermath[edit]

Putin's address was aired during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine that began on the evening of 23 February.[15][16] At the meeting itself, Vasily Nebenzya, the Representative of Russia to the UN, stated: "We are not carrying out aggression against the Ukrainian people, but against the group that seized power in Kyiv."[17]

Within minutes of Putin's announcement, explosions were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, and the Donbas.[18] At about 5 a.m. Kyiv time, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched missile and bomb attacks on Ukrainian military facilities. Ground forces entered the territory of Ukraine from several directions, including from Crimea and from the territory of Belarus, beginning the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[18]

Casus belli[edit]

NATO expansion[edit]

Lawyers comment on the justifications for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine used by Putin (in Russian)

After the dissolution of the USSR, 14 new countries were admitted to NATO,[19] with four of them sharing a common border with Russia. Ukraine was presented with the prospect of joining NATO in 2008;[20] since then, the process has stalled. During his visit to Russia in mid-February 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed this status in the foreseeable future. The logistics infrastructure and airfields suitable for strengthening Russian troops were created after the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014.[21] Of particular concern to Russia was the deployment of missile defense systems in Poland. The missile defense system makes it possible to intercept short and medium-range ballistic missiles, but Russia has refused to discuss the control of these weapons.[22]

Article 51 of the UN Charter and agreements with the DPR and LPR[edit]

Putin's reference to Article 51 of the UN Charter is regarded by a number of lawyers as incorrect. According to Robert Goldman, a professor at the Washington College of Law, this is "a blatant example of a violation of the central principles of the world order" and the reference to Article 51 of the UN Charter to justify military actions against Ukraine is "as if a rapist accused the victim in aggression".[23] John B. Bellinger III, member of the Council on Foreign Relations, believes that the reference to requests for help from the supposedly sovereign DPR and LPR, neither of which are UN members, does not allow Russia to use Article 51 of the UN Charter, since this article allows one UN member state to protect another member state.[23]

Swiss researcher of international law Nico Krisch argues that Article 51 is the right to self-defense in exceptional cases, mainly when an attack on a country has already been committed or is about to begin. For other situations, there is the UN Security Council and other conflict resolution mechanisms; the blurred threat that Putin sees as NATO cannot justify military action. Krisch recalled that in the early 2000s, when the United States tried to introduce the concept of "preventive self-defense" as justification for the use of military force, most countries opposed such an interpretation, and Russia was among them.[23] Putin's reference to Article 51 of the UN Charter was also rejected by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.[24]

Claims about neo-Nazism and genocide[edit]

See also: Disinformation in the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis

As justification for the invasion of Ukraine, Putin used the image of Ukraine as a neo-Nazi state; according to historians, he exploited genocide and the memories of World War II.[25] Putin's accusations against Ukraine of committing genocide in the Donbas have been widely dismissed as baseless by leading world politicians and experts.[26][27][28] On February 24, Putin called the "denazification" of Ukraine one of the goals of the invasion and stated that "neo-Nazis seized power in Ukraine".[29] At a meeting of the Security Council of Russia on 25 February, he called the Ukrainian authorities "a gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis".[30]

UN Secretary-General António Guterres refused to consider the events in Donbas a genocide. He stated that "genocide is a crime that has a clear definition and should be used in accordance with international law. I think this is not the case."[31] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Putin's statement about the genocide "ridiculous".[32] The genocide in Donbas allegation was also rejected by the chairman of the UNESCO Commission on the Prevention of Genocide Alexander Laban Hinton,[33] and political scientist and expert on ultra-right movements Andreas Umland.[34]

The world's leading scholars of the history of World War II, the Holocaust, genocide, and Nazism (Jared McBride, Francine Hirsch, Timothy D. Snyder, Omer Bartov, Christoph Diekman, and others) published a statement in the Jewish Journal weekly newspaper pointing out the incorrectness of the rhetoric about neo-Nazism and signed by almost 150 historians.[35] The Jewish Journal says that the authors do not intend to idealize the Ukrainian state and society, mentioning certain elements of xenophobia, but writes that "this does not justify Russian aggression against Ukraine".[36][37][38] The Washington Post commented that "the rhetoric of the fight against fascism resonates deeply in Russia, which suffered huge losses in the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II".[39]

