refrained from a peaceful settlcmcnt of the dispute with Argentina on sovereignty over the Malvinirs (Falkland) Islands and continued with all its encrBY to hold on to their colonial status. This is the l’ol’t c;msc of the armed conflict which has arisen in the South Atlantic. -- Y’ 96. On 3 April the Council adopted resolution SO2 (1982). The Soviet Union saw substantial drawbacks in that resolution, which lay mainly in the fact that there were no important anti-colonialist aspects in it, aspects which cannot fail to be borne in mind in a final and just settlement of this conflict. Neverthe- less, the resolution was adopted by the Council. inas- much as many of the members felt that it might heIp to bring about a settlement of the conflict. The reso- lution was also accepted by Argentina. 97. As the Secretary-General stated yesterday in the Council [236&h 177~~ti~g], at the first stage some progress was achieved in bringing the positions of the parties closer together. However, at a subsequent stage the Government of the United Kingdom clearly stiffened its position, resorted to the language of ultimatums and virtually broke off negotiations, openly resorting to the use of armed force in order to restore the colonial status of the islands. These activ- ities cast doubt on the sincerity of the statements made by the British Government to the effect that it was prepared to comply with the provisions of resolu- tion 502 (1982). 98. The question then legitimately arises: did these statements, as weII as the very participation of the British Government in talks aimed at achieving a peace- ful settlement, not serve simply as a diplomatic covei for military preparations and for an expansion of the scope of military operations? 99. As a result of the current large-scale invasion 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing a political conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. The language used is formal and diplomatic, suggesting that it is an official document or report. The focus is on the political maneuvering and military actions taken by the parties involved, rather than on economic or social issues.

**Category**
International relations, Humanitarian aid and relief