Cracks in The EU! Mig Fighters from Slovakia to Ukraine. Hungary Rejects ICC Arrest Warrant for Putin
by Carlo Domenico Cristofori
The contrasts within the European Union in the face of the conflict in Ukraine are starting to become more and more extreme. Slovak Defense Minister Jaro Nad announced that “the first four Mig-29 fighters from Slovakia “have been safely sent to the Armed Forces of Ukraine”.
In total, Slovakia said it would donate 13 of the Soviet-made aircraft. “In the coming weeks, the rest of the planes will be delivered,” Defense Ministry spokeswoman Martina Kakascikova said.
This represents another step towards the exacerbation of the conflict between NATO countries and Russia which has repeatedly said it will respond by in turn increasing its firepower
Steps towards Escalation and Not towards Peace
On Thursday (March, 23, 2023) the European plan to give 2 billion euros of ammunition to Ukraine was approved by the Foreign Affairs Council underway in Brussels.
High Representative Josep Borrell spoke of “an historic decision”.
But only eighteen countries (among 27) have already signed up to the European Defense Agency’s (EDA) plan for the joint procurement of ammunition to help Ukraine and replenish national stockpiles. The project paves the way to proceed along two paths: a two-year fast track procedure for 155mm artillery shells and a seven-year project to purchase more types of ammunition.
The day before came from the United Kingdom the disturbing announcement on the shipment of depleted uranium ammunition to Kiev together with the Challenger 2 tanks, arousing the indignation of pacifists from all over the world for their carcinogenic potential.
But one of the European Union countries that has never broken off relations with Moscow by increasing contracts for energy supplies of oil and gas takes a clear position in favor of the Kremlin, justifying it with national regulations.
Hungary considers the UK’s decision to ship depleted uranium shells to Ukraine wrong, Hungarian Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyas told reported Thursday.”Hungary does not support any actions that could lead to an escalation of the war,” the Minister said.
He also noted that the Hungarian government does not ship weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, and calls for resolution of the ongoing conflict only via peace negotiations.
Hungary say’s it won’t Arrest Putin
While the Hungarian government has yet to take an official position on the International Criminal Court’s war crimes warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, the prime minister’s chief of staff said on Thursday that the country’s constitution wouldn’t allow for its enforcement.
“We can refer to the Hungarian law, and based on that we cannot arrest the Russian president … as the ICC statute has not been promulgated in Hungary,” said PM Viktor Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, addressing reporters during a press conference in Budapest.
“These decisions are not the most fortunate as they take things towards further escalation and not towards peace,” Gulyas said in reference to the ICC warrant, qualifying it as his “personal, subjective opinion.”
Last week, the ICC called for the arrest of Putin and Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of personal, command and indirect responsibility for “forcible transfer of population,” referring to Moscow’s efforts to evacuate children from the combat zone. Ukraine cheered the move, accusing Russia of “kidnapping” children.
Moscow responded by saying the ICC has no authority or legitimacy, as Russia never ratified the 1998 Rome Statute that established the court.
Former president Dmitry Medvedev said that the charges meant a “complete collapse of international law.” Russian authorities have also initiated criminal proceedings against the ICC’s head prosecutor and three judges involved with the warrant.
Ukraine never ratified the Rome Statute either, but the government set up after the US-backed coup in 2014 announced it would accept its jurisdiction for crimes allegedly committed by Russia on its territory.
Hungary did ratify the Rome Statute, and was actually among the NATO countries and other US allies that sent the ICC a criminal referral on Ukraine on March 2, at least according to the court.
Washington was not directly involved, however, as the US does not recognize the ICC either.
After withdrawing its signature on the Rome Treaty in 2002, the US Congress passed a law allowing for the use of military force to rescue any American or member of an allied military, should they be detained in The Hague.
Carlo Domenico Cristofori
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Why did the US-NATO start a bloody War against Yugoslavia-Serbia to split that country up long territories/nationalities and now promoting, supporting a bloody War in the Ukraine not to do the same JUSTICE? Ukraine like Yugoslavia-Serbia is a Creation that was put together by political expediency from multiple territories and diverse populations/nationalities. Ukraine must return territories, and populations to the respective Father-Motherlands of, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Moldova and Byelorussia, that would be a Justified End to this War-Conflict and would bring PEACE to Europe!
Clever analysis!