Frankly political scientists have abandoned Ukraine. We have the largest act of militant aggression in Europe since World War II, rife with war crimes and crimes against humanity. We need free thinking people and those who oppose repression to rise up and unify THOUGHT against this barbarism.
Nice rhetoric, so why am I targeting political scientists? As a hack I am yearning for strong arguments and positions to mobilize support in new vectors for Ukraine. I will give ONE EXAMPLE I can formulate and, as a hack, there have to be more possibilities out there that could be fleshed out. Get red-red-red-ready…
Support for Ukraine could be SIGNIFICANTLY mobilized by a stabilization (various political legal names/options?) force on the Ukraine Moldova border. What? Who? Why? I have mentioned this before and heard “Russia has like 2600 troops max in Transnistria, maybe 1500 or less by now, who cares?” the idea is that technically this may not free up many Ukraine troops. But it would free up some. However, there is a much much bigger prize here. Safe territory. A stabilization force has to be authorized to protect itself. This includes airspace. The stabilization force would need to come with an associated no-fly zone that is enforced. Do not underestimate the impact and support to Ukraine if a stabilization force was protecting part of their country, including airspace. This would be a huge blow to Russia as well, throwing further political legal support on the world stage that Russian aggressions is illegal (including in Transnistria, coming up soon).
Ok, ok, so sure, actually getting a stabilization force in Ukraine would be HUGE, MEGA HUGE, major support for Ukraine, but how? It. Takes. Political. Scientists. They have to build the legal political case based on the history of the Transnistria illegal status as well as other historical precedents.
Hmmm...tell me about Transnistria. In 1990 Moldova declared independence from the Soviet Union and Transnistria tried to declare themselves separate from soviet Moldova as a separate soviet republic to stay with the Soviet Union. Gorbachev signed a decree that the declaration was null and void. However, when Moldova tried to enforce police control over Transnistria, some Soviet forces aided PMR (Transnistria), to prevent Moldovan administration of the region, increasingly so ever since. Moldova became part of the UN in 1992 with Transnistria recognized internationally as part of Moldova. PMR (separatist forces) in 1992 were attacking Moldovan police stations so Moldova tried to restore law and order. With support of the Russian 14th army the Moldovans were outmatched and had to agree to a cease fire. In 1994 Russia signed an agreement to withdraw all forces, which they did not follow through on, and quite the opposite have consolidated military control of the region ever since, including a huge military stockpile from the 14th army. Since then, Russia has been bullying and threatening Moldova into allowing Transnistria to operate as an independent state with OSCE, EU, and USA likely helping stave off an even worse fate for Moldova but not getting the gumption to resolve the illegal situation (sound familiar? EU and USA too worried about upsetting Putinlini to oppose very much, don’t want to risk all the economic ties...).
Sooooooo… in all that mess are various decrees and agreements broken that favor Moldova, including from the Soviet Union that Transnistria did not separate and join/stay in Soviet Union. Russia not honoring agreement to withdraw I think is key, they are there illegally. And throw in that Russia has illegally invaded Ukraine. So illegal troops in an illegal breakaway region with a huge weapons stockpile. Sounds like we should have a pretty convincing argument in all that mess for a stabilization force to protect Ukraine (who is already being victimized by this aggressor). It needs a group of really good political scientists, political lawyers, and politicians they can work on to start making this a campaign effort, not let it go, be persistent, get this going in the right forums.
All this needs the right skilled folks taking apart all these prior agreements, laws, heck the UN charter, and building the referenced legal case. What, Russia won’t go along with authorizing a stabilization force? Why are you talking to Russia? This is Moldova and Ukraine border, Russia has no legal claims or rights here (quite the opposite). This is a stabilization force authorized by the two countries able to actually authorize something legal on this border!
Net, getting a stabilization force authorized for the Ukraine Moldova border would be a MASSIVE win for Ukraine in a multifaceted triumph against illegal aggression, perpetrators of war crimes & crimes against humanity.
Oh yeah, I have missed a few times saying
SLAVA UKRAINI
(never forget)
