Diplomacy as a Tool for Conlict Resolution in Inter-States Relations: Lessons from Russias War on Ukraine

Abstract

Osaretin Idahosa

The ongoing Russia’s war on Ukraine has created a necessary condition for a call for diplomatic resolution to the conflict. This is particularly so because of the far-reaching implication of the war on global security. This paper adopts a qualitative approach to examine the issues generated by the conflict between the two aforementioned states. In doing so, both extant and current literatures were relied upon to generate the required data for analysis. The study discovered that Russia’s aggression on Ukraine is based on her strategic national interest in the region (to optimize and consolidate her sphere of political and economic influence, an interest that is also the desire of the West). Furthermore, the Russian war on Ukraine ranges as a result of the conflicting strategic interests and power politics among the major powers of the world. The work concludes that Russia’s war on Ukraine constitutes an aberration and contravenes the UN Charter on sovereignty and self-determination. Also, that Russia, by its demands, is desirous to reclaim the territories of the defunct USSR. In sum, the paper recommends that, in order to end the present hostilities, a diplomatic solution that is driven by the collective interests of not only Russia and Ukraine, but also that of the international community is urgently needed.

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