Russia in Global Affairs

The growing bitterness of Western countries towards Russia is consistent with the logic of ‘preventive war’ in the initiation of armed conflicts. Rather than linking interstate confrontations with aggressive opportunism, this model views escalation as a product of fears about the future. Throughout history, major wars, as a rule, became the product of precisely this preventive logic – the desire to strike in advance of an expected weakening.

There is an urgent need to build a culture of compliance and to emphasize the way in which applying IHL sets the foundation for a resumption of dialogue between parties. Every peace process begins with small humanitarian steps. As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions this year, we emphasize that even in warfare, there exist boundaries that must be respected.

The UK goes to the polls later this year. The Conservative Party, which has been in power for fourteen years, is going to lose badly. Britain’s next government is likely to be headed by the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer. At some point, Britain’s next government will have to change Britain’s stance towards Russia – which has the upper hand. The question is how.

Washington is waging a proxy war in a bid to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Moscow and a tougher response to this is needed.