Moscow Questions Stabilization Force Mandate and Lack of Compromise in UN Vote
UNITED NATIONS, New York:Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, delivered a sharp critique of the U.S.-drafted resolution on the Gaza Strip after Russia and China abstained from the vote, allowing the measure to pass on Monday evening.
Ambassador Nebenzya characterized the document as a “pig in a poke,” an idiom referring to a deal accepted without inspection or full knowledge of its true value. He suggested the resolution grants Washington a blank cheque for its initiative.
“The document presented by the United States is another pig in a poke. Essentially, the Council is giving its blessing to the American initiative on parole of Washington,” he stated.
A central point of Moscow’s objection focused on the mandate granted to the newly authorized temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza. Nebenzya argued that the force’s tasks, which include the demilitarization of Gaza and the disarmament of local groups, go beyond traditional peacekeeping roles.
“The resolution… assigns the mission such peacekeeping tasks that they could turn it into a party to the conflict and take it beyond the scope of peacekeeping,” Nebenzya said.
He further noted that the ambiguity surrounding this mission raised serious questions about the composition and commitment of the force, adding, “As far as we understand, none of the potential troop-contributing countries signed up for this.”
Ambassador Nebenzya also voiced frustration over the negotiation process, asserting that Council members were not given adequate time to engage in thorough deliberations or seek necessary compromises on the text.
Russia’s abstention, alongside China’s, ultimately allowed the resolution to pass, but the diplomatic maneuver signaled Moscow’s official discontent with the proposal’s substance and the process of its adoption. Russia had previously circulated a rival draft resolution that sought stronger language on the two-state solution and greater UN control over the international force’s modalities.
