By Denis Bright
The prospects for commitment to UN General Assembly’s sustainment development forum are being thwarted by a sharp escalation of the war in Ukraine. From the hard-line rhetoric in support of military solutions at the Security Council to surprise missile attacks on the headquarters of the Black Sea Naval Command at Sevastopol in the Crimea, the drums of war are being played with more militancy.
Addressing both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, President Zelenskyy demanded only a complete cessation of a Russian influence in both the contested territories of Donetsk and the Crimean Peninsula.
Prior to the Ukrainian elections in 2019, Voldymyr Zelenskyy came to fame as a comedian, actor and television producer in the fictional Ukrainian television series Servant of the People. In this series, Volodymyr Zelenskyy played the fictional role of high school teacher Vasyl Holoborodko whose patriotic rants against corruption propelled this fictional character into politics.
After some initial ambiguities from the Biden Administration on the supply of medium range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, The Guardian (24 September 2023) offered this news punchline that coincided with reports on a direct missile hit on naval headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol:
US president Joe Biden has decided to supply Ukraine with long-range army tactical missile systems (ATACMS), an important boost to Kyiv’s capacity to target Russian military logistics at long range distances as the country prepares for a second winter at war. Biden told Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a private meeting that a small number of the weapons would be transferred, NBC reported, citing US officials.
Ukraine has been asking for ATACMS for months. Officials in the US were reluctant as the country’s own stockpile is limited and because of fears Russia could accuse Washington of escalation… Fired from a mobile launcher, ATACMS can hit targets up to 190 miles (300km) away, allowing Ukrainian forces to strike far beyond the front lines. Potential targets include command headquarters, weapons depots and supply networks, including railways.
Ukraine’s acquisition of the ATACMS is the latest in a long-running and largely successful campaign to push western allies for more advanced weaponry, which has been bolstered by Ukrainian military successes on the ground.
When Russia invaded last year, guided anti-tank missiles were among the most hi-tech equipment sent to Ukraine. It now has western tanks, surface-to-air missile defence systems and pilots training to take over a fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
President Zelenskyy’s addresses to both the General Assembly and the UN Security Council in New York was a restatement of Ukraine’s formulas for an end to the fighting which were conveniently summarised months ago by Al Jazeera News (28 December 2022):
The Ukrainian peace plan calls for:
- Radiation and nuclear safety, focusing on restoring security around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, which is now Russian-occupied.
- Food security, including protecting and ensuring Ukraine’s grain exports to the world’s poorest nations.
- Energy security, with a focus on price restrictions on Russian energy resources, as well as aiding Ukraine with restoring its power infrastructure, half of which has been damaged by Russian attacks.
- Release of all prisoners and deportees, including war prisoners and children deported to Russia.
- Restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Russia reaffirming it according to the UN Charter, which Zelenskyy said is “not up to negotiations”.
- Withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of Ukraine’s state borders with Russia.
- Justice, including the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes.
- The prevention of ecocide, and the protection of the environment, with a focus on demining and restoring water treatment facilities.
- Prevention of an escalation of conflict and building security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic space, including guarantees for Ukraine.
- Confirmation of the war’s end, including a document signed by the involved parties.
- As President Zelenskyy parades at the UN and on overseas state visits in his iconic military fatigues, the mainstream media often overlooks the fact that he is also a canny populist leader who defeated the more moderate Petro Poroshenko in the run-off presidential elections in April 2019 after failing to receive an absolute majority at the first election tally.
While President Zelenskyy continued his rhetorical offensive with an address to the Canadian Parliament on 22 September 2023, medium range Ukrainian naval missiles hit the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. This followed a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian City of Kremenchuk according to DW News (22 September 2023).
In the midst of a worsening in global strategic relations Foreign Minister Penny Wong addressed the UN General Assembly for the second time in a year (DFAT 23 September 2023.
Our foreign minister strived to address the structural barriers to sustainable development in the spirit of the General Assembly’s current forum. Penny Wong identified the Albanese Government with the efforts of Foreign Minister Dr. Evatt in the Chifley era to support the UN as a multinational advocate for peace and development that would remove the scourge of nuclear weapons as false flags for peace and development which detract from the sustainable development goals of G-77 countries.
In the General Assembly, the G-77 Group of countries is eager to pursue its sustainable development goals as approved at the Summit in Havana. The G-77 group with the support of 135 members of the General Assembly has a clear majority in the General Assembly on 193 members and contains countries with a full range of ideological opinions on strategic and economic issues.
