Arria-formula Meeting on Ukraine
Tomorrow morning (17 July), Russia will convene an Arria-formula meeting titled “The Reign of Terror: Crimes of the Kiev Regime in Ukraine and Beyond”. At the time of writing, the briefers had not been announced. Russia’s Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, Anna Evstigneeva, is expected to deliver opening remarks.
The meeting, which will begin at 10 am EDT and take place in Conference Room 5 at UN Headquarters, is expected to 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.
According to the concept note circulated by Russia, tomorrow’s meeting builds on several previous Arria-formula meetings that it convened on issues related to Ukraine, including the 11 July 2022 meeting titled “Neo-Nazism and radical nationalism: exploring root causes of the crisis in Ukraine”; the 12 May 2023 meeting on the situation of freedom of religion or belief and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC); and the 4 June 2025 meeting titled “Understanding and Resolving the Ideological Roots of the Ukrainian Crisis”.
The concept note identifies several objectives for the meeting, including raising awareness of alleged breaches of Ukraine’s international human rights obligations; discussing the treatment of the UOC and Russian-speaking communities; and exploring possible measures to address these issues as part of efforts to achieve a sustainable settlement of the conflict.
The concept note reiterates Russia’s position that the origins of the conflict lie in the political changes that took place in Ukraine in 2014, which it characterises as an unconstitutional coup supported by Western countries. It contends that the Ukrainian authorities subsequently pursued policies targeting Russian-speaking and canonical Orthodox communities. It further argues that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was prompted by the need to protect these groups and address security threats allegedly resulting from the enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The concept note reiterates Russia’s accusation that Ukrainian authorities have subjected the UOC’s clergy and hierarchy to criminal prosecution, detention, and pressure to join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It also claims that Ukrainian security forces and nationalist groups have used violence against parishioners and that the authorities have attempted to seize UOC property and to take over the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. (For background on the UOC, see our 16 November 2023 What’s in Blue story.)
At tomorrow’s meeting, Russia is expected to reiterate the allegations contained in the concept note and argue that the treatment of Russian-speaking and canonical Orthodox communities constitutes one of the root causes of the conflict. It may contend that a sustainable peace agreement will require the inclusion of measures to protect the use of the Russian language in Ukraine and the UOC, as well as broader steps to address Russia’s security concerns. Russia may also accuse Western countries of applying international human rights standards selectively and of suppressing information that contradicts their account of developments in Ukraine.
Several Council members, particularly the European members, are likely to reject Russia’s assertions and characterise the meeting as an attempt to justify its invasion and deflect attention from violations committed by Russian forces. They may accuse Russia of misusing the Arria-formula format to disseminate disinformation and advance politically motivated interpretations of Ukraine’s history. These members are also likely to refer to the continuing civilian toll of Russian missile and drone attacks and reiterate calls for accountability for violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL).
Other Council members are likely to focus on the need for de-escalation and a negotiated settlement. These members may reiterate calls for the parties to resume dialogue, to address the root causes of the conflict and each other’s legitimate security concerns, and to work towards a comprehensive and binding peace agreement. Several elected members may similarly urge restraint, adherence to IHL, and renewed diplomatic engagement. Some may call for all credible allegations of violations, regardless of the alleged perpetrator, to be investigated impartially and for the parties to refrain from steps that could further widen the conflict.
