Peace, Justice, Diplomacy, and the Russo-Ukrainian War: Implication for Sustainable Development

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia constitutes one of the biggest threats to global peace, justice, and diplomacy efforts since the end of the Cold War. One of the key reasons for the conflict is that Russia considers its peace at stake and is, therefore, protecting its border with Ukraine. The war has, however, destroyed lives in the two warring countries. It has also distorted and disrupted livelihoods globally by igniting global inflation, food price hikes, and financial market and supply chain disruptions. The conflict is, thus, a major human security issue which undermines prospects for global sustainable development. It is on this framework this chapter interrogates the Russo-Ukrainian War and its implications on humanity. Using secondary literature, this chapter explores the implications of the Russo-Ukrainian War for global peace, justice, and diplomacy. This chapter shows that the war has disrupted peace and denied justice to many people, both in Russia and Ukraine. It has resulted in the deaths of many people, both civilians and soldiers. This chapter concludes that the war is, therefore, a human security issue which has undermined prospects for the achievement of global sustainable development. The war has exposed loopholes in diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts. This chapter recommends that political leaders put in the effort to discourage the Ukraine-Russia war and learn to use negotiation as a conflict resolution tool. Political leaders must engage civil society and the international community in deliberations on the negative effects of war and the negative realities of war to either country now or in future. Future studies should focus on how economic sanctions against a warring country can be monitored so as not to have spillover effects on other countries that are not part of the war.