The United Nations and the Ukraine War

Abstract

The role of the United Nations in conflict resolution of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been very limited, causing many people, both in Ukraine and beyond, to ask ‘where is the UN?’ It is no secret that the UN has not shown a broad willingness to prevent conflicts around the world. Practice has shown that the UN is more involved in post-conflict situations. UN achievements over the Ukraine war were tactical in nature, focusing on humanitarian aid and on the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Without drawing lessons from conflicts around the world in order to act quickly and efficiently, the conflict in Ukraine can last for years, but conflicts of a similar nature can also develop without the UN having a developed system for preventing them. The conflict in Ukraine is complex in itself because the initiator of that conflict is Russia, a member of the Security Council. This is exactly the kind of situation that requires greater commitment from the UN Secretary General, who would have to be a generator of various peace initiatives and conferences aimed at protecting sovereignty and stopping aggression.