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Observer
7 days ago
- Observer
Bosnia commemorates genocide
Srebrenica: Thousands of mourners on Friday commemorated in Srebrenica the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe's worst atrocities since World War II. The remains of seven victims were laid to rest during the commemorations, which mark the bloodiest episode of Bosnia's inter-ethnic war in the 1990s. They included those of Sejdalija Alic, one of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces after they captured the eastern town on July 11, 1995. His grand-daughter Anela Alic, whose father was also killed in the massacre and was buried earlier, came to attend the funeral. "I never saw my father... and today, my grandfather is being buried, just some of his bones, next to his son. "It's a deep sadness... I have no words to describe it," the 32-year-old added, in tears. She was born in early 1994 after her pregnant mother was evacuated in a Red Cross convoy from the ill-fated town. The victims of Srebrenica, which was at the time a UN-protected enclave, were buried in mass graves. So far about 7,000 victims have been identified and buried while about 1,000 are still missing. In a bid to cover up the crime, the Bosnian Serb forces had the remains removed to secondary mass graves, causing many of the bodies to be shredded by heavy machinery, according to experts. - 'Tombstone to caress' - "For 30 years we have carried the pain in our souls," said Munira Subasic, president of the association Mothers of Srebrenica. She lost her husband Hilmo and 17-year-old son Nermin in the massacre. "Our children were killed, innocent, in the UN-protected zone. Europe and the world watched in silence as our children were killed." The seven victims buried under white tombstones on Friday at the memorial centre after a joint prayer included a 19-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman. The remains of most of the victims are incomplete and in some cases consist only of one or two bones, experts said. Families have waited for years to bury their loved ones, hoping that more remains would be found. But Mevlida Omerovic decided not to wait any longer to bury her husband Hasib. He was killed at the age of 33, at one of five mass-execution sites of the massacre, the only atrocity of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war qualified as genocide by international justice institutions. "Thirty years have passed and I have nothing to wait for anymore," said Omerovic, 55. She wants to be able to visit the grave of her husband, even though only his jawbone will be in the coffin. By visiting the graves the victims' relative try to find some comfort. "I have only this tombstone to caress, to pray next to it," said Sefika Mustafic standing next to the graves of her sons Enis and Salim, who were both teenagers when killed. "I'd like to dream about them but it doesn't work. I've said thousands of times 'Come my children, Come into my dream' ... I say it when I pray, when I come here, but it doesn't work." - Serb denial - Canadian veteran Daniel Chenard, deployed with UN peacekeepers here from October 1993 until March 1994 when the Dutch troops took over, attended commemorations haunted by the feeling of guilt for decades. "I forgave myself... I found peace. I always wanted to tell them (victims' families): 'I apologise... I'm sorry for abandoning you'. "We (UN troops) did what we could... but the tragedy still happened," the 58-year-old said, in tears. Bosnian Serb wartime political and military leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were sentenced to life imprisonment by an international tribunal, notably for the Srebrenica genocide. But Serbia and Bosnian Serb leaders continue to deny that the massacre was a genocide. Last year, an international day of remembrance was established by the United Nations to mark the Srebrenica genocide, despite protests from Belgrade and Bosnian Serbs. On Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic voiced condolences to the Srebrenica victims families on behalf of citizens of Serbia calling the massacre a "terrible crime". "We cannot change the past, but we must change the future," he posted on X.
