Download Disarmament and International Security Committee Crisis in Ukraine

Condor MUN 2014
Cal High
Sept. 19th, 2014
Whittier, CA
Disarmament and International Security Committee
Crisis in Ukraine
Demi Martinez and Tanya Ittimeykin
[email protected]
Section I- Introduction
Hello Delegates! My name is Demi Martinez and I will be your co-chair for CondorMUN III.
Currently I am a senior at Cal High - this is my fourth year doing Model United Nations and my third year
serving as an officer for this amazing club, this year as co-Vice President of Delegate Affairs for Cal High
M.U.N. Despite my love for International Relations, I plan on studying Psychology in college and
possibly branch out into neuropsychology or become a psychologist because I have always had a passion
for helping others. Nonetheless, I love M.U.N. with all my heart and soul and personally have always
enjoyed topics involving international security because humanitarian issues have always seemed so
repetitive to me in MUN. So, this committee will be focused on the security issue of the Crisis in Ukraine!
I hope you all have fun in committee, and find that you will enjoy M.U.N. as much as my co-chair and I
do! I am looking forward to meeting all of you in September!
Hi Delegates! My name is Tanya Ittimeykin, and I will be your other co-chair at this year's
CondorMUN. I am a senior at California High School and have been a member of Model United Nations
since I was a freshman. M.U.N. has provided me with a multitude of opportunities to grow as a student,
understand world issues, and analyze complex situations, and I hope this experience can bring the same
level of reward to all of you. However, while I love international relations, math and science has always
been the core of my focus as I hope to major in biological engineering as a college student. Despite this, I
have always come back to M.U.N. as one of my favorite activities. Most of the topics I have done as a
delegate have revolved around international security, and I am very excited to continue to work with such
topics as a committee member. My co-chair and I have selected the Crisis in Ukraine as this year's
CondorMUN 1st DiSec topic because it has been a pertinent area of discussion lately in terms of security
and disarmament, and we are wholeheartedly curious to see the type of ideas you all have to offer. Good
luck delegates, have fun, and see you in September!
Section II- Topic Background
Ukraine’s history and ties with Russia have gone back for more than a century, and despite an
obstinate pledge of independence in 1918, Ukraine has never been able to entirely extract itself from
Russian umbrella of influence. Conflict was sparked in 2013 when Russia placed trade restrictions and
bans on Ukrainian businesses in retaliation to Ukraine’s possible association with the European Union.
When the Ukrainian government decided to bow to Russian pressure and abandon the association
agreement with the EU, political unrest swept across the nation. Locals refused to be placated by Russia’s
offers to help Ukraine financially. Protests proceeded and violence increased, causing president,
Yanukovych, to flee to Russia. Soon after, a pro-EU government was installed. However, conflict didn’t
end here. Tensions and public dissent only heightened as pro-Russian separatists began to make their
insurgent intentions clear through force. When Russia annexed the Crimea with military power in March
of 2014, western and eastern Ukraine’s political differences started to bubble over, for the west tended to
seek closer ties with the EU, and the Russian and ethnic minorities of the east generally favored proRussian stances. Today’s political unrest is perpetuated by large, violent disputes over separatist desires,
Russian involvement, and Ukrainian leadership. The crisis in Ukraine has become an increasingly
significant topic in international security as the world community witnesses a growing number of civilian
casualties and an urgent, critical concern for Ukrainian public safety.
Section III- Possible Solutions
It is important to emphasize that all parties in the crisis in Ukraine should be satisfied when
coming up with an effective solution. One of the primary steps in achieving peace within this region is to
end the violence in Ukraine. Although Russia has pulled its troops out of the Ukrainian border, many
rebel groups within the region are continuing to cause harm to Ukrainian civilians. It is because of this
violence that President Yanukovych has fled the country, which poses more issues that need to be
addressed. The political system within Ukraine must be stabilized in order to allow decisions to be
properly made for the country. Without a president, rebel group actions will increase and continue to
impose destruction and harm. Lastly, discussions must be made between Ukraine and Russia to bring
peace between both nations. All solutions must efficiently address all aspects of the issue, in greater detail
of what is explained here.
Section IV- Questions that Should Be Taken into Consideration
1. What do pro-Russian rebels want from the Ukrainian government out of these violent protests
and this long strife?
2. What does Russia get out their involvement and why are they so invested?
3. What must be settled to bring peace to a nation so deeply divided by political conflict?
Section V- Helpful Sites and Resources
1. http://www.cfr.org/ukraine/ukraine-crisis/p32540
2. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18018002
3. http://www.fairobserver.com/region/europe/ukraines-crisis-explained-49862/
4.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johncurran/russian-ukrainian-conflictexplained_b_4909192.html
5.http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/16/world/europe/ukraine-russia-tensions-rise-overattacks.html?_r=0