The BBC News Russian says that although there are separate paramilitary neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine like the Azov Battalion, there is no broad support for the far-right ideology in the government, army, or electorate, citing the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, in which far-right nationalist parties failed to win a single seat in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada.[40] Since 2015, the law "On condemnation of the communist and national-socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes in Ukraine and the prohibition of propaganda of their symbols" (Law No. 317-VIII) has been in force on the territory of Ukraine, and there are examples of bringing neo-Nazis to criminal liability.[41] Analysts say Putin greatly exaggerated the scale of the issue, and there is no widespread support for this ideology in the government, military, or electorate.[37][38][39]

Separate criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was caused by the intention of Putin to "denazify" the country, since Zelenskyy's relatives were victims of the Holocaust.[39] Umland comments that the Russian-speaking Zelenskyy won the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election by a wide margin, while his opponent was a Ukrainian-speaker.[24] Ulrich B. Schmid, professor of Russian culture and society studies at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, called Putin's words a "despicable insinuation", and he said that there are no fewer far-right groups in Russia itself than in Ukraine.[24]

The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum issued a strong protest against Putin's accusations of neo-Nazism.[42] The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum noted that the Jewish population of Ukraine suffered greatly in World War II, being almost completely destroyed by Nazi Germany, and expressed support for the Ukrainian people, including thousands of people who survived the Holocaust, and called accusations of alleged genocide in Ukraine called "groundless and blatant".[43]

Threat of using nuclear weapons[edit]

Josep Borrell, the EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,[44] as well as Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael E. O'Hanlon and Associated Press Vice President John Daniszewski, assessed Putin's words about a possible response to intervention in the conflict as a threat to use nuclear weapons.[45]

On February 27, Putin ordered the Minister of Defense to put the strategic deterrence forces into a special mode of combat duty. The reason for this was what he called the "unfriendly actions" of Western countries in the economic sphere, as well as the "aggressive statements" of their leaders.[46]

Reactions[edit]

NATO Secretary-General Jen Stoltenberg issued a statement condemning "Russia's reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts at risk countless civilian lives. Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country."[47]

US president Joe Biden issued a statement saying that Russia had launched "an unprovoked and unjustified attack" on the Ukrainian people.[48]

In the statement, Biden said: "President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering." He said: "Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable."[48]