Bangkok Post
7 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Bosnia commemorates Srebrenica genocide 30 years on
SREBRENICA, Bosnia - Thousands of mourners on Friday commemorated in Srebrenica the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe's worst atrocities since World War II. The remains of seven victims were laid to rest during the commemorations, which mark the bloodiest episode of Bosnia's inter-ethnic war in the 1990s. They included those of Sejdalija Alic, one of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces after they captured the eastern town on July 11, 1995. His grand-daughter Anela Alic, whose father was also killed in the massacre and was buried earlier, came to attend the funeral. 'I never saw my father … and today, my grandfather is being buried, just some of his bones, next to his son. 'It's a deep sadness… I have no words to describe it,' the 32-year-old added, in tears. She was born in early 1994 after her pregnant mother was evacuated in a Red Cross convoy from the ill-fated town. The victims of Srebrenica, which was at the time a UN-protected enclave, were buried in mass graves. So far about 7,000 victims have been identified and buried while about 1,000 are still missing. In a bid to cover up the crime, the Bosnian Serb forces had the remains removed to secondary mass graves, causing many of the bodies to be shredded by heavy machinery, according to experts. 'Tombstone to caress' 'For 30 years we have carried the pain in our souls,' said Munira Subasic, president of the association Mothers of Srebrenica. She lost her husband Hilmo and 17-year-old son Nermin in the massacre. 'Our children were killed, innocent, in the UN-protected zone. Europe and the world watched in silence as our children were killed.' The seven victims buried under white tombstones on Friday at the memorial centre after a joint prayer included a 19-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman. The remains of most of the victims are incomplete and in some cases consist only of one or two bones, experts said. Families have waited for years to bury their loved ones, hoping that more remains would be found. But Mevlida Omerovic decided not to wait any longer to bury her husband Hasib. He was killed at the age of 33, at one of five mass-execution sites of the massacre, the only atrocity of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war qualified as genocide by international justice institutions. 'Thirty years have passed and I have nothing to wait for anymore,' said Omerovic, 55. She wants to be able to visit the grave of her husband, even though only his jawbone will be in the coffin. By visiting the graves the victims' relative try to find some comfort. 'I have only this tombstone to caress, to pray next to it,' said Sefika Mustafic standing next to the graves of her sons Enis and Salim, who were both teenagers when killed. 'I'd like to dream about them but it doesn't work. I've said thousands of times 'Come my children, Come into my dream' … I say it when I pray, when I come here, but it doesn't work.' Serb denial Canadian veteran Daniel Chenard, deployed with UN peacekeepers here from October 1993 until March 1994 when the Dutch troops took over, attended commemorations haunted by the feeling of guilt for decades. 'I forgave myself… I found peace. I always wanted to tell them (victims' families): 'I apologise… I'm sorry for abandoning you'. 'We (UN troops) did what we could … but the tragedy still happened,' the 58-year-old said, in tears. Bosnian Serb wartime political and military leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were sentenced to life imprisonment by an international tribunal, notably for the Srebrenica genocide. But Serbia and Bosnian Serb leaders continue to deny that the massacre was a genocide. Last year, an international day of remembrance was established by the United Nations to mark the Srebrenica genocide, despite protests from Belgrade and Bosnian Serbs. On Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic voiced condolences to the Srebrenica victims families on behalf of citizens of Serbia calling the massacre a 'terrible crime'.
RTÉ News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Bosnia commemorates Srebrenica genocide 30 years on
Thousands of people are gathering in Srebrenica today to commemorate the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe's worst atrocities since World War II. On the eve of the commemorations, thousands of Srebrenica peace marchers who have walked more than 100km in memory of the victims and survivors of the massacre arrived at the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center. The remains of seven victims of the massacre will be laid to rest during commemorations, marking the bloodiest episode of Bosnia's inter-ethnic war in the 1990s. The war broke out after Bosnia declared independence, a move supported by the country's Muslims and Croats, but rejected by Serbs. On 11 July 1995, after a siege of more than three months, Bosnian Serb forces captured the eastern town, which was at the time a UN-protected enclave. They killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the following days and buried them in mass graves. Around 100 women were killed in the massacre, 80 of whom remain missing. So far, about 7,000 victims have been identified and buried, while about 1,000 are still missing. In a bid to cover up the crime, the Bosnian Serb authorities had the remains removed to secondary mass graves, causing many of the bodies to be shredded by heavy machinery, according to experts. Thirty years of pain "For 30 years we have carried the pain in our souls," said Munira Subasic, president of the association Mothers of Srebrenica. Her husband, Hilmo, and 17-year-old son, Nermin, were killed in the massacre. "Our children were killed, innocent, in the UN-protected zone. Europe and the world watched in silence as our children were killed." The seven victims buried today at the memorial centre included a 19-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman. The remains of most of the victims are incomplete and in some cases consist only of one or two bones, experts said. The families have waited for years to bury their loved ones, hoping that more remains would be found. But Mevlida Omerovic decided not to wait any longer to bury her husband, Hasib. He was killed at the age of 33, probably in Petkovci, around 60km north of Srebrenica. Around a thousand people were transported there and locked up in a school before being executed. It is one of five mass execution sites of the massacre, the only atrocity of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war that was qualified as genocide by international justice institutions. "Thirty years have passed and I have nothing to wait for anymore," said Ms Omerovic, 55. She wants to be able to visit the grave of her husband, even though only his jawbone will be in the coffin. Visiting the graves of her two sons, Sajib and Sinan, killed in the massacre in their early 20s, enables Nezira Mehmedovic to feel closer to them. "I like the most to come here to my sons. I talk to them, I cry, I pray, I kiss them ... and for thirty years like that," she said, sitting next to her sons' graves. "My heart aches for them constantly," the 75-year-old woman said, crying. "They say life goes on ... But how?" Serb denial Bosnian Serb wartime political and military leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were sentenced to life imprisonment by an international tribunal, notably for the Srebrenica genocide. But Serbia and Bosnian Serb leaders continue to deny that the massacre was a genocide. "The Serbs did not commit genocide in Srebrenica... it did not happen", Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said this month. Last year, an international day of remembrance was established by the United Nations to mark the Srebrenica genocide, despite protests from Belgrade and Bosnian Serbs. "July 11 is a day of great sadness and pain," Ramiza Gurdic, whose husband Junuz and sons Mehrudin and Mustafa were killed in the massacre, said. "But for me, every day is July 11, every night, every morning, when I get up and realise that they are not here."
