Saying the US obstructed negotiations deflects from Russia violating five prior agreements

# Saying the US obstructed negotiations deflects from Russia violating five prior agreements Hoaxlines • Oct 21, 2022 :::spoiler [toc] ::: <br/> ## Ukraine and many other countries have negotiated with Russia has repeatedly and Russia [repeatedly violated](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russia-not-ukraine-is-serial-violator-of-ceasefire-agreement/) these agreements. Conversations that shift blame to Ukraine for not negotiating again [deflect from](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59415885) Russia’s unilateral role in its conflict with Ukraine. It also ignores the [false claims](https://novelscience.substack.com/p/stories-about-ukrainian-nazis-were) [Russia makes](https://www.state.gov/disarming-disinformation/russias-war-on-ukraine-six-months-of-lies-implemented/) (see [over 6,000 misleading stories](https://euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=ukraine&date=&per_page=) about Ukraine) to justify its illegal conquest. Even the [embarrassing defeat](https://reliefweb.int/report/russian-federation/russia-begins-retreat-its-humiliation-grozny#:~:text=war%20reached%20a%20humiliating%20conclusion%20for%20the%20kremlin%20yesterday%20when%20the%20first%20russian%20army%20column%20withdrew%20from%20the%20chechen%20capital%2C%20grozny%2C%20under%20terms%20which%2C%20if%20implemented%2C%20effectively%20hand%20the%20city%20to%20the%20rebels.) in Chechnya in 1996 [did not](https://hoaxlines.org/putins-approval-and-aggression-abroad/timeline-of-putin-approval-and-aggression-toward-other-countries#6448bb627ab64b0dbe8118fe1a4673d0) prevent Russia from leveling Chechen cities in 1999, and doing so dramatically [increased](https://hoaxlines.org/putins-approval-and-aggression-abroad/timeline-infographics) Putin’s popularity in the lead-up to his 2000 election. ## Claims that the US is “obstructing negotiations” are misleading and ignore that Ukraine [does not](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/25/ukraine-pessure-liberals-negotiation-putin/) currently wish to negotiate. To say that declining to negotiate is declining peace is to approach this conflict as if nothing existed before February 2022. The many past peace agreements Russia has broken cannot be ignored. Simply calling for peace without demonstrating how Ukraine would be protected if Russia were to violate another agreement is misleading Russia has committed nearly all the crimes it is committing in Ukraine before. This constitutes a pattern of behavior established over the past 20 years. - Chechnya, where Russians perpetrated [rape and torture of](https://reliefweb.int/report/russian-federation/chechnya-rape-and-torture-children-chernokozovo-filtration-camp) [women and children](https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/russia_chechnya3/Chech006-08.htm#P638_92346) and carried out [mass civilian executions](https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/russia_chechnya3/Chech006-07.htm#P324_42763), led to no consequences. - Georgia, where Russia [ethnically](https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/lawyer-ben-emmerson-echr-found-russia-guilty-of-a-widespread-campaign-of-ethnic-cleansing-in-south-ossetia/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20European%20Human,Russia%20war%20case.) [cleansed](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/21/russia-human-rights-violation-georgia-war-echr-ruling#:~:text=%E2%80%9Cthe%20european%20court%20confirmed%20that%20these%20violations%20carried%20out%20by%20russia%20amounted%20to%20ethnic%20cleansing%20of%20georgians%20during%20the%202008%20war%2C%E2%80%9D%20lordkipanidze%20declared.) [Georgians](https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/CourtRecords/CR2015_21221.PDF#page=129) and [killed civilians](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/21/russia-human-rights-violation-georgia-war-echr-ruling) indiscriminately, has only seen [these crimes](https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-145546) formally [acknowledged](https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre#%7B%22itemid%22:%5B%22001-207757%22%5D%7D) by the European Court of Human Rights in the last year. - In Syria, Russia [helped](https://www.cigionline.org/articles/for-syrias-white-helmets-the-ukraine-war-is-d%C3%A9j%C3%A0-vu/) the Assad regime [cast doubt](https://diary.thesyriacampaign.org/killing-the-truth/) on