President Putin Evokes Spirit of Anti-Hitler Alliance, Urges ‘G5’ Summit To ‘Address Most Burning Issues’

Sept. 22, 2020 (EIRNS)—In a beautifully composed address today to the 75th session of the UN General Assembly General Debate, Russian President Vladimir Putin evoked the spirit of the anti-Hitler alliance which won World War II, by rising “above differences and ideological preferences for the sake of victory and peace for all nations on the Earth.” That same spirit can be found today, he argued, to bring together the five great powers—the “G5” he called them—to address the “most burning issues of our day.” The Russian leader pointed to the importance of the two anniversaries celebrated this year, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN. This cannot be overemphasized, he said. In 1945 Nazism was defeated,

“the ideology of aggression and hatred was crushed, and the experience and spirit of alliance, as well as the awareness of the huge price that had been paid for peace and our common victory, helped construct the post-war world order. It was built on the ultimate foundation of the UN charter that remains the main source of international law to this day.”

And, he underscored,

“I am convinced that this anniversary makes it incumbent upon all of us to recall the timeless principles of inter-state communication, enshrined in the UN Charter and formulated by the founding fathers of our universal organization in the clearest and most ambiguous terms.”

The lessons of history cannot be forgotten, President Putin stated. That would be “short-sighted and extremely irresponsible just like the politicized attempts to arbitrarily interpret the causes, course and outcomes of the Second World War and twist the decisions of the conferences of the Allies and the Nuremberg Tribunal are based on speculation instead of facts.” Such distortion “is a devastating blow to the very foundation of the post-war world order, which is particularly dangerous” given the serious challenges to global stability, the breakdown in the arms control system, unending regional conflicts, and the intensifying threats posed by terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking.

Russia, Putin vowed, will make every effort “to contribute to peaceful political and diplomatic resolution of regional crises and conflicts, as well as to ensuring strategic stability.” Despite disputes and differences, misunderstandings and “even distrust,” among some colleagues, Russia “will consistently advance constructive, uniting initiatives, first of all in arms control and strengthening the treaty regimes existing in this area.” A top priority, he insisted, should be an extension of the U.S.-Russia Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

In the current challenging environment, the Russian statesman pointed out,

“it is important for all countries to show political will, wisdom and foresight. The permanent members of the UN Security Council—those powers that, for 75 years now, have been bearing particular responsibility for international peace and security, the preservation of the foundations of international law—should take the lead here.

“Fully realizing this responsibility, Russia has suggested convening a G5 summit. It would aim at reaffirming the key principles of behavior in international affairs, elaborating ways to effectively address today’s most burning issues. It is encouraging that our partners have supported the initiative. We expect to hold such a summit—in person—as soon as the epidemiological situation makes it possible.

“I would like to reiterate that in an interrelated, interdependent world, amid the whirlpool of international developments, we need to work together, drawing on the principles and norms of international law enshrined in the UN Charter. This is the only way for us to carry out the paramount mission of our organization and provide a decent life for the present and future generations. I wish all the peoples of our planet peace and well-being.” [emphasis added]