Committee: General Assembly
Topic: Resolving the Political and Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine
Statement of the Problem:
The situation in Ukraine is of grave concern. Events that have been stirring for several years
have now become a humanitarian and political crisis, and have formed the basis for the most
violent aftershock of the Cold War. Specifically, the area known as Crimea has become the
epicenter of the political and military turmoil that is plaguing Ukraine.
Tensions reached a tipping point in November 2013, when Ukraine’s now ousted President
Viktor Yanukovych abruptly announced the abandonment of a trade agreement with the
European Union in order to remain more tied economically with Russia. Pressure from Russia
had been immense on Ukraine for aligning its preferences to those of the West instead of
Russia. However, Yanukovych’s decision was received by widespread protest within the nation.
These were met by stringent anti-protest laws which became more violent with the increase in
the number of protests and protestors.
The situation has become particularly severe in Crimea, which has been predominantly Russian
since the turn of the 20th century.
Crimeans voted in a referendum in March 2014 overwhelmingly to join Russia. However, many
Western leaders feel that Russian forces unfairly manipulated the media in the period leading
up to the election, making the vote unfair and invalid. Following the referendum, many of the
world’s top leaders, notably the government heads of France, Germany, the United Kingdom
and the United States, have voiced their belief that Ukraine’s constitution and sovereignty is
being violated by Russia’s actions. On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin holds
the stance that he will do whatever he can to keep Russians in Ukraine’s sovereign territory
safe.
Background Information:
Crimea has been an autonomous part of Ukraine since the split of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Several referenda have been held to determine the status of the region as a sovereign territory.
Its sovereignty was strategically challenged by the ratification of the Russian-Ukrainian Partition
Treaty signed in 1997, in which Ukraine allowed the Russian Black Sea fleet to stay in Crimea
until 2042.
Russians make up almost 58% of the total population of Crimea, Ukrainians about 24% and the
original inhabitants of the region, the Crimean Tatars, make about 12%. Even the second and
third most ethnically populous group put together barely make more than half the number of
Russians in this region, which encourages Russia to make Crimea part of its sovereign territory.
Past UN and International Action
In response to Russia’s actions, the USA, UK, and several countries in the NATO alliance and the
European Union have come out publicly denouncing Russia’s actions. While several prominent
leaders have met with officials from the interim Ukrainian government offering their support,
followed by an emergency Security Council meeting on March 1st, not much has been reached
in terms of a resolution or a common ground from where to move forward peacefully.
At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on March 1, 2014, the UN envoy from
Russia addressed the committee in defense of his nation’s actions, claiming it was done “to
protect their facilities and prevent extremist actions.” The General Assembly also passed a
resolution on March 24, 2014, calling for “strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful
settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution.”
Beginning in March, several countries and international organizations have begun imposing
sanctions on Russia for the role they have played in the Ukrainian unrest. President Obama has
passed several executive orders imposing sanctions on Russian banks, weapons manufacturers,
and energy companies. The European Union has imposed similar sanctions on Russia. In
response, Russia has put sanctions on some aspects of trade with the EU, including food
products.
According to the interim Ukrainian government, the country of Ukraine is “on the brink of
disaster,” and the need for international diplomacy is dire.
Possible Solutions:
There are several pressing tasks that must be accomplished at this conference:
• Come to an agreement on what the status of Crimea should be;
• Find a solution that both the Ukrainian and Russian governments agree to;
• Create a framework by which civilians of neither nationality are threatened;
• Form a more binding Treaty that clearly defines the regions of this area and that shall hold in
the future.
Sources and websites for further information:
More than 60% of this background guide came from:
Montessori Model UN Secretariat. Situation in Ukraine. N.p.: MMUN, 2014. Web.
<http://montessorimun.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SC_Situation-in
Ukraine.pdf>.
Other Sources:
Juan, Anna M. "Russian Measures against European Union Agricultural Products." Russian
Measures against European Union Agricultural Products. European Parliamentary
Research Service, 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
<http://epthinktank.eu/2014/10/03/russian-measures-against-european-union
agricultural-products/>.
"Russia and Sanctions." BBC News. N.p., 12 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26672800>.
"Ukraine and Russia Sanctions." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web.
05 Oct. 2014. <http://www.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/ukrainerussia/>.
United Nations. General Assembly. Territorial Integrity of Ukraine. UN News Centre, 24 Mar.
2014. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.un.org%2Fen%2Fga%2Fsearch%2Fview_doc.asp%3Fsymbol%3
A%2F68%2FL.39>.