its use of chemical weapons on civilians with a long-term [coordinated campaign](https://deadlydisinformation.org/#group-section-Conspiracies-L2W3cpcw4d). Russia has been complicit in the [torture](https://snhr.org/blog/2015/10/15/12310/) of Syrians, killed [thousands of children](https://snhr.org/blog/2022/09/30/seventh-annual-snhr-report-on-russian-forces-violations-since-the-beginning-of-russias-military-intervention-in-syria-on-september-30-2015/), used illegal cluster munitions [at least 125 times](https://snhr.org/blog/2022/09/30/seventh-annual-snhr-report-on-russian-forces-violations-since-the-beginning-of-russias-military-intervention-in-syria-on-september-30-2015/#:~:text=The%20report%20also%20notes%20that%20Russian%20forces%20have%20perpetrated%20at%20least%20237%20attacks%20using%20cluster%20munitions%20and%20at%20least%20125%20attacks%20using%20incendiary%20munitions%20since%20Russia%E2%80%99s%20military%20intervention%20in%20Syria%20on%20September%2030%2C%202015.), and [fired on US](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/world/middleeast/american-commandos-russian-mercenaries-syria.html) [positions](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-02-16/russia-attacked-u-s-troops-in-syria). “Russia has used its right to veto many times despite becoming a party to the Syrian conflict,” [which violates](https://snhr.org/blog/2022/09/30/seventh-annual-snhr-report-on-russian-forces-violations-since-the-beginning-of-russias-military-intervention-in-syria-on-september-30-2015/#:~:text=Russia%20has%20used%20its%20right%20to%20veto%20many%20times%20despite%20becoming%20a%20party%20to%20the%20Syrian%20conflict%2C%20which%20is%20a%20violation%20of%20the%20Charter%20of%20the%20United%20Nations) the Charter of the United Nations, and there have been no meaningful consequences for Russian involvement. - Ukraine received woefully [inadequate support](https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2022/01/13/amid-border-crisis-pentagon-nominee-criticizes-obama-response-to-russias-ukraine-invasion/) in 2014, and Ukraine was pressured to settle for peace. Russia invaded in 2022 anyway, [in violation](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russia-not-ukraine-is-serial-violator-of-ceasefire-agreement/) of the Minsk agreements. ## Agreements violated by Russia ### 1945 UN Charter. Russia [repeatedly violated](https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/global-conflicts/russia-vladimir-putin-violated-international-law-recognizing-independence-ukraine-territories/536-d6da9749-0d0e-43ba-bacb-e9ea0de2368b) international law by [orchestrating](https://informnapalm.org/en/frolovleaks-vi-tomorrow-was-the-war/) [separatist movements](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-vladimir-putin-moscow-bcd0c04a2aa146e76b7e757f482f27bb) and referendums [at gun-point](https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/30/fictitious-annexation-follows-voting-gunpoint) in Ukrainian territories, recognizing their “independence,” [sending](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2015/11/13/136-brigade-in-donbass/) in its military, and attempting to annex them. ### 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations. Assisting a rebel group in another nation would threaten the target country’s “territorial integrity.” The [agreement says](http://un-documents.net/a25r2625.htm): “Every State has the duty to refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting or participating in acts of civil strife or terrorist acts in another State or acquiescing in organized activities within its territory directed towards the commission of such acts.” ### 1997 Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation, and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation. Russia [signed](https://www.nato.int/cps/su/natohq/official_texts_25468.htm) the “Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation, and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation” in 1997. In the agreement, Russia promised “respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all states and their inherent right to choose the means to ensure their own security.” ### 1994 Budapest Memorandum. Russia has repeatedly violated the 1994 [Budapest Memorandum](https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%203007/Part/volume-3007-I-52241.pdf) since the first violation [in 2014](https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/12/04/the-budapest-memorandum-and-u-s-obligations/). Under