The United Nations (UN) was created in 1945 to maintain peace among the nations as one of its main aims. Today, diplomatic efforts seem worthless in the face of the current war between Russia and Ukraine.

The UN has six main bodies. The Security Council and the General Assembly are the most relevant among those. The Security Council’s primary responsibility is to maintain peace and security. It is comprised of 15 members, five of which are permanent members because they are the founding members of the UN, and the other ten are member nations who serve two-year rotations.

The five permanent members of the Security Council are China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Currently, Russia is the chair of the Security Council. These permanent members are granted a special privilege – called the veto right. Any of these five countries have the power to veto or defeat any decision of the council if they disagree with it.  

Last Friday, Albania and the U.S., current members of the Security Council, attempted to pass a resolution “intended to end the Russian Federation’s military offensive against that neighboring State.” Eleven countries voted in favor. China, India, and the United Emirates abstained. Unfortunately, Russia exercised its right as a permanent member and vetoed the resolution.

Although the UN had not achieved its primary objective, the end of the war, the UN Secretary-General called on the nations not to give up. He issued assurances that the UN would keep increasing its efforts to restore peace.

Meanwhile, the Ukraine ambassador called on the nations to break off diplomatic relations with Russia. It was a call that did not resonate with many countries due to their dependence on Russia. Russia is the primary provider of natural gas for Europe and many other nations. For example, Finland depends on Russia for 94% of gas, Germany 49%, and Italy 46%.

In this regard, the situation for the U.S. is not much different than in Europe. Although the U.S. is one of the leading oil and energy producers in the world, its production is insufficient to supply the whole country. Therefore, the U.S. imports oil from Canada, Mexico, and Russia (its third-highest supplier.)

If the U.S. wants to maintain its sovereignty and its leadership worldwide, it must not be coerced into silence.

Concerned Women for America will keep raising its voice and advocating to defend our independence and fight to protect our national sovereignty while safeguarding our nation’s freedom.