The Russian-Ukrainian war, now in its sixth week, shows no signs of abating despite attempts by some countries to intercede and broker peace among themselves. This conflict proves once again that conventional wars are here to stay, even as the effects of war reverberate across the world in non-traditional areas. Some images remain engraved for posterity and speak a thousand words. Examining these images has become an art that continues to improve over the years.

The image of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking before the United Nations (UN) and the thunderous applause that followed remain in the memory of the world, evoking sympathy and admiration for a national leader who dared to stand up to a marauding army. Crises present challenges and opportunities and depending on how the ruler of the day handles them, history has a place for them in his annals as statesmen or as dictators.

The temptation to be remembered as heroic must never degenerate into narcissism or desperation to stay in power, the costs of which would be borne by unhappy citizens. The global community today stands at such an inflection point in history, with the debate geared towards vested interests, instead of the much-needed need for change that would bring peace, as we look to the future.

Having witnessed widespread death and destruction following the two world wars of the last century, the allies came together and agreed to create a new international post-war organization whose charter was discussed, debated and signed by fifty countries, including most sovereign countries. nations of the time, June 26, 1945 in San Francisco.

The preamble to the UN charter spoke of the need to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to reaffirm faith in the fundamental human rights of all peoples of nations large and small, to practice tolerance and to live together on good neighborly terms and collectively join forces to maintain international peace and security.

Armed force should only be used for the common good, and international mechanisms should be used to promote the economic and social prosperity of all peoples.

The UN Security Council, which has met several times since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on February 24, has not adopted any resolution binding on its member states to ensure peace and stability. . The nature and composition of its permanent members ensures that there would always be a lack of unanimity, and given the powers of veto, there is very little that can be done to ensure that the organization achieves its goals. declared.

UN Security Council Resolution 2623, given the lack of unanimity among its permanent members, invoked the provision to convene an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on March 2, demanding that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders “.

A total of 141 countries voted in favor of the resolution, five against and 35 abstained. At its 11th emergency special session on March 24, 193 member states adopted a resolution drafted by Ukraine and 90 co-sponsors, entitled Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine with 140 votes in favor, five against and 38 abstentions. .

The resolution called for recognition of the humanitarian consequences on a scale not seen in Europe since the end of the world wars, demanding full respect and protection for all people and facilities engaged in providing medical assistance and relief to those affected by the conflict. . It has been more than five weeks since the conflict began, and multiple sessions of the UN Security Council, emergency sessions of the UN General Assembly and sanctions by Western nations have failed to end the suffering of displaced persons.

More than 12 million people have been displaced, including four million who have fled Ukraine, leaving their homes and livelihoods, thousands of lives lost and an equally large number of people injured, because the organization that was designed to prevent conflict and ensure peacekeeping. this parody of justice and adopts resolutions that smack of empty rhetoric.

Attempts by Turkey and Israel to facilitate dialogue and broker peace between Russia and Ukraine underscore the need for regional cooperation that goes beyond the mandate of the United Nations.

The dismal failure of global institutions to impose themselves calls for dialogue among nations that have the political and economic capital to ensure a rules-based order that would be enforceable at least regionally, if not globally. Geopolitical and geoeconomic engagements in the current global order, especially after the Covid pandemic call for increased impetus for regional blocs to come together to secure shared peace and prosperity in their respective groupings and alliances.

The sanctions that have been imposed on Russia, in the short term, could lead to economic hardship for Russia and its allies or countries that continue to depend on Russian imports of energy, gas and weapons.

The future trajectory of these events could also lead to new alignments between nation states that could further exacerbate global peace and security. Mutual distrust, acrimony and vested interests ensure that the status quo prevails while people suffer.

Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and now Ukraine have all reached this state only because the global institutions created to ensure peace and stability have refused to change with the times. Before going further down this path which inevitably leads to more death and destruction, world leaders must seize the opportunity offered to them to bring about peace. For it is only statesmen who relentlessly focus on the relief of suffering who will see their names written in letters of gold in the annals of history.

Anil Golani is Additional Managing Director, Center for Air Power Studies

Opinions expressed are personal