Arria-formula Meeting on Ukraine
Tomorrow (4 June), Russia will convene an Arria-formula meeting on Ukraine titled “Understanding and Resolving the Ideological Roots of the Ukrainian Crisis”. The anticipated briefers are: Edouard Popov, Director of the Center for Public Cooperation and Information “Europe”; Natalya Seluykina, Executive Director of the Historical Memory Foundation; and Maxim Vilkov, coordinator of the Information Group on Crimes against the Person.
The meeting will begin at 10 am EST and take place in Conference Room 7. The meeting, which will be broadcast on UN Web TV, will be open to all UN member states and permanent observers, UN entities, civil society organisations, and the press.
According to the concept note circulated by Russia, tomorrow’s meeting seeks to build on the Arria-formula meeting that the country convened on 11 July 2022, titled “Neo-Nazism and radical nationalism: exploring root causes of the crisis in Ukraine”. The concept note argues that understanding the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine is essential to achieving a “solid and enduring peace”. In light of ongoing peace negotiations, it emphasises the importance of examining the factors that are “perpetuating tensions and obstructing reconciliation”.
The concept note claims that the 2014 change of government in Ukraine constituted a coup d’état, allegedly carried out with the involvement of neo-Nazi organisations, leading to the ousting of a democratically elected government. It contends that the new authorities in Kyiv, purportedly composed of individuals affiliated with these groups, have pursued a “nationalist and anti-Russian agenda” aimed at systematically eliminating Russian cultural, linguistic, and media presence from public life. The concept note further claims that “the glorification of Nazis and their supporters has become a core tenet of Ukraine’s official ideology”, fostering a political environment that has normalised radical nationalism and neo-Nazi symbolism. The note contends that this trend, enabled by the silence or implicit support of Western countries, has “eroded historical truths”.
Tomorrow’s Arria-formula meeting will take place amid intensifying hostilities on the ground. On 26 May, Russia launched its most aggressive aerial assault since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and it is reportedly preparing to open a new front in the northeastern Sumy region. Meanwhile, Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, reportedly destroying dozens of Russian military aircraft in a highly coordinated strike on 1 June, as well as damaging the Kerch Strait Bridge linking Crimea to Russia in a separate attack today (3 June).
Tomorrow’s meeting is also taking place against the backdrop of the second round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which were held yesterday (2 June) in Istanbul, Türkiye. Although the talks made little headway toward a ceasefire or comprehensive settlement, the two sides agreed to exchange all seriously wounded and gravely ill prisoners of war, along with the remains of soldiers who had been killed. Ukrainian officials had shared their peace proposals with Russia ahead of the meeting but apparently only received Russia’s memorandum during the talks, leaving them with limited time to provide a substantive response.
Both sides have acknowledged that their positions have not moved any closer. Kyiv continues to insist on an immediate ceasefire and concrete humanitarian measures—including the return of children allegedly forcibly transferred and unlawfully deported to Russia, as well as the release of all civilians in Russian captivity—as prerequisites for advancing negotiations. Moscow’s proposed memorandum reportedly demands that Ukraine fully withdraw its forces from the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—territories that Russia only partially controls—and formally recognise these regions, along with Crimea, as part of Russia. The proposal also calls for Ukraine to abandon its pursuit of NATO membership, prohibit the presence of foreign troops and military equipment on its territory, and restrict the development of its military capabilities, including a commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons. Additionally, the document contains provisions that would bar both parties from seeking reparations and would require the lifting of all Western sanctions against Russia.
Notably, the Russian memorandum includes several provisions directly related to the theme of tomorrow’s Arria-formula meeting. Among its demands, the document calls for the disbandment of alleged nationalist units within the Ukrainian Armed Forces and National Guard, as well as the dissolution of nationalist political parties and organisations. It also proposes the adoption of legislation prohibiting the glorification and promotion of Nazism and neo-Nazism, the guarantee of full rights for Russian speakers in Ukraine, the recognition of Russian as an official language, and the reversal of restrictions imposed on the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Security Council held two meetings last week on the situation in Ukraine. On 29 May, the Council held a briefing on recent political and humanitarian developments at the request of its European members (Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, and the UK). The next day, the Council convened at Russia’s request to discuss what it claimed were actions by European countries—particularly their military support to Kyiv—that undermine prospects for peace. (For more information, see our 28 May What’s in Blue story.)
During last week’s meetings, Russia argued that Western arms supplies embolden Ukraine to prolong the war and portrayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as unwilling to pursue a settlement. Most Council members rejected this narrative, reiterating that Russia continues to escalate hostilities despite diplomatic openings. Several members highlighted Ukraine’s acceptance of an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and its constructive engagement in talks, while accusing Russia of using negotiations to mask continued aggression. Despite these divisions, many members welcomed the resumption of direct talks between the parties and emphasised the importance of expanding humanitarian confidence-building measures—such as recent prisoner exchanges—as a pathway to a broader political settlement.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are expected to present sharply divergent views on the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine. Russia is likely to reiterate claims that it has made in previous meetings, including the 11 July 2022 Arria-formula meeting, alleging that Kyiv promotes a revival of Nazi ideology rooted in racial superiority and that violent nationalism poses an existential threat to ethnic Russians in Ukraine. In contrast, several Council members are expected to reject these assertions and characterise the meeting as a platform for Russian propaganda aimed at distorting historical facts for political ends.
