The world is subjected to change by many factors, war being one of the agents of change. The Ukrainian-Russian war has become a public issue globally that has split the world into two, with countries that are allied to the USA and Russia having conflicting opinions regarding the war. This has sparked controversial debate about the war, thereby affecting global geopolitical stability. This instability has affected global economic activities and social activities. These issues pose a great risk to world peace and development since it has negatively impacted country-to-country cooperation and partnerships, making them deviate from the same vision and goal: enhancing peace and development. The severity of war is intense that it affects people’s livelihoods and destroys property, infrastructure, world peace, and the economy. The global economy’s recovery from the effects of Covid-19 was given a major blow with the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The war has led to catastrophic human suffering for both the Ukrainian and the Russian people. War has social consequences that negatively impact the development of a society. This paper aims to identify the geopolitical effects of the war, its impact on global peace, the economy, and food security, and its social consequences.
The war has given a blow to the global effort for promoting peace and stability. With the invasion of Ukraine by Russia through the initiation of a special operation by the Russian president Ukraine the world led to an escalation of the war in Eastern Europe. NATO members led by the United States support Ukraine, a move that can be termed an act of war against Russia by its leaders. This move by the NATO allied members led by the United States has destabilized global geopolitical stability that can lead to an outbreak of a major global war. The war has given a blow to Europe’s geopolitical and peace stability, making it hard to find a viable mechanism to solve the war through bilateral talks. The core principles that have facilitated global peace since the elapse of World War II have been threatened by this conflict. The un charter has enshrined the security order and international peace, and the conflict is breaking these codes that have managed to maintain global peace for a long time. Russia has violated the territorial integrity of Ukraine, while at the same time, Ukrainian political independence has been greatly affected by countries with a vested interest in the war. Global powers led by NATO members’ interests have led to a wide range of geopolitical instability that is affecting Europe and the world. The Ukrainian War has become the center of global civilization and cultural conflicts directed by specific ideological differences. This has turned Ukraine to be the center of a conflict that the United States and its allies lead in their quest to establish liberal democracy in Eastern Europe while utilizing countries like Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova with the aim of weakening the influence of Russia in Eurasia (Al-Hasnawi 177). This move threatens Russian geopolitical interest in the region, and they have to devise a strategy of maintaining their interest in the region through any means necessary, war being one of them. The different motives revolving around the war and global powers’ interests have decreased the possibility of a diplomatic solution that would help end the Russian- Ukrainian war. On the other hand, NATO and Russia’s quest for global domination has diminished any chance of seeking political solutions leading to the initiation of different tactics that will make each party achieve their political and ideological goals, thereby prolonging the war.
Global peace has been negatively affected by the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, increasing the possibility of an outbreak of global war. The West has accused the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, of wanting to revive the Soviet Union, alleging that he will go after Eastern Europe countries (Al-Hasnawi 180). On the other hand, the Russian president alleged that Western powers deceived his country by expanding NATO membership near Russian borders (Al-Hasnawi 180). The election of Zelensky drifted the relationship between Russia and Ukraine since he prioritized making Ukraine a member of NATO, a move Russia is against. Members of NATO are currently supporting Ukraine through the provision of military aid, a move that Russia terms as an act of war against them. Russia views the Ukrainian leadership as nazis, and the supply of weapons and other military aid to Ukraine by NATO members is further escalating nth war and further leading to the possibility of a global war outbreak. This makes Russia feel threatened and insecure by this move, increasing the possibility of the utilization of nuclear weapons in this war and putting the global race at risk. In addition, the move by the international court of Justice to label President Putin as a war criminal has sparked controversial attitudes toward its motive to promote world peace. People in the USA, Europe, and the rest of the world had termed this move as an act of hypocrisy since the court did not intervene when the United States and its NATO allies invaded Iraq and Libya, overthrowing their governments in a move that destabilized the middle east and Libya through civil wars outbreaks and formulation of terrorist groups. The war increases global tension between global powers, a move that can threaten global peace if not solved through diplomatic and political engagement between these states.
The destabilization of global peace and geopolitical stability has affected the world’s economic well-being and threatened food security due to the global supply chain disruption. We have witnessed an increase in the rate of inflation that has increased the rate of global food insecurity, caused financial disorder, and brought energy crisis (Pereira et al. 277). The war can lead to an economic recession globally, affecting socioeconomic activities and development, which will lead to an increase in poverty level and a high unemployment rate. The outbreak of the war is a stumbling block towards the attainment of sustainable development goals since it has negatively altered the global economy, affectingng people around the globe either indirectly or directly. The disruption of the global economy has led to an increase in the standards of living as it has affected development agendas. The uncertainty of the war has made investors shy away from investing since the outcome of the war cannot be predictable. Destruction of infrastructure in cities like Chernihiv and Mariupol outlines the war effect on sanitation infrastructure, electricity, and transport, disrupting the social life of individuals living in these areas (Pereira t al 278). In addition, the war has destroyed industrial infrastructure, making individuals lose their jobs. This event has led to the migration of [people from these regions since their social life has been altered negatively by the war. It has led to an influx of refugees who have moved from Ukraine to other parts of the world to seek refuge. The migration of these individuals into European countries will create social instability, thereby decreasing the rate of economic development, which will lead to a high standard of living amongst both the Ukrainians and citizens of European countries (Stukalo et al. 13). This will increase the rate of crime in Europe and lead to the formulation of gang-affiliated groups which can destabilize peace in Europe and America.
The alteration of the global supply chain by the war has decreased the supply of fertilizers and grains, thereby leading to global food insecurity. Countries that rely on Russia and Ukraine for agricultural products are forced to look for other alternatives, and this will continue due to the uncertainties associated with the war. The ripple effect of the war has spread globally, increasing the price of food, commodities, and energy. The increase in energy and fertilizer prices has increased the cost of producing agricultural products, therefore crippling farming in third-world countries. The Ukrainian- Russian war has escalated tension revolving around agricultural products in the global market, making them to be expensive, affecting countries in Africa and the Middle East (Glauben et al. 157). Russian ability to export fertilizers and what globally has been affected by the war, jeopardizing the food security of countries that rely on her for these products. Besides, Ukraine supplies thirty percent of wheat globally, and the war has affected the country’s ability to export this product to the global market. In conjunction with an increased rate of inflation globally, third-world countries will be faced with an importation crisis of food and agricultural products, leading to economic recession in their countries since they depend on agriculture as the backbone of their economy.
Works Cited
Al-Hasnawi, Ahmed Hassan Majhool. “The Russian-Ukrainian war and its implications for international security: a geopolitical vision.” Texas Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies 9 (2022): 177-192.
Pereira, Paulo, et al. “The Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict impact will push back the sustainable development goals.” Geography and Sustainability (2022).
Stukalo, Nataliia, and Anastasiia Simakhova. “Social and economic effects of the war conflict in Ukraine for Europe.” Geopolitics under Globalization 2.1 (2018): 11.
Glauben, Thomas, et al. “The war in Ukraine, agricultural trade and risks to global food security.” Intereconomics 57.3 (2022): 157-163.
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