Western coercion of Ukraine to accept war as peace

By Ariana Gic

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Zelensky’s speech today confirms that European nations are working in concert with the US in its COERCION of Ukraine to surrender to Russia. It’s this simple. Putting Ukraine in a position where Russia can plunge the country into an unprecedented energy crisis is a CHOICE. An evil one.

And let me remind everyone of what I have written about before: that coercion will render any negotiated settlement of NO LEGAL EFFECT and VOID.

Article 51 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) makes clear that Trump’s coercion of Ukrainian President Zelensky to agree to a “negotiated settlement” shall make such agreement of NO LEGAL EFFECT.

Article 52 of the VCLT makes clear that Trump’s coercion of Ukraine – using various means of force in violation of the principles of international law – to agree to a “negotiated settlement” will render such agreement VOID.

Article 52 of the VCLT also renders VOID any agreement made while Russia occupies Ukrainian territory and engages in force against Ukraine. It will be of no legal effect.

Territorial surrender resulting from hostilities are of NO legal validity when the result of duress/force!

It is IMPOSSIBLE for Ukraine to give VALID consent, of its own volition, to cede territory while Russia OCCUPIES it and WAGES WAR AND GENOCIDE against it. It is IMPOSSIBLE for Zelensky to give VALID consent to give up Ukraine’s LEGAL RIGHT to self-defence in the future.

The Trump administration is USING FORCE to COERCE Ukraine to agree to LEGALLY UNENFORCEABLE and INVALID concessions. Europe accepts Trump’s coercion to force Ukraine’s surrender, helping the US trample upon international law and the international rules-based order.

But what we should take away from this is that BOTH the United States AND European nations are ENABLING Russian aggression and genocide of Ukrainians. This is undeniable. And these same people, as they coerce Ukraine to surrender to Russia, tell Ukraine “there is no choice”.

“Ukraine will have no choice but to make concessions it does not want to for peace.”

No, not true or accurate. What is both true and accurate is that NATO nations are coercing Ukraine to make concessions and surrender so they can CLAIM “peace” has achieved when the contrary is so.

What is true and accurate is that occupation is NOT peace. Under international law, occupation is an act of ONGOING AGGRESSION!!! The US and European nations are coercing Ukraine to accept ONGOING AGGRESSION and GENOCIDE AND ARE CALLING IT PEACE!!!!

There is no peace without justice. What most nations of NATO/EU want Ukraine to accept is injustice and ongoing aggression and genocide. “Just stop defending yourselves, and give up already.”

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About author

Ariana Gic, Canadian political and legal analyst, Director, Direct Initiative International Centre for Ukraine. Sanctioned by the Russian Federation according to the Statement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Personal Sanctions against the citizens of Canada, dated November 14, 2022
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