The conflict in Ukraine and its global implications

ABSTRACT

Russia’s intervention in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has been subject of serious concern for the international community. Specifically, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which was previously regional, has evolved into a global dispute, drawing in all major powers and their alliance systems. Above all, this conflict became a test for global economic and security architecture and challenges the decades-long dominance of the transatlantic alliance system and its "rules-based international order." To address this special issue’s topic and contributions, we discuss how the 2022 intervention constitutes a test of resolve for Russia as the intervener and the West as the supporter of Kyiv. Then, we frame the debate regarding the causes of the kinetic intervention. Finally, we examine the varying international reactions to Russia’s invasion as an indicator of a changing international order.

RÉSUMÉ

L'intervention de la Russie en Ukraine le 24 février 2022 a suscité de vives inquiétudes au sein de la communauté internationale. Plus précisément, le conflit entre la Russie et l'Ukraine, qui était auparavant régional, s'est transformé en un conflit mondial, impliquant toutes les grandes puissances et leurs systèmes d'alliances. Avant tout, ce conflit est devenu un test pour l'architecture économique et sécuritaire mondiale et remet en question la dominance, pendant plusieurs décennies, du système d'alliance transatlantique et de son « ordre international fondé sur des règles ». Pour traiter du thème et des contributions de ce numéro spécial, nous examinons comment l'intervention de 2022 constitue un test de détermination pour la Russie en tant qu'intervenant et pour l'Occident en tant que partisan de Kiev. Ensuite, nous encadrons le débat sur les causes de l'intervention cinétique. Enfin, nous examinons les diverses réactions internationales à l'invasion par la Russie en tant qu'indicateur d'un ordre international en mutation.

KEYWORDS:

• Armed intervention
• Geopolitics
• Ethnic conflict
• Ukraine
• Russia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 On comparative analysis of donors’ security assistance, see Mills (2023, august 14).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dani Belo

Dr. Dani Belo is a teacher and scholar of international relations specializing in conflict management and security. He is currently an Assistant Professor of International Relations, Director of the Global Policy Horizons Research Lab and a Fellow at the Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies at Webster University in St. Louis, USA. Dr. Belo is also a Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa, Canada. His research focuses on gray-zone and hybrid conflicts, transatlantic security, grand strategy, NATO–Russia relations, ethnic conflicts, and the post-Soviet region.

Federmán Rodríguez

Dr. Federmán Rodríguez is an assistant professor and bachelor coordinator of the International Relations program in the Faculty of International, Political, and Urban Studies at the Universidad del Rosario in Colombia. He has a Ph.D. in political science from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His teaching and supervision at Rosario focus on comparative politics and international politics, while his research is focused on American and Canadian foreign and security policies, international security and International Relations Theories. His most recent publication is the book American and Canadian Counterinsurgency Strategies in Afghanistan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023).