The Advertiser
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Thousands march for 30th anniversary of Bosnia massacre
Nearly 7000 people have embarked on a three-day peace march through the forests of eastern Bosnia in memory of the thousands of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's only acknowledged genocide since World War II. The 30th anniversary of the mass killing of more than 8000 men and boys from the Bosniak ethnic group, made up primarily of Muslims, in a UN-protected safe area in Srebrenica by Bosnian Serbs, was also commemorated at a sombre event at the UN General Assembly in New York. The annual 100km march retraces in reverse a route taken by the Bosniak men and boys who were massacred as they tried to flee Srebrenica after Bosnian Serb forces captured it in the closing months of the country's 1992-95 interethnic war. "I am here today to support my son, Sultan, as he sets off on the march," said Amir Kulagic, who was among those who took the route in 1995 and recalled that his "ordeal lasted for seven days and eight nights". Kulagic said he was proud his son and his nephew decided to retrace the path but also sad because he could not accompany them due to poor health. Also joining the march was Nirha Music, now a US citizen, born after the war to a mother who survived Srebrenica. "We are walking to see what our people went through," Music said. "It is not easy; all I can think about is, this is how it was when they were killing us and when they were getting us together to kill us," she added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations and the world failed the people of Srebrenica 30 years ago, not as a result of "an accident of history" but because of "policies, propaganda, and international indifference". "We must ensure the voices of Srebrenica survivors continue to be heard - countering denial, distortion and revisionism," Guterres said in a video message to the General Assembly. "After Srbrenica, the world said, once again, 'Never Again'." But the UN chief warned hate speech is again fuelling discrimination, extremism and violence, and war criminals are being glorified. He called on all 193 UN member nations to prevent a return of atrocity crimes and to confront genocide denial with truth and impunity with justice. Denis Bećirović, the Bosniak member of the country's three-person presidency, criticised the leaders of neighbouring Serbia for denying that a genocide took place - despite rulings by two international courts. Their refusal, he said, is "illogical, immoral and unacceptable". "The leadership of Serbia does not want to face the truth and to reject the ideology and politics that led to genocide," he said, pointing to convicted war criminals that they have made heroes. "We do not seek revenge," Bećirović told the assembly. "We seek truth and justice." Most of the massacre victims were hunted down and summarily executed as they tried to flee through forests. Their bodies were ploughed into hastily dug mass graves and later excavated with bulldozers and scattered among other burial sites to hide evidence of the crime. Newly identified victims are reburied each year on July 11 - the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995 - in the vast and still expanding memorial cemetery outside Srebrenica. The General Assembly adopted a resolution in May 2024 over vehement Serbian objections to commemorate the genocide every year on the anniversary. So far, the remains of more than 6700 people have been found and buried there. The remains of seven more victims, recently identified through DNA analysis, will be buried there on Friday. Munira Subašić, president of the Association of the Mothers of Srebrenica who lost 22 members of her family including her husband and youngest son, told the UN diplomats it's been very difficult for 30 years "to carry the pain in your soul", and the denial of the genocide of Muslims by the Bosnian Serbs. They were killed in a UN zone that was supposed to be safe, she said, and the United Nations, the world and Europe "were just watching in silence". Subašić urged UN member nations to join the Mothers of Srebrenica to fight against the denial of the genocide and injustice, and create a more peaceful world for children today. "Justice is on our side, and we're going to win," she said. Nearly 7000 people have embarked on a three-day peace march through the forests of eastern Bosnia in memory of the thousands of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's only acknowledged genocide since World War II. The 30th anniversary of the mass killing of more than 8000 men and boys from the Bosniak ethnic group, made up primarily of Muslims, in a UN-protected safe area in Srebrenica by Bosnian Serbs, was also commemorated at a sombre event at the UN General Assembly in New York. The annual 100km march retraces in reverse a route taken by the Bosniak men and boys who were massacred as they tried to flee Srebrenica after Bosnian Serb forces captured it in the closing months of the country's 1992-95 interethnic war. "I am here today to support my son, Sultan, as he sets off on the march," said Amir Kulagic, who was among those who took the route in 1995 and recalled