Open Access Research Article
International Organizations and Settlement of the Conflict in Ukraine (By Dr. S. Krishnan)
Published Paper
Article Details
Putin
will continue to leverage conditions and enabling tactics to manipulate the key
drivers of conflict—regional instability, Russian regime stability, the West’s
response, and his own goals and objectives—to maintain Russian hegemony:
•
The
legacy of Moscow’s control over regional relations:
A driver of violent conflict following the breakup of the Soviet Union was the
newly independent countries’ inability to engage bilaterally to resolve
interstate and intrastate tensions that Moscow brokered previously. The Putin
regime today is seeking to retain or reassert its role as regional power broker
to maintain hegemony.
•
Monopolization
of the conflict narrative: Moscow has successfully
harnessed support for the war in Ukraine by turning the Maidan narrative on its
head, arguing that Ukraine’s political transition was a strategic move by the
West to make Russia more vulnerable. This revisionist account of current events
has allowed Russia to monopolize the conflict narrative throughout many
neighboring countries. Governments with an already authoritarian bent have
seized on that narrative to crack down on civil society, arguing that the West
is manipulating popular movements to destabilize the region.
·
Closing
of civil society space: The space for civil
society to operate and mature is rapidly closing in Russia and most neighboring
countries. This strategy affects conflict dynamics in the region by closing
societal outlets for dissent and government engagement. Without diverse social
perspectives on many of the region’s unresolved conflicts, autocratic regimes
control the conflict narratives, hardening societal opinion against their
resolution to deflect any focus on internal issues.
To
mitigate the risk and reality of violent conflict—the primary threat to the
region’s democratic consolidation—and to offer foreign assistance within the
limitations of new regulations on civil society activity in many countries of the
region, Western strategies should aim to degrade Russia’s ability to create the
conditions that foment regional conflict.
•
Create civil society space. Create
regional hubs in countries with vibrant civil societies, such as Georgia,
Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova, to provide within-region assistance,
counteract Russia’s attempts to direct regional relations, and challenge the
narrative that civil society is a Western imposition by demonstrating that it
is organic to the region.
Encourage
civic participation. Where the space is closing for civil society, first,
organize educational exchange programs in those spheres that are still open,
such as technical education (e.g., engineering, public administration,
environmental science) for young professionals; second, in these educational
programs, incorporate curricula on establishing and managing participatory
processes; and third, nurture concepts, methodologies, and habits of civic
engagement, which still remain at a minimum in many post-Soviet countries.
•
Diversify regional economies. Many
of Russia’s neighbors rely on remittances from citizens working in Russia. With
Russia’s economic downturn, migrants will be sent home, and many sectors in
neighboring countries that rely on strong trade relations with Russia will be
hit hard. It will be necessary to provide economic diversification programs to
vulnerable communities. At the same time, provide conflict resolution and
peacebuilding skills to manage dislocations. In the process, influence the
narrative about Western sanctions by minimizing their effects on Russia’s
neighbors and help stave off unrest that might result from economic stresses.
Article Information
International Organizations and Settlement of the Conflict in Ukraine (By Dr. S. Krishnan)
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- Journal IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Published 2022/04/23
About Journal
International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis
- Abbreviation IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Access Open Access
- License CC 4.0
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