Conflict In Ukraine Research Articles

Renewable energy made in India: navigating geopolitics in achieving sustainability

ABSTRACT The energy sector is the source of around three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions according to IEA, and the focus of SDG 7- Affordable and Clean Energy. Centred around this is this conceptual paper with the objective of first understanding the developments related to the renewable energy (RE) sector, with special reference to India especially in the context of the current geopolitical factors. Next, the paper also aims to analyse the implications of these developments for India and the world. The geopolitical conflicts in Ukraine have led to a setback in the global RE goals as compared to the targets especially in India. As the third largest energy consumer which is dependent on energy imports, India has been trying to meet its energy needs of the present while investing heavily in RE for a sustainable and energy secure future. Consequently, India is emerging as one of the top five RE players contributing majorly to global sustainability and energy security for its future while skilfully managing the current geopolitical crisis and the ensuing challenges.

Gaining a better understanding of online polarization by approaching it as a dynamic process.

Polarization is often a cliché, its conceptualization remains approximate and no consensus has been reached so far. Often simply seen as an inevitable result of the use of social networks, polarization cannot be viewed solely from an ideological or affective perspective. We propose to better understand the issue polarization by approaching it as a sequential process, drawing on a dual expertise in political and data sciences. We compare the polarization process between one mature debate (COVID-19 vaccine) and one emerging debate (Ukraine conflict) at the time of data collection. Both debates are studied on Twitter users, a highly politicized population, and on the French population to provide key elements beyond the traditional US context. This unprecedented analysis confirms that polarization varies over time, through a succession of specific periods, whose existence and duration depend on the maturity of the debate. Importantly, we highlight that polarization is paced by context-related events. Bearing this in mind, we pave the way for a new generation of personalized depolarization strategies, adapted to the context and maturity of debates.

Dynamic volatility among fossil energy, clean energy and major assets: evidence from the novel DCC-GARCH

The objective of this paper is to assess the dynamic volatility connectedness between fossil energy, clean energy, and major assets i.e., Bonds, Bitcoin, Dollar index, Gold, and Standard and Poor's 500 from September 17, 2014 to October 11, 2022. The main motivation of the study relates to examining the dynamic volatility connectedness mentioned during periods of important events such as the recent coronavirus pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine conflict which has shown the vulnerability of economic and financial assets, energy commodities, and clean energy. The novel Dynamic Conditional Correlation-Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (DCC-GARCH) approach is employed for the investigation of the sample period mentioned. Empirical analysis reveals that both the total and net volatility connectedness between assets is time-varying. The highest connectedness among the assets is observed with the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and it increases with some important international events, such as the Russia–Ukraine conflict, the referendum of Brexit, China–US trade war, and Brexit day. On average, the result shows that 32.8% of the volatility in one asset spills over to all other assets. The DCC-GARCH results also indicate that crude oil, bonds, and Bitcoin act as almost pure volatility transmitters, whereas the Dollar index, gold, and S&P500 act as volatility receivers. On the other hand, clean energy is found neutral to external shocks until the first quarter of 2020 and after that time, it starts to behave as a volatility transmitter. Based on the obtained results, we offer some specific policy implications that are beneficial to the US economy and other countries.Graphical Dynamic volatility connectedness between fossil energy, clean energy, and major assets (Bonds, Bitcoin, Dollar index, Gold, and Standard and Poor's 500)

An Integrated and Multi-Stakeholder Approach for Sustainable Phosphorus Management in Agriculture

Conventional agriculture relies on non-renewable rock phosphate as a source of phosphorus. The demand for food has led to increased phosphorus inputs, with a negative impact on freshwater biodiversity and food security. The importation of phosphorus fertilizers makes most food systems vulnerable to phosphorus supply risks. The geopolitical instability generated by the pandemic and the current Russia–Ukraine conflict, which has led to a 400% increase in phosphorus commodity prices, offers the international community and institutions an opportunity to embrace the global phosphorus challenge and move towards a more circular system. Here, we discuss an integrated and multi-stakeholder approach to improve phosphorus management in agriculture and increase the efficiency of the whole chain, highlighting the contribution of conventional breeding and genetic engineering, with a particular focus on low-phytic-acid (lpa) crops, whose grains may help in reducing phosphorus-management-related problems. In recent decades, the choice of short-term strategies—such as the use of phytase as a feed additive—rather than lpa mutants, has been carried out without considering the long-term money saving to be derived from lpa crops. Overall, lpa crops have the potential to increase the nutritional quality of foods and feeds, but more research is needed to optimize their performance.