that his "ordeal lasted for seven days and eight nights". Kulagic said he was proud his son and his nephew decided to retrace the path but also sad because he could not accompany them due to poor health. Also joining the march was Nirha Music, now a US citizen, born after the war to a mother who survived Srebrenica. "We are walking to see what our people went through," Music said. "It is not easy; all I can think about is, this is how it was when they were killing us and when they were getting us together to kill us," she added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations and the world failed the people of Srebrenica 30 years ago, not as a result of "an accident of history" but because of "policies, propaganda, and international indifference". "We must ensure the voices of Srebrenica survivors continue to be heard - countering denial, distortion and revisionism," Guterres said in a video message to the General Assembly. "After Srbrenica, the world said, once again, 'Never Again'." But the UN chief warned hate speech is again fuelling discrimination, extremism and violence, and war criminals are being glorified. He called on all 193 UN member nations to prevent a return of atrocity crimes and to confront genocide denial with truth and impunity with justice. Denis Bećirović, the Bosniak member of the country's three-person presidency, criticised the leaders of neighbouring Serbia for denying that a genocide took place - despite rulings by two international courts. Their refusal, he said, is "illogical, immoral and unacceptable". "The leadership of Serbia does not want to face the truth and to reject the ideology and politics that led to genocide," he said, pointing to convicted war criminals that they have made heroes. "We do not seek revenge," Bećirović told the assembly. "We seek truth and justice." Most of the massacre victims were hunted down and summarily executed as they tried to flee through forests. Their bodies were ploughed into hastily dug mass graves and later excavated with bulldozers and scattered among other burial sites to hide evidence of the crime. Newly identified victims are reburied each year on July 11 - the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995 - in the vast and still expanding memorial cemetery outside Srebrenica. The General Assembly adopted a resolution in May 2024 over vehement Serbian objections to commemorate the genocide every year on the anniversary. So far, the remains of more than 6700 people have been found and buried there. The remains of seven more victims, recently identified through DNA analysis, will be buried there on Friday. Munira Subašić, president of the Association of the Mothers of Srebrenica who lost 22 members of her family including her husband and youngest son, told the UN diplomats it's been very difficult for 30 years "to carry the pain in your soul", and the denial of the genocide of Muslims by the Bosnian Serbs. They were killed in a UN zone that was supposed to be safe, she said, and the United Nations, the world and Europe "were just watching in silence". Subašić urged UN member nations to join the Mothers of Srebrenica to fight against the denial of the genocide and injustice, and create a more peaceful world for children today. "Justice is on our side, and we're going to win," she said. Nearly 7000 people have embarked on a three-day peace march through the forests of eastern Bosnia in memory of the thousands of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's only acknowledged genocide since World War II. The 30th anniversary of the mass killing of more than 8000 men and boys from the Bosniak ethnic group, made up primarily of Muslims, in a UN-protected safe area in Srebrenica by Bosnian Serbs, was also commemorated at a sombre event at the UN General Assembly in New York. The annual 100km march retraces in reverse a route taken by the Bosniak men and boys who were massacred as they tried to flee Srebrenica after Bosnian Serb forces captured it in the closing months of the country's 1992-95 interethnic war. "I am here today to support my son, Sultan, as he sets off on the march," said Amir Kulagic, who was among those who took the route in 1995 and recalled that his "ordeal lasted for seven days and eight nights". Kulagic said he was proud his son and his nephew decided to retrace the path but also sad because he could not accompany them due to poor health. Also joining the march was Nirha Music, now a US citizen, born after the war to a mother who survived Srebrenica. "We are walking to see what our people went through," Music said. "It is not easy; all I can think about is, this is how it was when they were killing us and when they were getting us together to kill us," she added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations and the world failed the people of Srebrenica 30 years ago, not as a result of "an accident of history" but because of "policies, propaganda, and international indifference". "We must ensure the voices of Srebrenica survivors continue to be heard - countering denial, distortion and revisionism," Guterres said in a video message to the General Assembly. "After Srbrenica, the world said, once again, 'Never Again'." But the UN