According to Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, minister of foreign affairs and regional integration, Ghana will not accept any annexation of Ukrainian territory by the Russian Federation.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey noted that Ghana remains committed to its position that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is in violation of international law and unjustified while speaking to a special meeting of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the maintenance of the peace and security of Ukraine in New York City today, Thursday, September 22, 2022.
“We have expressed several times our principled position against the aggression on Ukraine which we consider to be a disregard for the rules of international law and the principles of the charter (UN Charter).
Ukraine as a sovereign state and a member of this organization (UN) has every right, we believe, and indeed a responsibility to defend its territorial integrity and political independence,” Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said.
“Ghana does not, and will not recognize any territory that is unilaterally and forcefully acquired as dismembered from a sovereign entity,” Ms Botchwey added.
Cease fire
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration reaffirmed Ghana’s demand that the Russian Federation “immediately and unconditionally cease its operations, withdraw its troops from the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine,” and respect its “sovereignty and political independence” toward its western neighbor in her statement.
“The need for a credible pathway for a genuine diplomatic process is urgent. The barrel of the gun does not provide such a pathway. It only leads to needless loss of lives and destruction on both sides. Indeed, the cost of the war has been high, not only for the parties, but also for the rest of the world,” Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said.
Envisioned referendums
As Kremlin proxies and associates announced plans for referendums on annexation to Russia on Tuesday, September 21, 2022, indicating a possible escalation of the seven-month-old war, Russia moved to solidify its grip on territory it occupies in eastern and southern Ukraine (Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk) following stunning battlefield setbacks in the past two weeks.
The Kremlin sent a message that any additional military action by Ukraine in those regions would be seen as an attack on Russia itself, justifying any military response by the country with the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, even if no other country recognized the annexation if it were to proceed.
Uncompleted mobilization
President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday, September 21, 2022, a “partial mobilization” of Russian citizens in which 300,000 reservists would be called up, according to Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defense minister. This is seen by many international law experts as an escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In his announcement, Putin stated that anyone with combat experience will be required to serve in the military. He also emphasized the need for the already-signed decree to “defend our territory, its sovereignty, and its territorial integrity.” There have been numerous protests in Russia in response to Putin’s declaration, and some people have attempted to leave the nation to avoid the imminent conscription.
