NEW YORK, APRIL 20 – The Italian Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, was hosted yesterday by the Gruppo ESponenti Italiani (GEI), an association of representatives of major Italian companies, organizations and institutions active in the United States. The war in Ukraine and its repercussions on Europe, the multilateral system and the role of the UN were discussed during the conversation moderated by GEI President Mario Platero, former correspondent of the Il Sole 24 Ore in the United States and currently an opinion writer for La Stampa.
“We cannot repeat Budapest, risk a Budapest 2.0”, said Massari. In the Ukrainian conflict, he added, “we should not think in terms of winners or losers” , and should avoid “at any cost that the current challenge advanced by Moscow with the help of Beijing is perceived in terms of ‘the West against the rest’ ”. T
Focusing on the prospects for peace and the strategic and historical context that led to the aggression of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, the Italian Ambassador said that he anticipates a long conflict, whose outcome will not only matter for Europe and the security of the continent, but for the multilateral and world orders. “It is important to give continuity to the G-20, for example, and to continue the inclusive action to pursue the UN 2030 agenda with its 17 goals for sustainable development”, he said, speaking of “a conflict that has distant roots in the expectations of Russia to be accepted as a superpower after the end of the Cold War, with an equal status to the United States and the West. The West could not accept this request in the nineties, both because of the need to fill a security gap in Europe and because of conflicting and not reassuring signals that came from Moscow”: Massari pointed out that in 1992, during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin, the Duma revoked the gift of Crimea that Khrushchev’s Russia had made to Ukraine.
Strongly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ambassador warned that “hybrid outcomes cannot be ruled out, with Russia trying to claim a victory over Ukraine perhaps after consolidating control over Donbass, the richest region of natural and industrial resources in the country, which would still be unacceptable. Ukraine, on the other hand, would be able to use its resilience, the defence of its independence, on its path towards being accepted by the European Union to become a new member.” With an important caveat: “Ukraine will come out of this sorely tested and impoverished, it will have to be rebuilt and the solidarity of the donor community will be important”. There will also be the delicate issue, still to be explored, of assurances or security guarantees: “We cannot, however, repeat Budapest, risk a Budapest 2.0”, warned the diplomat.
In the new context of territorial alignments and alliances, Massari wished “that Sweden and Finland can be admitted to the Atlantic Alliance relatively quickly if and when they request it, and when the ratifications take place”. Responding to those who criticized the lack of effectiveness of the United Nations during this conflict, the ambassador emphasized that “without the UN, there would not have been the Charter of the United Nations, which Ukraine has appealed to denounce the abuses and crimes committed against the civilian population. The Charter and the General Assembly have played an important role in isolating Russia by bringing to adoption three resolutions in just one month, essentials to address Moscow’s responsibility”.
Addressing the question of the Chinese role in the crisis, Massari stressed the strategic ‘trilemma’ of China, forced between the defence of Russia with which it shares a similar vision of the world; the defence of the principles of the Charter which is in line with the interests of Beijing but which Russia is violating; and the interest of Beijing not to ruin its strong economic ties with the West. Russia, despite the condemnation of the General Assembly, is less economically isolated than it appears. The 40 countries that are applying sanctions account for 60% of global GDP. Moscow therefore has room for manoeuvre with the rest of the countries, which represents 40% of the world’s GDP.
The GEI, which does not carry out any political activity and is a non profit organisation, was founded in 1974. It intends to offer a forum for authoritative and qualified Italian and American voices in the fields of political, social, entrepreneurial, financial, commercial and information activities that have an interest in discussing relations between Italy and the United States. (@OnuItalia)
