Due to the fundamentally opposed positions that Russia and Ukraine are in, the chances of peace in the foreseeable future seem dim.
But, one third party is being looked at as a potential peacemaker. China, whose leader, Xi Jinping, recently called his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has better relations with Russia than most of the rest of the world.
The Russo-Ukraine War
Yet President Xi Jinping didn’t waste any time in lowering hopes. Since the end of World War II, the Russo-Ukrainian War has seen some of the bloodiest and most widespread conflicts on the European continent.
Even China, which has aided in the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, faces a challenging task in bringing the two sides together.
What might a deal look like if the Chinese managed to bring Ukraine and Russia together?
China published a 12-point peace plan on the eve of the war’s first anniversary.
China made it clear in the suggestion that only via dialogue leading to a complete ceasefire can the peace in Ukraine be restored.
Territorial parameters, which are crucial to the nature of the war and were not addressed in China’s peace plan.
Moscow’s primary goal, to win the war militarily and split Ukraine in the process, is no longer tenable, but China, despite their relations with Russia, certainly knows that Russia will not be able to achieve its territorial ambition in Ukraine.
Instead, The Guardian said that the conflict can only be resolved through a compromise between the two sides.
On that scale, there will need to be a strong mediator as China.
Beijing has taken care to avoid taking a position that would make Ukraine reluctant to accept China as a mediator in order to maintain its unwavering alliance with Moscow.
But it’s not just that China risks compromising its abilities as a mediator; China is also invested economically in Ukraine, and needs to preserve a valuable economic partner.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has charged Russian President Vladimir Putin, but there have been no overt repercussions for his handling of the conflict.
The war has not been stopped by any of the sanctions, either.
There is historical evidence that the UN’s inability to end the violence will have terrible institutional repercussions.
Economic sanctions were used by the League of Nations against Italy, but they had no effect on the invasion of Ethiopia by Italy.
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UN’s Maintaining Peace and Security
As the Russians continue to breach fundamental human rights and humanitarian laws by attacking civilian targets and deporting children with little consequence, Italy employed illegal toxic gas to break Ethiopian resistance in addition to the illegal aggression.
Even though it currently seems incapable of preserving peace and security, the United Nations will not perish.
The UN’s ability to mainstream human rights is quite outstanding. Also, nobody sees the emergence of a third international organization, as there was during the demise of the League.
The UN will probably avoid the same destiny as the League of Nations, from Ethiopia to Ukraine.
There is now a degree of global cooperation in many fields. But, the Security Council’s inability to address issues of peace and security in Ukraine and elsewhere raises major concerns about the future of the UN, and attention should be paid to similarities with the collapse of the League.
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