President Aoun says Lebanon opposes military operation, urges dialogue to solve Ukraine crisis
Lebanese President Michel Aoun says his country opposes any military operation against any free state, urging negotiations to end the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has entered its ninth day.
In a meeting with an EU delegation in Beirut on Friday, Aoun stressed the importance of dialogue instead of war and violence, Lebanon's Naharnet news website reported.
"We stand against any military operation that violates the sovereignty and independence of any free country," he said, adding that Lebanon has suffered from wars, especially the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1982.
Tensions have heightened between the West and Russia after on February 24 President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine’s Donbas region to “defend people” subjected to "genocide" there against government forces, stressing that Moscow has “no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory.”
Ever since, the West has kept pouring lethal weapons into Ukraine. About 20 countries — most members of NATO and the European Union — are funneling arms into Ukraine to fight off Russia. Russia has denounced the move as a dangerous intervention, which risks further conflict in the region.
At the same time, NATO is moving military equipment and as many as 22,000 more troops into member states bordering Russia and Belarus.
The US and its NATO allies have also imposed harsh sanctions on Russia, including on Putin and his senior ministers and aides.
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted in favor of a United States- and Albania-drafted anti-Russian resolution, which had failed to gain traction at the UN Security Council.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution with 141 votes in favor, five negative votes, and 35 abstentions.
Meanwhile, Naharnet quoted President Aoun as saying that Beirut pursues a “clear stance” on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict which supports "dialogue" to settle the crisis.
Aoun, who was speaking in an interview with the Asas media news website, said, “Lebanon has faced difficult disputes, confrontations and security incidents that all ended through dialogue.”
“That’s why Lebanon supports political negotiations to resolve the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine in line with the principles specified in the UN Charter and the relevant international laws that calls for peaceful means in resolving conflicts between nations,” he added.
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