The causes of armed conflict Flashcards
What are the three different raids?
Predatory raids for land and resources, pre-emptive raids for defence, and retaliatory raids for honour.
How does Russia justify the war in Ukraine?
Russia claims that the reason for its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine is due to NATO expansionism and the fear of encirclement. As NATO expands further to the North, Russia becomes surrounded by NATO states, which was originally established to counter Russia as a perceived enemy and fight communism. Thus, to prevent encirclement by NATO states, Russia claims to have invade Ukraine, which expressed interest in becoming a NATO member-state in 2002 and reaffirmed in 2022. This prevents Ukraine from being yet another NATO state sharing Russia’s border. Additionally, Ukraine expressed its interest in joining NATO by passing a constitutional amendment in 2018 stating this goal.
Another reason Russia uses to justify its actions in Ukraine it because it does not recognise Ukraine’s sovereignty. Russia believes that Ukraine belongs to Russia and has always wanted to be part of it. It does not recognise its independence, which was found after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia had also sponsored or supported presidents of Ukraine, which had the goal of re-joining and supporting Russia. This was the case until the Orange Revolution in 2004 where Ukraine elected its own independent president after a Supreme court ruling. Furthermore, this view was accentuated through the annexation of Crimea and the Donbas region in 2014, where referendums held in Crimea resulted in a 97% vote towards aligning with Russia. Thus, Russia’s disregard for Ukraine as an independent state, and thus refusing to recognise its sovereignty is how Russia justifies its actions in Ukraine
Why is it difficult to achieve effective resolutions to the Russia-Ukraine war (UNSC)?
(NATO Expansionism) (UN)
Because Russia is a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), binding resolutions upon states to cease fighting or to send peacekeeping troops into the region cannot occur. Because Russia has the power of the veto, as it is a permanent member, the UN’s use in resolving this global crisis is superfluous.
Because Russia has the power of the veto vote, its opposition to resolutions can prevent them from passing, and thus prohibiting the exercise of the UNSC’s power. This occurred in July 2015 in response to the annexation in Crimea, and again in both February and September 2022. To combat this, the UNGA held a meeting to condemn Russia’s actions in March 2022, where 141 members voted in favour of the condemnation.
Statistics - Russia veto
July 2015 in response to the annexation in Crimea, and again in both February and September 2022.
Statistics - How did UNGA condemn Russian agression?
March 2022, where 141 members voted in favour of the condemnation.
UN Charter article preventing use of force
Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prevents states from use of force ‘against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state’ - Russia’s actions towards Ukraine.
What article of the UN Charter does Russia use to justify its actions?
Article 51, which permits the use of force by a state in response to aggression. This was used in 2014 in Crimea, where Russia claimed it was protecting the rights of Russian-speaking people, and the ethnic security of Russian people in Ukraine
This was used again in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, acting in self-defence against perceived threats from NATO and NATO expansionism.
The UN does not accept Russia’s use of this article, as Russia has not been forcefully attacked previous to its actions in Ukraine (2014 and 2022). This rejection was displayed in March 2022, where 141 members voted in favour of the condemnation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