Impact of the Russia–Ukraine Conflict on Global Marine Network Based on Massive Vessel Trajectories

Maritime transportation plays a vital role in global trade, and studying the resilience of the global maritime network is crucial for ensuring its sustainable development. Currently, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has garnered significant global attention. However, there is a lack of specific research on the impact of the conflict on maritime shipping, particularly the resilience of the global maritime network. This paper proposes a resilience assessment framework under the influence of significant events by combining complex network metrics and network performance indicators from the resilience triangle model. It quantitatively evaluates the resilience changes in the global maritime network before and after the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The experiment utilizes real automatic identification system (AIS) maritime trajectory data to quantify and visualize the changes in global maritime traffic during a 20-day period before and after the conflict, constructing the global maritime network for resilience calculations. The research findings indicate the following changes occurred after the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Firstly, the global maritime industry experienced overall growth, with increased ship transportation between ports. Transportation in certain regions was negatively affected, with a significant decrease in ship activities in the Black Sea and Adriatic Sea areas. The positions of Russia and Ukraine in the world maritime industry noticeably declined. Secondly, the network connectivity, network size, and network density of the global maritime network significantly increased, indicating an enhanced network resilience. According to our quantitative results, from a topological perspective, we observed the following changes: network connectivity increased by 27.2%, network scale increased by 36.6%, network density increased by 32.4%, and network resilience increased by 18.6%. Thirdly, the global maritime network is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity, and the impact of conflicts on the heterogeneity of the shipping network is not significant. Finally, the network exhibited a slower performance decline under random attacks, while deliberate attacks led to a sharp decline. Due to the adaptive nature of the maritime network, the resilience of the network improves in terms of its topology following the outbreak of conflicts. After conflict incidents, the rate of performance decline during simulated attacks is lower compared to the pre-conflict period.

Peace as a hypothetical imperative: Brazil's foreign policy standpoint on the war in Ukraine

AbstractThe text traces Brazil's pacifist stance back to the early 20th century, rooted in a pragmatic approach to conserve resources and foster economic growth. It discusses the role of public opinion in shaping Brazil's response to the conflict, highlighting a pro‐neutrality tendency within the populace. The article also analyses the continuity of Brazil's stance under two different presidents, emphasising that despite a change in leadership, there has been no structural shift in foreign policy concerning this matter. We then reflect on Brazil's evolving role on the global stage, considering its historical alignment with the West and the changing dynamics driven by factors such as China's rising influence and the BRICS grouping. The continuing conflict in Ukraine is portrayed as an illustrative case, providing insights on the prospective foreign policy conduct of Global South actors.

Conflict in Ukraine and the unsettling ripples: implications on food systems and development in North Africa

AbstractThe ongoing conflict in Ukraine has profoundly impacted food systems in North Africa. This paper aims to analyze the impact of the conflict on food security in North Africa and the potential long-term consequences for the global food system. The research explores both scholarly and grey literature, including government reports, academic articles, and news articles. The findings indicate that food systems in North Africa have been particularly affected by the conflict in Ukraine, owing to its influence on the global economy, trade dynamics, and food prices. The consequent high fertilizer prices have also affected local food production, decreasing yields and increasing food prices. However, those countries with substantial financial resources (cf. Algeria) will likely be able to mitigate the adverse effects on their citizens. In contrast, countries with limited resources (cf. Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia) or failed states (cf. Libya) may struggle to ensure the food security of their populations. The findings highlight the importance of considering these impacts when addressing global food security challenges. The food security situation in North Africa serves as a reminder of the interconnectivity of global food systems and the need for continued efforts to ensure food security for all.