Member States of the G77
As shown by the distribution of the G-77 Group on the global map, the G-77 group extends across the globe from PNG, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste adjacent to Australia through Asia, Africa and Latin America.
During international crises in the Cold War era, moderation was often achieved through the efforts of diverse opinions from the leaders of developed countries. Electoral cycles in the post-1989 era have brought a drift to the right on strategic policies within the members states of the US Global Alliance. Sweden, Austria and Finland which have thrown in their lot to join NATO in the post-2021 era after the Russian penetration into Ukraine.
Penny Wong’s address to the UN General Assembly did offer an alternative to All the Way With The USA Rhetoric. Her welcome address to the General Assembly was a highly qualified alternative viewpoint from Australia as a staunch member of the US Global Alliance, it placed no pressure on Ukraine and Russia to seek alternatives to the current conflicts.
Support for military solutions has also intruded into responsible reporting and comments from Australian military chiefs (16 September 2023).
This opinion piece from ABC News indirectly supports the warning from Australian Defence Chief Angus Campbell in relation to the erosion of democratic activism as a potent force in media manipulation (ABC News 14 September 2023):
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Key points:
- General Angus Campbell fears public confidence in elected officials will be damaged as AI and deepfake use accelerates
- He fears Australians will increasingly struggle to separate fact from fiction
- General Campbell has accused Russia of seeking to fracture allegiances between Western democracies.
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In the historical traditions of the Holy See’s diplomatic activity during the Great War (1914-18), Pope Francis has endorsed the diplomatic mission of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna to assist in promoting a peace agenda to the war in Ukraine in Washington, Kyiv and Beijing in the past week. Cardinal Zuppi’s three-day visit to Beijing clearly supports Win-Win diplomatic outcomes. While notes on the diplomatic missions by Cardinal Zuppi are covered by Vatican News and mainstream media, this coverage is completely short of detail on the actual content of discussions particularly in Moscow and Beijing. Initiatives from the Pope’s envoy were welcomed in reporting by China’s Xinhua News Agency (13 September 2023) and more recently by Britain’s Morning Star newspaper which is available online for perusal by readers.
The optimum traction of UN Assistance to countries at war and in crisis over recent disasters has been eroded by cut-backs in funding to UN agencies from wealthy countries as shown by the latest UN budgetary data.
Overall revenue from mandatory pro-rata contributions of member states stagnated at $3 US billion in 2021 forcing greater reliance on voluntary contributions and the UN’s own fund-raising ventures. These contributions extended the UN’s revenue base to $US 7.555 billion or a 10.3 percent increase over 2020 levels. In contrast, the US supports the state of Israel with approximately $US 3 billion in the Foreign Military Financing Programme (FMF) which is more than three times its annual contribution to support Pro-Rata UN Contributions.
As a developing country itself, China is contributing above its weight in both pro-rate contributions rather than commitment to Voluntary Contributions as revealed from the latest UN budgetary statements for 2021:
Mandatory Pro-Rata Contributions
Readers can easily assess the interpretations of the Lowy Centre on contributions to UN Funding (18 December 2022).
To its credit, the Biden Administration had paid off some of the arrears generated by previous US Governments for arrears in contributions to peacekeeping operations as noted by a short paper from the US Congressional Research Service (CRS).
The return of a Republican US Government in 2024 will surely end President Biden’s relative generosity towards the UN during the 2022-24 time period (CRS).
Our current political activism for peace and disarmament is a long way short of Labor’s initial post-1945 initiatives. This commitment soon faded as the Cold War intensified. Labor Governments in both Britain and Australia made initial preparations for the testing of nuclear weapons in Australia. This became a reality under Australian conservative governments.
Meanwhile each state and territory has plans to deal with emergencies involving nuclear powered military vessels from Britain and the USA. The threat from nuclear traction fades into insignificance when attention is given to the nuclear weapons which are routinely carried by a variety of foreign submarines and aircraft carriers when they are making visits to Australian ports under the Don’t Ask Won’t Tell Protocols demanded by the US Global Alliance.
Given the disciplined requirements imposed by the US Global Alliance on its allies as an alternative to real consultation, Penny Wong has ventured as far as she can on our behalf in her address to the UN General Assembly.
Promoting the values of the G-77 Summit is the best shield for activists against plans to steer humanity into greater acceptance of the false flags of neoliberalism and militarism.
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Denis Bright (pictured) is a financial member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). Denis is committed to consensus-building in these difficult times. Your feedback from readers advances the cause of citizens’ journalism. Full names are not required when making comments. However, a valid email must be submitted if you decide to hit the Replies Button.