chief warned hate speech is again fuelling discrimination, extremism and violence, and war criminals are being glorified. He called on all 193 UN member nations to prevent a return of atrocity crimes and to confront genocide denial with truth and impunity with justice. Denis Bećirović, the Bosniak member of the country's three-person presidency, criticised the leaders of neighbouring Serbia for denying that a genocide took place - despite rulings by two international courts. Their refusal, he said, is "illogical, immoral and unacceptable". "The leadership of Serbia does not want to face the truth and to reject the ideology and politics that led to genocide," he said, pointing to convicted war criminals that they have made heroes. "We do not seek revenge," Bećirović told the assembly. "We seek truth and justice." Most of the massacre victims were hunted down and summarily executed as they tried to flee through forests. Their bodies were ploughed into hastily dug mass graves and later excavated with bulldozers and scattered among other burial sites to hide evidence of the crime. Newly identified victims are reburied each year on July 11 - the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995 - in the vast and still expanding memorial cemetery outside Srebrenica. The General Assembly adopted a resolution in May 2024 over vehement Serbian objections to commemorate the genocide every year on the anniversary. So far, the remains of more than 6700 people have been found and buried there. The remains of seven more victims, recently identified through DNA analysis, will be buried there on Friday. Munira Subašić, president of the Association of the Mothers of Srebrenica who lost 22 members of her family including her husband and youngest son, told the UN diplomats it's been very difficult for 30 years "to carry the pain in your soul", and the denial of the genocide of Muslims by the Bosnian Serbs. They were killed in a UN zone that was supposed to be safe, she said, and the United Nations, the world and Europe "were just watching in silence". Subašić urged UN member nations to join the Mothers of Srebrenica to fight against the denial of the genocide and injustice, and create a more peaceful world for children today. "Justice is on our side, and we're going to win," she said. Nearly 7000 people have embarked on a three-day peace march through the forests of eastern Bosnia in memory of the thousands of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's only acknowledged genocide since World War II. The 30th anniversary of the mass killing of more than 8000 men and boys from the Bosniak ethnic group, made up primarily of Muslims, in a UN-protected safe area in Srebrenica by Bosnian Serbs, was also commemorated at a sombre event at the UN General Assembly in New York. The annual 100km march retraces in reverse a route taken by the Bosniak men and boys who were massacred as they tried to flee Srebrenica after Bosnian Serb forces captured it in the closing months of the country's 1992-95 interethnic war. "I am here today to support my son, Sultan, as he sets off on the march," said Amir Kulagic, who was among those who took the route in 1995 and recalled that his "ordeal lasted for seven days and eight nights". Kulagic said he was proud his son and his nephew decided to retrace the path but also sad because he could not accompany them due to poor health. Also joining the march was Nirha Music, now a US citizen, born after the war to a mother who survived Srebrenica. "We are walking to see what our people went through," Music said. "It is not easy; all I can think about is, this is how it was when they were killing us and when they were getting us together to kill us," she added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations and the world failed the people of Srebrenica 30 years ago, not as a result of "an accident of history" but because of "policies, propaganda, and international indifference". "We must ensure the voices of Srebrenica survivors continue to be heard - countering denial, distortion and revisionism," Guterres said in a video message to the General Assembly. "After Srbrenica, the world said, once again, 'Never Again'." But the UN chief warned hate speech is again fuelling discrimination, extremism and violence, and war criminals are being glorified. He called on all 193 UN member nations to prevent a return of atrocity crimes and to confront genocide denial with truth and impunity with justice. Denis Bećirović, the Bosniak member of the country's three-person presidency, criticised the leaders of neighbouring Serbia for denying that a genocide took place - despite rulings by two international courts. Their refusal, he said, is "illogical, immoral and unacceptable". "The leadership of Serbia does not want to face the truth and to reject the ideology and politics that led to genocide," he said, pointing to convicted war criminals that they have made heroes. "We do not seek revenge," Bećirović told the assembly. "We seek truth and justice." Most of the massacre victims were hunted down and summarily executed as they tried to flee through forests. Their bodies were ploughed into hastily dug mass graves and later excavated with bulldozers