Emergency medicine residents in the war zone: organizing humanitarian expeditions to train healthcare personnel during the conflict in Ukraine

Dear Editor, When faced with a crisis, particularly when it involves humanitarian aid, emergency medicine (EM) practitioners push themselves to question, “How can we help?” and “To the best of our knowledge and skills, what can we truly do?”. The mindset of EM personnel is presumably one of "How can I help in these situations?" and, more crucially, "How can I help the most effectively?". To answer these questions, we present our experience in Ukraine. [...]

Validation of the Ukrainian caregiver-report version of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) in children and adolescents in Ukraine.

Emerging research indicates that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to an increased prevalence of war-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. The current study sought to test the psychometric properties of a Ukrainian-translated measure of PTSD for children and adolescents; the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS; Sachser et al., 2017). Participants were an opportunistic sample of N = 2,004 parents living in Ukraine who provided data on themselves and one target child in their household as part of The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study. The latent structure of the parent-reported CATS was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, composite reliability estimates were estimated, and criterion validity was assessed. The latent structure of the parent-reported CATS was best reflected by a three-factor model and a four-factor model in the preschool and child and adolescent samples, respectively. Estimates of internal reliability were high for both samples. Criterion validity was supported through associations with external measures of internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems. Parent-report child milestone development delays and prior psychological or pharmacological support were associated with higher average scores on the CATS symptom scales. The prevalence of probable PTSD for the preschool sample was 15.4% (n = 77) and the prevalence of probable PTSD for the child and adolescent sample was 14.4% (n = 217). This study supports the psychometric properties of the Ukrainian parent-reported CATS which can be used routinely in clinical practice for the caregiver-rated assessment of PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Mining themes, emotions, and stance in the news coverage of the Russia–Ukraine War from Reuters and Xinhua

Abstract The Russia–Ukraine War has emerged as a highly contentious global issue since 2022. While China and the UK are not directly involved in the conflict, considerable attention has been drawn to their positions and perspectives on this event. In such context, conducting a comparative study on how the British and Chinese mainstream media cover the Russia–Ukraine conflict can provide valuable insights into the influence of ideological differences on news framing and shed light on the respective stances of these two news agencies. Employing an interdisciplinary methodology, this study integrates corpus tools, critical discourse analysis, text mining, and emotion computation to systematically analyze news reports covering the Russia–Ukraine War from Reuters and Xinhua between 2022 and 2023. Results show different patterns in the news reports from the two investigated news agencies, including the monthly publication of news articles, the occurrence of prominent entities, and the thematic emphasis. Additionally, significant variations are identified in specific dimensions of emotion and emotional intensity, indicating the divergent stances of the two news agencies on a range of significant issues.

A new grey adaptive integrated model for forecasting renewable electricity production

Fossil fuel consumption is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Russia–Ukraine conflict has led to energy price volatility. Therefore, affordable energy poses a significant threat. The development of renewable energy to meet consumption demands has attracted researchers’ attention in worldwide. In this study, a novel grey adaptive integrated model is proposed to balance the fitting and generalization abilities for renewable energy generation trends. First, feature selection was performed using the mutual information filter method for influencing factors and the wrapper method. Second, FGM(1,1) was used to mine the data features, and AGMC(1,n) was used to extract multivariate time-series relationships. Finally, an adaptive integrated model with a Gaussian kernel function was proposed in order to assign weights. It balances the results of the two forecasting models to avoid the underfitting/overfitting problem generated by excessive data volatility and the abrupt shift of the influencing factors. The study results have shown that the proposed integrated model solved the underfitting and overfitting problems to a certain degree. Its performance is better than single model. We analyze the forecasting results and propose corresponding suggestions for the government and enterprises separately.

Higher education actors’ responses to the Ukraine-Russia conflict: an analysis of geopolitical spatial imaginaries

ABSTRACT The Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 24th February 2022, was met with widespread condemnation across Europe, with many universities and higher education-focussed national and regional organisations issuing their own public statements about the invasion and subsequent conflict and, in some cases, taking specific action in relation to one or both of the countries. This article draws on an analysis of 55 such statements to examine what they reveal about how higher education organisations conceptualise the European higher education space, and the position of Russia and Ukraine within it. Specifically, the article considers what spatial imaginaries – pertaining to higher education – are evident in the statements about the Ukraine conflict issued by higher education organisations across Europe, and the extent to which the statements provide evidence about the role of these organisations as normative policy actors.

