OREANDA-NEWS. 14 December 2014 marks the Fortieth anniversary of the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution “Definition of Aggression” (3314 (XXIX)). 

Adoption of this document has become a landmark event in the common endeavor of UN member states to ensure universal adherence to the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter. 

It is deeply regretful that today the democratic world became the witness of the brutal violation by Russia of the Resolution and other fundamental documents in the field of international law.

Actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine - one of UN founding member - in particular, occupation and annexation of the Ukrainian Autonomous Republic of Crimea, as well as continuous direct and indirect military intervention in the East of Ukraine qualify as an act of aggression as laid out in the paragraphs a), b), c), d), e) and g) of Article 3 of the Annex to the UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX).

The Russian Federation committed an act of aggression against the sovereign State despite its permanent membership in the UN Security Council that lays on Russia a special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. As the UN General Assembly stated in the Resolution aggression constitutes a crime against international peace and gives rise to international responsibility.

Ukraine is grateful to the international community for its consistent support, which was inter alia confirmed by the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution of 27 March 2014 “Territorial Integrity of Ukraine” (68/262).

We urge the UN Member States to take further consolidated steps to stop the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and to return Russia without further delay to the realm of international law.

The restoration of respect to the supremacy of law, maintenance of sustainable peace and security and exclusion of similar acts of aggression in the future should become our common task as responsible UN member-states.