and scattered among other burial sites to hide evidence of the crime. Newly identified victims are reburied each year on July 11 - the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995 - in the vast and still expanding memorial cemetery outside Srebrenica. The General Assembly adopted a resolution in May 2024 over vehement Serbian objections to commemorate the genocide every year on the anniversary. So far, the remains of more than 6700 people have been found and buried there. The remains of seven more victims, recently identified through DNA analysis, will be buried there on Friday. Munira Subašić, president of the Association of the Mothers of Srebrenica who lost 22 members of her family including her husband and youngest son, told the UN diplomats it's been very difficult for 30 years "to carry the pain in your soul", and the denial of the genocide of Muslims by the Bosnian Serbs. They were killed in a UN zone that was supposed to be safe, she said, and the United Nations, the world and Europe "were just watching in silence". Subašić urged UN member nations to join the Mothers of Srebrenica to fight against the denial of the genocide and injustice, and create a more peaceful world for children today. "Justice is on our side, and we're going to win," she said.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
U.S. Backing Russia's Crimea Takeover Could Imperil UN, Analysts Say
As part of a peace plan, the U.S. has proposed recognizing Russia's takeover of the Ukrainian region ... More of Crimea, despite the Kremlin's violation of the UN Charter (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images) If the White House recognizes Russia's annexation of the militarily occupied region of Crimea as part of a Ukraine peace deal, that would strike at a central pillar of the UN Charter and endanger the entire UN-protected world order, says a leading scholar at the Atlantic Council, one of Washington's foremost internationalist think tanks. 'Any U.S. recognition of Russia's seizure of Crimea would represent a direct attack on the United Nations Charter,' says Peter Dickinson, an acclaimed scholar who oversees the Atlantic Council's publication UkraineAlert - chronicles of the Ukraine war and the global powers contending to protect or destroy the embattled democracy. 'In essence, the UN was set up after World War II to support a new world order that rejected the concept of changing borders by force,' Dickinson tells me across a sweeping interview. This ban on armed invasions was the supreme building block in the UN Charter, which was created in 1945 to prevent the rise of another Hitler and his blood-drenched wars of takeover and empire building. The UN Charter was crafted to prevent the rise of another Hitler and his wars of conquest and empire ... More building (Photo by Sobotta/ullstein bild via Getty Images) The great powers that defeated Hitler's storm troopers and co-drafted the UN Charter stated they aimed 'to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind.' 'All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,' they underscore in the Charter's all-important Article 2. Yet using military force to capture and annex an invaded nation's territory 'is exactly what Russia is attempting to do in Ukraine,' says Dickinson, a onetime envoy of the British Council who has lived in Ukraine for nearly two decades. 'So any legitimization of these Russian efforts by the United States would be extremely damaging for this world order and would undermine the most fundamental principles of the current international security system' protected by the UN, he adds. There is also a wider danger that handing Vladimir Putin a victory in taking over the rich Black Sea region of Crimea will impel him to seize more sections of Ukraine in the future, and inspire other expansionist powers to launch their own wars of conquest. 'Recognizing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea would invite additional aggression from Moscow,' warns Jeanne Shaheen, a powerful leader of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. 'We should not forget a fundamental lesson from World War II – rewarding aggression does not work,' Senator Shaheen cautions in a just-released statement. In peace negotiations being staged by the White House, she says, 'Rushing to secure a weak deal will only serve the Kremlin's interest and will invite future conflict both in Ukraine and across the globe.' Offering cascading concessions to Moscow, Senator Sheehan says, is 'fracturing the united front with our allies that is critical to ending this war," while 'de jure recognition of Russian control of occupied Crimea' contravenes the bipartisan consensus of the U.S. Congress. Russia has stationed its Black Sea Fleet, including its advanced submarines, around the rich Crimean ... More peninsula. In an abrupt about-face, the U.S. might now recognize Moscow's annexation of this Ukrainian territory (to dpa-story: "Russian" life in Crimea) Photo: Ulf Mauder/dpa (Photo by Ulf Mauder/picture alliance via Getty Images) When Russia sent its shadow army into Crimea in 2014, then-President Barack Obama teamed up with the leaders of the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom