Duringthe Tuesday session, Verkhovna Rada (the Ukaranian Parliament) agreedto recognize Russia as an aggressor state, and self-proclaimedDonetsk and Luhansk people's republics as terrorist organizations.The initiative was supported by 271 out of 289 deputies present atthe vote.
Thedeputies issued a statement, addressed to the United Nations, theEuropean Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council ofEurope (PACE), the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the GUAMParliamentary Assembly calling on them to recognize Russia as anaggressor state in the Ukrainian conflict.
Thatmove, if supported by the international community, defines thesituation more clearly and shows one major enemy. Still, the sciencedirector of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation told DeutscheWelle, recognition of Russia as an aggressor state does not meanbreaking diplomatic or trade contacts with it.
Moreover,the MPs address the international community to providemilitary-political support for Ukraine and exclude Russia from the UNSecurity Council. Russia has a right to block UN decisions andactively implements this when it comes to decisions concerning the situation inDonbass region.
"Ukraineremains an object of aggression on behalf of Russia, which itconducts through support and supply of major terrorist attacks,”the statement reads.
“In less than two weeks, over 50 peacefulcitizens of Ukraine were killed in Volnovakha, Donetsk and Mariupolover the shelling and actions by terrorists supported by Russia.”
RussianMPs say that this move will not remain unanswered. “Obviously, thisevent requires consideration of the plenary meeting and adoption of arelevant document," said Vasily Likhachev, member of Duma’sCommittee on CIS Affairs, RBC reports.
The UNresolution adopted on 14 December 1974 states that a war ofaggression is a crime against international peace, but not every actof aggression is. Though states would nevertheless holdresponsibility for acts of aggression.
Accordingto the United Nations definition, aggression is “the use of armedforce by a State against the sovereignty, territorial integrity orpolitical independence of another State, or in any other mannerinconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations, as set out inthis Definition.
Article two of the resolution says: “The First useof armed force by a State in contravention of the Charter shallconstitute prima facie evidence of an act of aggression.”
Accordingto the UN report on the situation in Ukraine from 23 January 2015,there are over 920 000 internally displaced people. 600,000 fled toother countries. More than 5,000 were killed and at least 10,000wounded.