Forces of energy welfare in Central Europe: The Russian war in Ukraine as a game changer

The Russian war in Ukraine has changed global geopolitical priorities and the policies of individual countries. The consequences of this ongoing war will be felt for decades to come, including the militarisation of states and the strengthening of political-military alliances. This article explores the effects of this conflict through the lens of energy welfare, which is used as an essential litmus test for the transforming economies of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries in Central Europe. Energy security and the energy transition have become critical topics, and energy security and its impact on social welfare affect the sensitive areas of policy choices that will determine the direction of development in this part of Europe. The V4 countries – Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary – illustrate a wide range of domestic and geopolitical orientations that place individual countries in different decision-making situations. The ideological and political forces determine the scope for achieving energy welfare and are, therefore, the subject of this article. Based on macroeconomic and survey data results, the article’s primary research query examines how the V4 countries’ reliance on Russian fossil fuels affects their political attitudes and societal perceptions of the conflict in Ukraine, and the implications for their energy security and welfare in the face of the European Green Deal efforts. The different strategies adopted by the four countries considered translate into energy transition pathways to a low carbon economy described in the European Green Deal and strategies to provide energy at a reasonable price at the expense of a coherent European policy towards Russian aggression.

Environmental Sustainability under the Impact of the Current Crises

The state of the environment is getting worse worsening, despite the efforts of international community and individual states aimed at its improvement and achieving environmental sustainability. Moreover, the current crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and the armed conflict in Ukraine – have many negative effects on these efforts. The main aim of this paper is to analyse the most significant impacts of these crises on achieving environmental sustainability. We assume that they have strongly negatively affected the progress towards this goal, which we see as very dangerous given the urgency of the environmental crisis and the severity of its consequences. The paper is divided into three parts. In the first part, we outline the importance of environmental sustainability, focusing on the profiling of environmental pillar of sustainable development. The second part focuses on the analysis and mapping of the most significant environmental impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and the armed conflict in Ukraine on the very achievement of environmental sustainability. In this part, we demonstrate that both crises have strongly negatively influenced it and set the global community back in these efforts. In the third part, the findings as well as several possible future strategies are discussed.

Conventional and occasional euphemisms in German economic journalism

This article examines the use of euphemisms in German journalistic texts on economic topics. Euphemisms include lexemes and expressions that soften the names of discordant designations of concepts. The consequences of the 2019-2020 pandemic and the Ukrainian conflict had a definite impact on the German economy and the standard of living of the German population. The rapid rise in prices and the energy crisis that has arisen in the country have led to financial problems reflected in the stratification of society into rich and poor, an increase in the number of protests due to unfavorable working conditions and even to forced closure of enterprises. Such economic difficulties are actively discussed in the German press. In order to switch the reader’s attention and smooth out the designation of acute problems, journalists use euphemized words and expressions in their articles. In a particular historical period, depending on political, economic or social changes, certain spheres of public life were subjected to productive euphemization. In this regard, it seems important to trace this process in diachrony, focusing on the economic problems of Germany in 2021-2023. The aim of the study is to identify euphemistically colored lexemes and expressions in German journalistic texts, as well as to identify groups of euphemisms and the reasons for their use. The research material included articles from the economic section of German electronic publications such as “Der Spiegel”, “Die Zeit”, “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, “Die Tageszeitung”, “Berliner Zeitung”, etc. The study revealed that such economic problems as poverty and wealth, mass protests, rising food and electricity prices, methods of limiting them, and the consequences of the energy crisis are being euphemized. The analysis made it possible to identify both conventional and occasional euphemisms, although it was found that the lexemes and expressions of the second group are noticeably prevalent in German journalism.