to slap sanctions on Moscow. In their jointly issued Hague Declaration, the globe's strongest democracies pledged their support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and independence, and warned the Kremlin: 'International law prohibits the acquisition of part or all of another state's territory through coercion or force. To do so violates the principles upon which the international system is built.' They condemned 'Russia's illegal attempt to annex Crimea' and declared they would not recognize any change in Ukraine's borders. Now, the White House appears poised to break with this Hague alliance and the collective opposition to the Kremlin's takeover of the strategic Crimean enclave, where the Russian Black Sea fleet is stationed. This abrupt American about-face 'would create a dangerous precedent and encourage Russia and others to believe that the existing prohibitions on the use of force to seize territory can now be safely ignored,' Dickinson predicts. 'Abandoning the sanctity of borders means entering a new era of war - something we have not seen on a large scale for generations.' Alongside his riveting dispatches on Moscow's missile blitzes on Ukraine - and threats of nuclear attacks on any Western ally coming to its aid - Dickinson has also been charting Putin's musings and machinations on recreating the Russian Empire. U.S. recognition of Russian sovereignty over the captured region of Crimea, occupied in violation of ... More the UN Charter, could ultimately unleash "a new era of war." AFP PHOTO / NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images) 'The entire notion that Putin could be satisfied by simply freezing the war along the current front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the imperialistic motives behind Russia's invasion,' he explained in one bulletin from Kyiv. 'Putin's imperial ambitions are not limited to Ukraine, of course.' A victory over Ukraine could lead to 'further wars of aggression against other former vassals of the Russian Empire including Finland, Poland, the Baltic states.' If Putin's ultimate goal is reconquering all of the former satellite states of the Soviet Union, he adds, that would also see Russian tanks and troops crashing back across the borders of the ex-Warsaw Pact nations in Central Europe that - since being liberated from their Soviet overlords - have joined NATO. Vladimir Putin, once a KGB operative stationed in East Berlin, might ultimately aim to recreate the ... More Soviet Russian empire. Shown here is the Berlin Wall being constructed (Photo) NATO was specifically founded - alongside the UN - to protect the European and American democracies from Soviet armies and atomic missiles, and has been strengthened and expanded in reaction to Moscow's renewed military campaigns of transborder aggression. Yet the White House's breaking with its NATO allies in seeking a rapprochement with the Kremlin, its recent vote against a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's aggression against liberal, pro-West Ukraine, and mixed messages on whether it would help defend any NATO ally attacked by Moscow - mandated under NATO's Article 5 - have alienated leaders across Europe. Former French President François Hollande told the leading Paris-based broadsheet Le Monde recently that the White House has 'opened a profound break with Europe.' 'If the American people remain our friends,' Hollande said in the interview, 'the Trump administration is no longer our ally.' In light of this tectonic shift, Hollande added, 'France, the United Kingdom and Germany must be the spearhead of true European security.' 'Trump has initiated the biggest transformation of U.S. foreign policy since World War II,' Dickinson tells me, and is sporadically sabotaging the Trans-Atlantic alliance. 'Most European leaders prefer not to say too much in public as they still hope for some US favor and fear being targeted by Trump.' 'But behind closed doors there are no illusions - Europeans know they cannot rely on America anymore and are now actively preparing for a post-American future.' As the U.S. signals it could pull back its military forces across Europe, the Ukrainian army could, ironically, emerge as the EU's main protector. 'Ukraine's military is by far the largest in Europe and has unrivaled combat experience,' Dickinson says. 'Ukraine is also at the forefront of cutting-edge defense technologies and leads the world in drone warfare.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, inspecting a new batch of the country's advanced drone ... More missiles, could emerge as a leader in combined military forces with Europe (Photo by Genya SAVILOV / AFP) (Photo by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images) 'This makes Ukraine a formidable military power and a key component of the new European security system that must soon emerge to replace decades of dependence on the U.S.' That means the great European powers are likely to rapidly ramp up military aid to Ukraine and begin investing heavily in its expanding defense industry. 'Europeans know that if Ukraine falls,' Dickinson says, 'they are totally unprepared to face a triumphant and battle-hardened Russian army.'
