by Evgeniy Konovalov
[REGNUM] November 25 is the Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper. The holiday was established by decree of President Vladimir Putin in 2016. It is dedicated to the date when Soviet servicemen first took part in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Middle East: November 25, 1973, during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The main task of peacekeepers is described by the term itself - to create, that is, to build, peace. Peacekeepers are involved in operations in different regions, and their methods of work vary - from observation and patrolling to military demonstrations and blockades. Peacekeepers often take control of the demarcation line of the opposing sides, as well as ensure law and order in the territory and prevent humanitarian disasters.
Russian peacekeepers worthily represent Russia as a guarantor of peace. They, including at the cost of their own lives, made a huge contribution to the prevention of military conflicts, restrained aggressive actions of the parties in different regions of the world.
Russian peacekeepers participated in operations in Yugoslavia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, Tajikistan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Angola and the Central African Republic. At the same time, if we take into account the activities of military observers who do not have the right to carry weapons, the geography of participation of Russian military peacekeepers will be much wider.
IMPORTANT ROLE
Modern Russian peacekeepers are the successors of glorious military traditions. Their common history began in 1973, when Soviet Army servicemen arrived as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Suez Canal Zone to monitor the ceasefire.
The Soviet mission accomplished its main task: after the UN resolution, military actions in Sinai ceased. Later, two disengages occurred: Israeli troops left the western bank of the Suez Canal, and in 1975 a buffer zone was formed.
In July 1992, Moldova and Russia signed an agreement to settle the conflict in Transnistria. Six battalions of Russian peacekeepers were brought into the region – more than 3,000 people.
At the moment, the conflict is frozen, the peacekeeping mission continues. In addition to peacekeepers from Transnistria and Moldova, the joint forces include more than 400 Russian soldiers. During their service to prevent mass bloodshed in the region, 21 Russian soldiers were killed.
In June 1994, by decision of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS, more than 1.8 thousand Russian peacekeepers were introduced into Abkhazia. The basis for the start of the operation was the "Agreement on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces", which was signed in Moscow by the parties to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.
The Russian contingent became the backbone of the CIS peacekeeping force. As in South Ossetia, the mission continued until the 2008 war. During the conflict, Russian troops lost more than 70 people killed.
Russian peacekeeping forces also played an extremely important role in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. In September 2023, the Azerbaijani armed forces began shelling the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry called it a local anti-terrorist operation against illegal Armenian armed formations.
On September 20, the NKR information center reported that an agreement on a ceasefire had been reached, which was confirmed in Yerevan. The Russian Defense Ministry noted that the parties managed to reach an agreement with the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping command.
“Russian peacekeepers are leaving Karabakh, having fulfilled their task: maintaining peace in the region, protecting the civilian population, including sometimes at the cost of their own lives,” wrote Russian political scientist Alexei Mukhin.
THE WEST CHOSE WAR
It is important to note that, unlike Western military forces, Russian peacekeepers conduct their operations only within the framework of international law and under the auspices of international organizations, rescuing civilians and protecting global stability.
Russia also always advocates a peaceful solution. But the West's position does not allow the conflict in Ukraine to be ended, and the ongoing provocations are aimed at disrupting peace talks.
Vladimir Putin regularly emphasizes that Russia is ready to resolve conflicts through dialogue, but Western countries adhere to a radical point of view and do not want to hear reasonable arguments. At the same time, they pump the Kiev regime with money and military equipment.
By the beginning of 2023, foreign countries and international organizations had provided Kyiv with assistance in the amount of over $150.8 billion. Almost a third of this amount, $48.5 billion, was allocated for Ukrainian military needs. In fact, the total volume of Western aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Second World War has exceeded its budget for 2022 by 2.7 times — $55.5 billion. And military aid to Kyiv accounts for 94.9% of Russia's defense spending.
These figures clearly show who really wants peace and who does not need peace.