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Penny Wong’s reference to Dr Evatt in her speech at the General Assembly is a good omen. With the Vatican’s diplomatic influence on the rise, let’s ask for protection against political revisionists in the Albanese ministry before they do more damage to our national sovereignty. .
Critical journalism can assist in overcoming the timidity of our Labor leaders in making Australia a more independent global player on the doorsteps of the G-77 countries in nearby Asian and Pacific island countries.
Richard Marles-Are you listening to the opinions of your real support base?
Time for defence leaders to praise the efforts of the more independent developing countries. I do fear that the resources of defence and intelligence services are too close to the US Alliance over commitment to peace and disarmament which are permanent Labor values.
Thank you for an interesting and well researched article on the G-77 Summit.
Thanks Denis for your research on these vital issues
Penny Wong is a more progressive leader in the traditions of Dr Evatt
Thanks for the article Denis!!!
Yes, Dr. Evatt as Attorney-General and Foreign Minister was good news for greater Australian independence and support for the Indonesian Revolution. The MUA also placed a ban on arms shipments to Dutch colonial resistance to Indonesian freedom fighters. However the First Chfley Chifley ministry also contained Jack Beasley from West Sydney as a Left-leaning Defence Minister. West Sydney was so pro-Labor that Jack Beasley was elected unopposed in 1937 after John Curtin became Labor leader. Jack Beasley had a background as an ETU leader. He received a primary vote of 86.5 percent in 1929. Some of today’s Labor leaders are definitely too conservative with an overcommitment to silly schemes like AUKUS which will cripple Australia financially.
Labor needs to rebuild those majorities in heartland electorates in both regional and urban electorates: Great comment Burleigh Waters: Contemporary Labor is not daring enough in its policy frames.
Denis Bright’s articles would be useful in providing a genre for application by high school students in presentations about topical issues in subjects like Business Studies and Modern History. Perhaps Denis could add a formal reference list through AIM Network’s Reply section to assist students.
Thanks -Burleigh Waters-Denis Bright’s articles are a good resource to assist with presentations at high school. Making a full reference list is tedious. That extra support would be appreciated.
Thanks Denis for the insight.
Have had nothing of it before. Can do some further digging now. So many swings and roundabouts emanating from Oz.
Thanks Clakka. Discussions generated by AIM News Network articles make every reader a potential co-investigator.
There is clear documentation from Australian Defence about the details of 78 nuclear powered naval vessels coming to our ports since 1960 and mainly from Britain and of course the USA.
https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Port%20Visits%20to%20Australia%20by%20Nuclear-Powered%20Vessels%20-%20A%20Historical%20Context.pdf
States and territories involved with these nuclear-powered naval vessels have safety protocols but not all are in the public domain. WA seems to more open than most as covered in one of my recent articles with a welcome statement from the WA Police Minister.
The unresolved issue is about what happens to the nuclear weapons carried on these vessels when they enter our ports.
Progressive MPs need to ask questions in parliament and at federal defence and security committees about the presence of nuclear missiles in our ports. The Don’t Ask Won’t Tell approach of our allies on these issues is totally inappropriate.
US Bomber flights into Australian defence bases can easily add nuclear missiles in times of conflict. As war can commence in an instant, there is little doubt that these weapons would be carried even prior to a conflict like the Cuban Missile Crisis from bases in Guam, Diego Garcia and other installations in the Marshall Islands.
Nuclear-powered submarines are often operating in stealth mode in friendly exercises and testing out the capacity of shore installations to detect their presence.
There have been collisions between NATO submarines operating in stealth mode and accidents on nuclear powered submarines like France’s Emeraude which visited Perth in late 2020. It went off to naval maneuvers off Guam and possibly to test Chinese shore installations in Hainan.
All these practices are hazardous. An Air Korea passenger jet from Alaska to Seoul strayed into Soviet territory en route during the 1980s and was shot down when its was mistaken for a military aircraft.
Nuclear weapons carried on the Doomsday Flight to test the awareness of Soviet radar had a mishap over Palomares in Spain during a refuelling operation in 1966. It took 50 years for the US to clean up the crash site. Thanks to the media, this was finally reported.
ChatGPT is a useful resource in identifying corporate involvement in the construction of nuclear powered vessels and nuclear weapons and let everyone in on what you find out.
Keep up your investigations Clakka.
For Clakka:
ChatGPT’s list of major US corporations involved in the production of nuclear weapons:
Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin is a major defense contractor that has been involved in various aspects of nuclear weapons production and maintenance, including missile systems and delivery platforms.
Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman has been involved in the design and development of nuclear weapons systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and related technologies.
