How perhaps to pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine

The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the ongoing conflict known as the Ukraine-Russia war, is an illegal act, and is acknowledged as such by a majority of the member states of United Nations.

Amongst non-combatants Ukrainians, tens of thousands have died, among the combatants on both sides casualties run in the millions.

The manner in which this conflict has unfolded it is evident that non-combatants and their residences and the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine has been deliberately targeted, which is against all Generally Recognized Principles of International Law.

There is a bitter irony that the basis to these generally recognized principles involved Soviet era jurists at the Nuremberg Tribunals who argued against the brutality wrought onto non-combatants. In and above this fact is that the actions of the present day Russian military is as brutal as what was seen during their Great Patriotic War, except today Russian soldiers are the transgressors and the ones causing harm.

Three countries among the combatants nations are actively undertaking illicit acts: Russia, Iran and North Korea. These countries are providing soldiers and arms used against non-combatants, and their residences and the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine.

Canada has recently appointed a special envoy for Reconstruction in Ukraine. I invite the new Canadian special envoy for Reconstruction in Ukraine to set before the appropriate international tribunals at the Hague and in New York a legal argument that Russia, Iran and North Korea shall pay as far as possible for the full costs of the reconstruction of Ukraine.

There are sufficient funds presently frozen from Russian assets to provide for perhaps five years of reconstruction.

With regards to Iran, perhaps $ 10 million be asked in reparations for every one of the drones or missiles provided (either directly or through licensing provisions) by Iran and used against Ukraine.

With regards to North Korea, perhaps $ 10 million be asked in reparations for ever one of the drones or missiles provided (either directly or through licensing provisions) by North Korea and used against Ukraine. With regards to every artillery piece and the such perhaps $ 1 million be asked in reparations. For each and every artillery shell perhaps $ 50,000 be asked in reparations from North Korea.

I have the right to ask this of the community of nations for I am one of the architects of the Generally Recognized Principle The Responsibility to Protect, which is a Canadian principle that three decades after first being proposed, now stands as something recognized by Canada and its fellow NATO countries, as well as The United Nations and the Community of Nations.

Some three decades ago in my recommendation to the Rt. Hon. Jean Etienne Chretien, the Prime Minister of Canada I argued that good citizens of the world have The Responsibility to Protect the Non-combatant. This argument was presented by Canada and taken up by NATO and the UN Security Council to end the ethnic cleansing then underway in the former Yugoslavia. R2P was subsequently passed as International Law by the Plenary of the United Nations.

After an armistice has been arranged, I would recommend to the Community of Nations that Canada be asked to provide Peacekeeping in the war zone of the Ukraine-Russian war, with the support of member states of the Commonwealth, as well as the People’s Republic of China.

Peacekeeping is a Canadian gift to the world that saw a Canadian, Lester B. Pearson, win the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for this undertaking.

I also recommend to the members of the UN Plenary to invite Canada to become the sixth permanent member of the UN Security Council with a mandate for humanitarian relief.