Position Paper

Committee: United Nations Security Council

Agenda: Discussing the escalating military crisis in Myanmar with the dominating Military
rule paying special attention to the transfer of weapons.

Portfolio: Russian Federation

The Russian Federation strives to fulfil its responsibilities the United Nations by being a
dedicated and conscientious contributor to the core issues at hand. hand. The issue before the
United Nations Security Council is a follow up on the Military Coup taking place in
Myanmar.
The union of Myanmar is currently undergoing a drastic change in its government and its
style of governance which Russia believes is for the betterment of the country. Russia has
been consistently building assets in Myanmar and, as a result, has come out as a far more
influential player than envisaged. In 2021, Myanmar’s place in Russia’s foreign policy in
SEA further grew as the country turned into a key strategic partner, ally and client. The
military coup on 1st February 2021 presented the Russian establishment with a choice – to
stay on course or to alter it. By joining the West in condemning the coup, it had nothing to
gain. Moscow believed that its siding with the condemnation chorus would not be
appreciated. The Russian military knew which side they were on. Thus, when 119 countries
voted at the UN General Assembly in June 2021 in favour of banning arms sales to
Myanmar’s military regime amid its crackdown on civilians, Russia was among the 36
countries that abstained.
Russian officials criticised Western attempts to isolate and put pressure on Myanmar, and
portrayed western sanctions as counterproductive and an obstacle to development. After the
2019 International Court of Justice in The Hague, Myanmar’s National League for
Democracy (NLD) government found itself without reliable external allies as its hopes of
building closer ties with the west evaporated. The Myanmar military has been in a different
position, as they could rely on their relationships with China and Russia. Thus, Moscow’s
support to the military regime can be explained, at least partially, by how the West reacted to
the coup.