Boeing: Boeing is known for its role in the development of nuclear-armed ICBMs, such as the Minuteman series.
Honeywell: Honeywell has been involved in the production of nuclear components and materials, including uranium processing and nuclear safety systems.
General Dynamics: General Dynamics has had involvement in nuclear submarines and other defense systems that may include nuclear capabilities.
Raytheon Technologies: Raytheon has been involved in various defense-related projects, including missile systems with potential nuclear applications.
Bechtel: Bechtel is a major engineering and construction company that has been involved in the construction and maintenance of facilities related to nuclear weapons production and testing.
BWX Technologies: BWX Technologies is involved in the development and production of nuclear reactor components, including those used in naval reactors and potentially other nuclear weapons-related systems.
Los Alamos National Laboratory: While not a corporation, Los Alamos National Laboratory is a government-owned facility that has played a significant role in nuclear weapons research, development, and testing.
Great article thanks, Denis.
A couple of points: Austria has not, thank heavens, joined NATO. They, like Ireland, Malta, remain non-aligned. This is what Russia asked Ukraine to be as well – ie, don’t join NATO. So Austrians have not joined NATO.
Second, I didn’t quite understand what you meant by this:
‘Penny Wong’s address to the UN General Assembly did offer an alternative to All the Way With The USA Rhetoric. Her welcome address to the General Assembly was a highly qualified alternative viewpoint from Australia as a staunch member of the US Global Alliance, it placed no pressure on Ukraine and Russia to seek alternatives to the current conflicts.’
I would have thought that what we need is exactly to place pressure for Ukraine and Russia to seek alternatives to the current conflict. Just sending more and more lethal weapons will not bring dialogue and peace. Or perhaps I’ve misread you – if so, my apologies.
I’m really disturbed by how the world treats Zelensky as a hero, and Ukraine and NATO as completely blameless. No doubt some will attack me as a Russian stooge. I am not.
Really good to read this – thanks Denis.
Thanks Marianne for those points.
Austria is better out of NATO. The non-aligned bloc should have extended across Eastern Europe and the other post-Soviet territories after 1989.The West seized on the political vacuums to extend its strategic influence.
And the comments about Penny Wong.
She is a brave leader to be talking about the relevance of UN values in a new Churchillian age when preparation of war is deemed to be the road to peace.
DW News noted recently that the US alone was spending two trillion a year on its defence and related intelligence services. As Britain and the US face real economic problems, latter day Treaty of London arrangements are being strengthened to bring other middle powers into the strategic loop. The electorate seems to accept this prescription from the mainstream media which extends to the highest levels of government in Australia. Penny Wong does not espouse real alternatives for peace but at least she offers token support for UN values which were incorporated into the ANZUS Agreement of 1951.
G W Bush used Central Asia as a convenient location for the supply of troops and weapons in the Afghan war to the cheers of reports from Radio Liberty in Europe:
Prague, 11 January 2002 (RFE/RL) — The United States, which has gained a foothold in Central Asia over the course of its antiterrorism campaign in Afghanistan, is now considering ways to consolidate its military buildup there in a bid to raise its political profile in the region.
The move is likely to prompt much gnashing of teeth in Russia and China, as the two nations traditionally regard Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan as their backyard.
Previous LNP Governments assumed that this was the correct path to peace in the region. Penny Wong at least has some reservations.
Watch out Austrians, the NATO Mission in Vienna has a plan for your future:
Austria, like other neutral and non-aligned states (such as Ireland and Switzerland), has expanded its relations with NATO. For example, Austria has been participating in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) since 1995 and in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) since 1997. Among other things, Austria participates in various NATO-led operations with a UN Security Council mandate (e.g. in Kosovo/KFOR).
The Austrian Mission to NATO is staffed by staff from the Ministry of European and International Affairs and experts from the Ministry of European and International Affairs (BMEIA) as well as with experts from the Austrian Ministry of Defense (BMLV). They bring Austrian interests and viewpoints into discussions with the Allies and other partner states, e.g. in preparation for peacekeeping missions.
In my even-handedness, I have corrected a typo on the NATO Missions communique.
Articles like this one are a useful resource for class presentations in Modern History, Economics and Business Studies because of their contemporary focus. Providing a reference list through the reply system would be appreciated. ChatGPT is useful too but it cuts out at September 2021. What AI alternatives are more contemporary this this arbitrary cut-off date for information?
Seems like the developed countries are still building financial fortresses while still relying on G-77 countries to supply low cost resources and manufactured products like our clothing items. This is a form of contemporary slavery.