By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS – On Monday the U.N. Security Council will meet publicly at the request the United States to address Russia’s build-up of troops on Ukraine’s borders.

Although the United States views the 15-member group as an opportunity to Russia, Russia suggested it may try to stop it. Washington believes it has enough support to get the meeting through with nine votes.

The council will not take any action despite all the members being able to express their opinions openly. This is even in the event that Russia invades Ukraine. Russia can veto any resolution that is not supported by consensus.

Along with the United States of America, France, Britain, and China, Russia is among five permanent, veto-wielding countries on the Security Council. Security Council has the responsibility of maintaining peace and international security. Russia, which will be taking over the rotating presidency of February’s Security Council is expected to take office one day following the meeting.

“The U.S. and its allies will use the U.N. as a political theater where they can publicly shame Russia in the event of war,” said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at Crisis Group, a think-tank.

He added that he feared that “this will be just another crisis, like in Ethiopia and Burmese, which shows how much clout U.N. holds in the real-world.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO CRIMEA

Diplomats and analysts in foreign policy believe that Russia’s military might escalate the crisis. This is because diplomats and other international policy experts predict that diplomatic action and diplomacy at the United Nations will mirror the events of 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea.

Since then, the Security Council has been meeting dozens of time to address the Ukraine crisis. It voted in March 2014 on an American-drafted resolution, opposing the referendum on Crimea’s status and asking countries to not recognize it. The resolution received 13 support votes, China abstained and Russia voted against.

In an attempt to show Russia’s isolation internationally, the Western countries submitted a comparable text to the General Assembly of 193 members, who adopted a resolution disqualifying the referendum. The referendum received 100 support votes, 11 against, and 58 abstentions. Two dozen other countries did not vote.

General Assembly Resolutions have political power but they aren’t legally binding. The General Assembly does not have the same veto power as the Security Council.

What are WESTERN DIPLOMATS doing?

The West’s diplomacy in the United Nations has been largely focused on gaining support from U.N. member countries, should they require it. Russia was accused of violating the U.N. Charter.

The Charter, which outlines the purposes and principle of the United Nations as it was established in 1945, is the foundation document for the United Nations.

Linda Thomas Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said last week that Russia’s actions against Ukraine “are not just a region issue.”

She stated that they have an impact on all U.N. member states and she must prepare to unite and stand with Russia should it defy our shared values and principles.

RUSSIA: WHAT CAN IT DO AS A SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Russia will assume the rotating presidency of February’s council on Tuesday. While this role is administrative in nature, some diplomats fear Russia might delay requests by members of council to hold a second discussion about Russia’s actions.

The council has already scheduled a meeting to address Ukraine on February 17, diplomats stated. This meeting is scheduled on a regular basis and will focus on Minsk Agreements, which were approved by council members in 2015. They are intended to stop separatist warfare by Russian-speakers within eastern Ukraine.

A General Assembly meeting will also be held on February 23rd to discuss the “situation in temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine”.