The Tribune

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

INCH by inch, it seems, we have arrived at a policy on Russian sanctions.

On Saturday, the government released a statement that committed The Bahamas to halting all transactions with entities from Russia and Belarus that have been sanctioned by other Western nations.

“Regulated entities, that are licensed or authorised to operate from or within The Bahamas, (are directed) not to engage in transactions with sanctioned persons, entities or business linked to Russia and Belarus,” read the statement.

It stops transactions involving the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation or the Russian Ministry of Finance, while a search is being conducted of relevant databases by regulatory agencies to find what individuals or companies this might apply to, and report them to the Attorney General.

It was announced without any fanfare, and without a senior figure in government addressing the issue directly.

We seem to have been slow to reach this point – and yet things started out with a quick response from The Bahamas after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Almost immediately, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell issued a statement saying: “The Bahamas has and maintains its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, including at this time Ukraine. We deplore the escalation of tensions and the attendant loss of life along the Ukrainian-Russian border. We support the statement of the Secretary General of the United Nations.

“We call on actors to seek a diplomatic solution to the current conflict that respects the rules-based system of international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“We encourage all relevant actors to turn their efforts toward an immediate cessation of hostilities, the preservation of human life, and the prevention of any action that may intensify an already dangerous situation; so that a peaceful and sustainable resolution can be achieved.”

Soon after, we were told that Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was to speak on the issue at a regional conference, though all we ever heard was that CARICOM had decided to “sit back and wait” on the UN Security Council resolution on sanctions.

There will be some who say “so what?” to The Bahamas raising its voice on the issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – what does our voice matter to issues so far away? But it was notable when the Security Council did cast a vote how the names of those countries who did not stand together against the invasion soon became talking points around the world.

And as we waited, the effects of the war started to reach The Bahamas too.

Basketball star Jonquel Jones felt the effects in person – leaving Russia where she spends her offseason with the UMMC Ekaterinburg Foxes basketball club. She tweeted afterwards: “Just landed in Turkey and all I want to do is cry. That situation was way more stressful than I realised.”

British High Commissioner Sarah Dickson wrote an open letter in which she said: “Our support and that of The Bahamas matters for the sake of Ukraine, a European sovereign nation and UN member, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity, which should be protected by the UN Charter, is being dismembered by a UN Security Council permanent member.”

Meanwhile, Mr Mitchell warned that the price of gasoline could soar as high as $8 a gallon as oil prices around the world started to rise. He again called for the “immediate cessation of hostilities and for the Russians to withdraw to their borders”.

But while Mr Mitchell’s words were welcome and appropriate, we seemed slow to act, until the decision came knocking on our door as Russian tankers that had been refused harbour elsewhere set course for Bahamian waters.

Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis was unable to confirm the reports of the tankers being en route to The Bahamas – even as one seemed to be in dock already.

That prompted FNM leader Michael Pintard to call for the government “to act more decisively in the interest of sovereignty, humanity and the maintenance of international laws and norms”.

He added: “The opposition calls upon the government of The Bahamas to elucidate its policy relative to Russia so that the Bahamian people and the international community might know where we stand.”

He was right to do so. There were already concerns about what would happen if a Russian plane tried to land and refuel in The Bahamas, or other Russian vessels. We have seen around the world a number of yachts owned by Russian oligarchs being seized. Our lack of decisiveness puts us behind the rest of the world in acting, and leaves air control or harbour staff without any clear guidance over our nation’s policy.

Then there is our financial sector – how many Russian businesses or investors have funds here in The Bahamas, and what is our policy with regard to such dealings? That at last has some guidance, but it is strange that it has taken so long, when we were so quick to speak out at the beginning.

Daily, we see in our newspapers and on our TV screens the horrors from the invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s justification was flimsy at best, a fabricated lie at worst, and they should be given no encouragement that their actions can be tolerated.

We play a part in that. Is it a small part? Perhaps. But when nation after nation stands shoulder to shoulder, it becomes a wall of opposition that cannot be denied.

This is not the only issue where we do not seem to have followed up our words with timely action – but it is one which has international reverberations rather than just within our own borders.

There remains uncertainty over what will happen if Russian vessels try to arrive in The Bahamas by sea or by air and whether they should be refuelled or turned away – and that’s a question that should still be resolved.

If we truly mean our opposition to the Russian invasion, let’s back it up by strong, implacable action. We should stand with our fellow nations and be determined in saying that we shall not offer any comfort to an invading nation.

Our voice means nothing if we fail to back it up.