Long‐run impacts of the conflict in Ukraine on grain imports and prices in Africa

AbstractRussia's invasion of Ukraine has threatened global grain supplies as it reduces production and exports while increasing trade costs. While the overall share of Africa's trade with Ukraine and Russia is small, the concentration of imports in products such as wheat, other grains, and fertilizer is critical to food security. This paper investigates the long‐term impacts of the conflict on grain imports and prices in Africa. We use a long‐run general equilibrium trade model to study three scenarios that may evolve as a consequence of the conflict: (1) a heavily reduced Ukrainian production of wheat and other grains; (2) rising trade costs with Ukraine and Russia due to disrupted trade routes in the Black Sea and the sanctions against trading with Russia; and (3) an outright ban on Russian grain export. The model simulations show that the conflict severely affects grain imports, raising local prices for wheat and other grains, with especially strong effects in high import‐dependent countries. That creates risks for food security in some African countries.

La CELAC y su interacción con diferentes actores globales para promover el multilateralismo

This research examines the relationship of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) with other global actors. Specifically, it focuses on CELAC's interactions with key actors such as the European Union, and analyzes the impact of these relationships on geopolitics and international dynamics. This article aims to shed light on the nature and significance of the interaction between the EU and CELAC, exploring the underlying motivations, objectives and out-comes, also taking into account the global context and the formation of allies around the conflict in Ukraine. The study of these relations will provide a more complete vision of CELAC's participation in the global arena, providing valuable information for political decision-making and the construction of regional strategies for the benefit of the countries that make up the community.

How Is the Fear of War Impacting Italian Young Adults’ Mental Health? The Mediating Role of Future Anxiety and Intolerance of Uncertainty

The Russian–Ukrainian conflict is affecting mental health even in communities that are not directly involved in the war; added to this is the escalating conflict in the Middle East and its dangerous spread, which brings the war back to the center of the contemporary social and economic horizon. The present study aims to explore the psychological impact of war in a sample of 310 Italian young adults (18–30 years; M = 22.0; SD = 2.6) while exploring the relationship between Fear of War and psychological distress and evaluating the mediating effects of Future Anxiety and Intolerance of Uncertainty in this relation. Findings highlighted how Fear of War positively and significantly affects Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, and, at the same time, how it fuels both Future Anxiety and Intolerance of Uncertainty. These constructs, in addition to positively affecting the mental health outcomes considered, mediate the relationship between Fear of War and youth psychological distress with a significant indirect effect observed in all three mediation models performed. Finally, significantly higher levels of psychological distress, Fear of War, and Future Anxiety are reported in women than in men. The findings are discussed with reference to the recent literature on the psychological impact of war and on contemporary youth psychological distress, indicating the importance of educational policies and targeted interventions aimed at supporting this target in coping with multiple contemporary collective stressors.

IMPACT OF THE WAR IN THE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE 2014-2024 PERIOD ON THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STATE OF STUDENTS

The military conflict in Ukraine became a serious test for our country and its population, marking the beginning in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the events in the east of Ukraine. Donetsk and Luhansk became centers of armed conflicts with illegal armed formations.
 In 2022, the situation only worsened, when the aggressor country launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, deepening the humanitarian crisis and increasing the scale of the disaster.
 The duration of this military conflict is already almost 10 years, during this period it led to significant human losses, covering both the civilian population and military personnel. Many people were forced to leave their homes and become internally displaced persons of their own country.
 War not only has material losses and physical consequences, but also seriously affects the mental health of a nation. After two years of martial law, the deterioration of the mental state of the entire population is noticeable. War events cause stress reactions and trauma that persist long after hostilities have ceased.
 Everything said earlier indicates that it is necessary not only to restore destroyed houses and infrastructure, but what is especially important is to develop a methodology and create a system of psychological and psychiatric support for people who suffered from the military conflict. The need for rehabilitation programs and counseling becomes an important step in ensuring further recovery and strengthening of the nation's mental health [3].

Preservation of Cultural Sites and Artifacts During Wartimes

ABSTRACT This article is an overview of some of the foreign policies implemented regarding cultural heritage protection during wartimes, with specific focus on the Gulf Wars in Iraq and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This article follows historical examples prior and post-World War II, noting pertinent international laws such as the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The author also highlights current technological advances that are being implemented to help survey and better understand the destruction of cultural sites. This article argues for an increased focus on cultural heritage protection and preemptive measures that should be put in place by cultural institutions to protect their heritage. Information professionals are stewards of cultural heritage and part of their mission should be disaster-preparedness to best preserve artifacts and heritage sites.