As news of the announcement broke, UN Secretary-General Guterres asked Putin to halt the invasion: "President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance, too many people have already died."[49]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Путин выступил с экстренным обращением к гражданам России — РБК". 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  2. ^ ""Мы будем стремиться к демилитаризации и денацификации": Путин объявил о начале спецоперации в Украине". 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  3. ^ a b c Бумага (2022-02-24). "Расшифровка речи Путина о начале военной операции". «Бумага» (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  4. ^ Staff, Al Jazeera. "'No other option': Excerpts of Putin's speech declaring war". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  5. ^ "Военная операция в Донбассе. Главное — РБК". 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  6. ^ a b Staff, Al Jazeera. "'No other option': Excerpts of Putin's speech declaring war". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  7. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Russia orders troops into rebel-held regions". BBC News. 2022-02-22. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  8. ^ Wamsley, Laurel (2022-02-21). "U.N. leaders condemn Putin after he orders 'peacekeepers' to Ukraine". NPR. Archived from the original on 2022-02-21. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  9. ^ Hinton, Alexander. "Putin's claims that Ukraine is committing genocide are baseless, but not unprecedented". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  10. ^ Spectator, The. "Full text: Putin's declaration of war on Ukraine | The Spectator". www.spectator.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  11. ^ "Ukraine conflict: Russian forces attack from three sides". BBC News. 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Путин объявил о начале военной операции на Украине". tass.ru. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  13. ^ Yeung, Jessie; Renton, Adam; Picheta, Rob; Upright, Ed; Sangal, Aditi; Vogt, Adrienne; Macaya, Melissa; Chowdhury, Maureen (2022-02-24). "Russia attacks Ukraine". CNN News. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  14. ^ "Наступление и наказание – Газета Коммерсантъ № 33 (7234) от 25.02.2022". 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  15. ^ ""Для военных преступников нет чистилища. Они отправляются прямиком в ад" Прямо во время экстренного заседания Совбеза ООН по Украине Путин объявил войну. Вот что там говорили — почитайте этот исторический документ — Meduza". 2022-02-25. Archived from the original on 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  16. ^ "Небензя заявил, что Киев не слышал сигналов о прекращении провокаций против ДНР и ЛНР - Политика - ТАСС". 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  17. ^ Новости, Р. И. А. (February 24, 2022). "Небензя заявил, что Россия ведет агрессию против захватившей власть хунты". РИА Новости (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  18. ^ a b "Battles flare across Ukraine after Putin declares war". POLITICO. 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  19. ^ "The 14 Former Soviet and Soviet-aligned Republics That Joined NATO After the Cold War – 24/7 Wall St". Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  20. ^ "NATO promises Ukraine, Georgia entry one day". Reuters. 2008-04-03. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  21. ^ Gressel, Gustav (2021-09-21). "Waves of ambition: Russia's military build-up in Crimea and the Black Sea – European Council on Foreign Relations". ECFR. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  22. ^ Podvig, Pavel (2017-05-01). "Missile defense in Russia" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-07.
  23. ^ a b c Россия нарушила ряд международных законов, начав войну в Украине (in Russian), archived from the original on 2022-03-02, retrieved 2022-03-07
  24. ^ a b c Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Как Путин оправдывает вторжение в Украину. Фактчекинг DW | DW | 02.03.2022". DW.COM (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  25. ^ "Мемориалы жертвам Холокоста осудили действия Путина и его риторику". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). 2022-03-02. Archived from the original on 2022-03-05. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  26. ^ "US accuses Moscow of creating Ukraine invasion pretext with 'genocide' claims". France 24. 2022-02-16. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  27. ^ Fisher, Max (2022-02-19). "Putin's Baseless Claims of Genocide Hint at More Than War". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  28. ^ "Russia using false genocide claims as pretext for Ukraine invasion: US". South China Morning Post. 2022-02-17. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  29. ^ "Россия начала "военную операцию" на Украине". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). 2022-02-24. Archived from the original on 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  30. ^ "Военная операция на Украине. Главное — РБК". 2022-02-25. Archived from the original on 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  31. ^ "The UN Secretary General said that the Russian military in the "DPR" and "LPR" cannot be considered peacekeepers". Perild. 2022-02-23. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  32. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Vladimir Putin address fact-checked". BBC News. 2022-02-22. Archived from the original on 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  33. ^ "Putin's claims that Ukraine is committing genocide are baseless, but not unprecedented | Ghostarchive". ghostarchive.org. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  34. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Fact check: Do Vladimir Putin's justifications for going to war against Ukraine add up? | DW | 25.02.2022". DW.COM. Archived from the original on 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  35. ^ "Statement on the War in Ukraine by Scholars of Genocide, Nazism and World War II". Jewish Journal. 2022-02-27. Archived from the original on 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  36. ^ "Путин называет украинских лидеров нацистами, а события в Донбассе — геноцидом. Это неправда Заявление исследователей нацизма, геноцида, Холокоста и Второй мировой". Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  37. ^ a b "Putin using false 'Nazi' narrative to justify Russia's attack on Ukraine, experts say". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  38. ^ a b "Putin says he is fighting a resurgence of Nazism. That's not true". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  39. ^ a b c "Putin says he will 'denazify' Ukraine. Here's the history behind that claim". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  40. ^ "Результаты внеочередных выборов народных депутатов Украины 2019". Украинская правда (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  41. ^ "Что не так с тезисом "у власти в Украине фашисты"? Фактчек Би-би-си". BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  42. ^ Haltiwanger, John. "Auschwitz museum says Russia's war in Ukraine is an 'act of barbarity that will be judged by history'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  43. ^ "О проведении специальной военной операции", Википедия (in Russian), 2022-03-07, archived from the original on 2022-03-16, retrieved 2022-03-07
  44. ^ Новости, Р. И. А. (February 28, 2022). "Боррель назвал заявление Путина в защиту России безответственным". РИА Новости (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  45. ^ "Putin waves nuclear sword in confrontation with the West". AP NEWS. 2022-02-25. Archived from the original on 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  46. ^ "Приказательное выступление". www.kommersant.ru (in Russian). 2022-02-28. Archived from the original on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  47. ^ "Putin Announces Military Operation in Ukraine". Time. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  48. ^ a b Regan, Nathan Hodge,Tim Lister,Ivana Kottasová,Helen (2022-02-24). "Russia launches military attack on Ukraine with reports of explosions and troops crossing border". CNN. Archived from the original on 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  49. ^ Lakshman, Sriram (2022-02-24). "Security Council reacts to Putin announcement of 'Special Operation' in Eastern Ukraine". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=On_conducting_a_special_military_operation&oldid=1079004394"