Arria-formula Meeting on Ukraine
Tomorrow morning (5 August), Russia will convene an Arria-formula meeting titled “The Armed Forces of Ukraine Military Debacle in the Kursk Region: Preliminary Assessment”. Maxim Grigoriev, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber and Chairman of the International Public Tribunal on Ukraine, which was established by the Russian Civic Chamber in March 2022, is expected to brief. Additional briefers may also participate.
The meeting, which will begin at 10 am EST and take place in Conference Room 5, will be broadcast on UNTV. It will be open to representatives of all UN member states and permanent observers, UN entities, civil society organisations, and the press.
On 6 August 2024, the Ukrainian military launched a cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy region. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Russian authorities reported that, between 6 and 24 August 2024, the attacks resulted in at least 213 civilian casualties, including 12 deaths. OHCHR has noted that Ukrainian and Russian authorities confirmed that thousands of people had been evacuated on both sides of the border due to escalating hostilities in the area.
In late April, Russian authorities said that their forces had regained full control of the Kursk region, a claim that Kyiv has rejected. Russian officials also confirmed for the first time in April that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) had provided support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, including the deployment of troops, after the two countries signed a mutual defence treaty in June 2024. In January, Ukrainian and US officials told the New York Times that DPRK troops “have been pulled off the front lines after suffering heavy casualties”, while noting the possibility that they may return in the future after receiving additional training. As at 22 June, media reports indicated that Ukrainian forces continued to defend a small area of territory within the region. On 7 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian military operations there were still ongoing.
According to the concept note prepared by Russia, tomorrow’s meeting is intended to offer member states an opportunity to examine the “political and humanitarian consequences” of Ukraine’s Kursk incursion. The concept note claims that Ukraine’s incursion was assisted by “foreign mercenaries” and involved “severe violations of international law, including the summary execution of civilians, attacks on ambulances and looting”. It adds that the meeting aims to share evidence of such violations and to facilitate accountability. Ukraine, for its part, has argued that its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was a defensive military operation conducted in compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL), claiming that it had no “political plans” for the region that “contradict the UN Charter”.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are expected to present sharply divergent views about the conflict in Ukraine. Russia may reiterate its allegations that Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries have committed war crimes in its Kursk region. Several members are likely to reject this narrative, reiterating accusations of atrocities by Russian forces in Ukraine and calling for greater accountability. They may also restate that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was a clear violation of the UN Charter and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Some members may accuse Russia of misusing the Arria-formula format to spread disinformation and deflect attention from its own actions in Ukraine, such as the continued targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities. In this context, they may reference international investigations documenting IHL violations by Russian forces. Russia, in turn, is likely to deny these allegations and accuse Western countries of promoting a “Russophobic agenda”.
Several members are expected to call for thorough investigations into human rights and IHL violations and stress the need for accountability. They may also urge unhindered humanitarian access to areas affected by the fighting. Others may raise concerns about increased military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang regarding the war in Ukraine. Numerous members are expected to stress the need for a negotiated end to the conflict, warning that failure to pursue peace could lead to further economic or political pressure. (For more information, see our 24 July What’s in Blue story.)