the Memorandum, Ukraine relinquished its nuclear arms in exchange for reassurances from Russia, among other countries, that its borders would be respected. ### Minsk 1 and Minsk 2. Russia repeatedly violated the Minsk agreements, and as researchers [noted in 2017](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russia-not-ukraine-is-serial-violator-of-ceasefire-agreement/), “without Russian leadership, [troops, financing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PElD0cbjGK-1N-KIxppInnYOnMKvMVkp/view) [and weapons](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2016/11/15/russias-61st-separate-naval-infantry-brigade-donbass/), there would be no war.” :::info ### Russia can bring peace by going home at any time. Ukrainians who decline to fight are likely to die. The mass graves in Russian-occupied regions like [Bucha](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/04/04/russias-bucha-facts-versus-the-evidence/), [Borodyanka](https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-corpses-exhumed-from-mass-graves/video-61530878), [Lyman](https://www.newsweek.com/whole-families-among-180-bodies-found-mass-grave-lyman-ukraine-1750064), [Izyum](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/world/europe/ukraine-graves-russia.html), and [Mariupol](https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/834794.html) make clear that — intentionally or not — “peace” negotiations followed to their logical conclusion mean advocating for Ukraine to consent to genocide. <br/> ::: ## Without evidence of change, we have no reason to think Russia would abide by a new agreement any more than in the past More importantly, any negotiation that traded Ukrainian land would likely result in more [large-scale](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/putins-attack-on-ukraine-documenting-war-crimes/) [war crimes](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-b63f3ab89fc9a042be8e149f3459db22) against Ukrainians in those regions. Documented crimes include the [rape, torture](https://kyivindependent.com/national/hide-the-girls-how-russian-soldiers-rape-and-torture-ukrainians), [and killing](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-b63f3ab89fc9a042be8e149f3459db22) [of men](https://kyivindependent.com/national/ukraine-war-latest-authorities-exhume-around-1-000-bodies-in-recently-liberated-territories), [women](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/world/europe/ukraine-russia-rape.html), [and children](https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1573337663561777155?s=20&t=brU-1WPT1rMzdwLnsrdRIA), [mutilation](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/08/05/tracking-the-faceless-killers-who-mutilated-and-executed-a-ukrainian-pow/), [starvation](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/07/six-year-old-boy-lays-food-grave-mother-starved-death-bucha/), [grotesque scenes](https://t.me/serhiy_hayday/7692) [like human heads](https://twitter.com/TuiteroMartin/status/1555606092880691200) on spikes, [torture cellars](https://youtu.be/JffNIDXcwn8), [and potentially](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-treatment-of-prisoners-government-and-politics-aec9afe8d6631795ae9f9478a4ede4cc) [well over 500,000](https://archive.ph/T8u1l#selection-1699.0-1699.48) [stolen Ukrainian](https://apnews.com/article/ukrainian-children-russia-7493cb22c9086c6293c1ac7986d85ef6) [children who](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/22/world/europe/ukraine-children-russia-adoptions.html?unlocked_article_code=3fPEebONx4f3-ql1ydHdhDhoTFbz01a-czEJfGgZ9boqMhxZpxqrPkGTSXNO2_6NlgtqPO3CzAMv8Jjts_SEjv_0Gbepp5fW___b21BOW8NE_XELD0R6jVp670ph70pFu1p8moZEDzRewnqNdrXJK_PvzfJMc2r5QpKk2o6bdWYYLWzi1K0-knjNMAPCe4PcyFx-gqg4nxbqu8S6ES3AgGXmQ-vsx33i8JbJaqjoLARfCgi_GTCOiGSEHMs3iDzl4Ln4GflC_YNE9XAusigaRBgqobwCva6rlqUuJPoMbHId9qwlxMb3zjGEvUvyHAuYEmqZ83QCW6lluz1DkGpY_liLecOZLYZJUSeb2lLnv19V&smid=share-url) [have](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/20/kharkiv-summer-camp-children-missing/) [disappeared](https://thehill.com/policy/international/3267579-ukraine-deported-children-facing-threat-of-illegal-adoption-in-russia/) into the Russian Federation. <br/> <br/> :::warning Hoaxlines.org • [Newsletter](https://novelscience.substack.com) • [Ukraine information dashboard](https://hoaxlines.org/ukraine-dashboard) • [Contact us](mailto:research@hoaxlines.org) ::: ###### tags: `Hoaxlines` `Ukraine` `disinformation`