The 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping Monday expressed concern at the situation in Ukraine where Russian troops are posed to invade the European country.
“The Caribbean Community is deeply concerned by the on-going developments along the Ukraine border and calls on all parties involved to act responsibly and with self-restraint and responsibility to avoid destabilisation in that region,” Caricom said in a statement.
It said it was calling on “all actors to intensify diplomatic efforts to settle differences peacefully and calls for the respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
“The community welcomes the efforts of the international community to promote dialogue and to find urgent solutions to de-escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said, adding “Caricom reaffirms its commitment to respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another state, the prohibition on the threat or use of force, and peaceful resolution of disputes.”
“Universal respect and adherence to these norms and principles of international law are fundamental to the maintenance of the international system and global peace and security. The Caribbean Community will continue to monitor developments in this evolving situation,” the statement said.
On Monday, Russia’s top diplomat said that the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis was “far from exhausted”.
Foreign Minister Sergey V Lavrov said that he supported continuing negotiations with the West on the “security guarantees” Russia has been demanding of the United States and NATO.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that perhaps the notion of NATO membership “is for us like a dream” suggesting, however vaguely, that his country might make the kind of concessions it has staunchly resisted so far.
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine never be allowed to join NATO and has also called for a rollback of NATO forces from across Eastern Europe.
The United States has said it believes Russia will invade the country on Wednesday.