Question And Answer
Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Heather Ashby on How the Israel-Hamas War Affects Russia and Ukraine
The conflict in the Middle East is helping divert attention away from Russia’s war in Ukraine. And despite rumors of peace talks, USIP’s Heather Ashby says neither side seems willing to budge: “I don’t think people should be optimistic that there will be negotiations … even with a third party trying to bring the sides together.”
Heather Ashby on Moscow’s Diplomatic Approach to the Russia-Africa Summit
After pulling out of a U.N.-backed grain deal, Russia may be looking for ways to ship more grain and fertilizers to African countries ahead of the Russia-Africa Summit. But the summit’s success is far from certain, “not only because of the war in Ukraine, but because Russia hasn’t lived up to its previous promises,” says USIP’s Heather Ashby.
Heather Ashby on How African Countries Have Reacted to Russia’s War in Ukraine
As Russia’s war in Ukraine unfolds, USIP’s Heather Ashby says the United States should “keep an eye on Russia’s security partnerships with [African] countries” and pay close attention to “whether the rise in fuel prices or food scarcity trigger any type of unrest” on the continent.
On Ukraine, Africa Needs a Clearer U.S. Message
As democracies rally to defend an international rules-based system against Russia’s brutal attack on Ukrainians, the United States should forge an alliance with African partners by committing with them now to resolve the Ukraine crisis in a way that makes that system fairer and more inclusive. One early step is for U.S. and other policymakers to highlight the core of this conflict: The 44 million Ukrainians are fighting to govern themselves freely within their internationally recognized borders — a cause that is viscerally real to billions of people across Africa and the “global south.”
A Role for AI in Peacebuilding
Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in fall 2022, there has been a tremendous amount of global attention on the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). With so many unknowns about the capacity of private companies and governments to harness this technology for peace and security, it is difficult for the public and private sectors to identify a clear and straightforward path on addressing AI’s challenges. In this evolving environment, peacebuilding organizations can and should play a critical role in engaging with companies, multilateral institutions and governments on AI development and application to advise and shape its uses to advance peace and mitigate societal harm that could contribute to conflicts.
Xi and Putin Flaunt Deepening Ties, Flout the U.S.-led Order
Thirteen months after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Moscow and Beijing are continuing to deepen their ties even as China has sought to portray itself as a neutral player in the war. This week’s summit between Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin comes on the heels of the International Criminal Court’s warrant for Putin for war crimes. For Putin, the summit demonstrated that despite Western sanction and opprobrium, Russia is not an isolated pariah state. Meanwhile, Xi used the summit to further the image he has tried to burnish of Beijing as a peacemaker and advance his vision of an alternative multilateral order, breaking away from the U.S.-led system.
What Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Means for African Governments
As Russia’s war in Ukraine advances into its second month, the conflict’s effects continue to ripple across the world. In Africa, the conflict is upending long-term trends across the continent and eliciting mixed reactions from governments. As increased sanctions push the Kremlin to further explore relationships with countries outside of Europe and the United States, African countries are currently left with impending shortages in food and financing for energy projects. While some see this as an opportunity to build economic capacity from within the continent, others have opened the door for the Russian government to re-shape its approach toward Africa.
Why Georgians Are Protesting Against Russian Influence
Earlier this month, the ruling Georgian Dream party withdrew proposed “foreign agent” bills that have been a source of contestation in the country, particularly over the last year. A diverse coalition of Georgians hit the streets to protest these bills, which they said would be a blow to Georgia’s democracy and undercut its efforts to be a candidate for European Union membership. Just as Ukrainians are resisting Russia’s illegal invasion, these Georgian protesters fear growing Russian influence in their country, which is already partly occupied by Russia. The bills’ collapse in the Georgian parliament revealed the power of civil society resistance and the continued fight within the country for European integration and democracy.
Ukraine’s Africa Visit Shows Its Fight Against Russia Goes Beyond the Battlefield
In the days before Russia’s bombing escalation in Ukraine in early October, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was visiting Africa in a bid to garner support and counter Moscow’s propaganda about the war. While much of the Western world has rallied around Ukraine, African states have largely avoided taking sides. For its part, Russia has been on a diplomatic offensive in much of the Global South, lobbying African, Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries to not join international sanctions and condemnation against Moscow. Indeed, Ukraine’s fight against Russia is not only taking place on the battlefield, but also through an ambitious and needed international diplomacy efforts that extends from Europe to the Global South.
Disinformation Casts a Shadow Over Global Elections
This year will be one of the most consequential in recent memory, as more than 50 elections will take place in countries across the world covering nearly 2 billion people. With the role of technology increasing in a multitude of sectors, communications technology (i.e., social media platforms and messaging apps) and artificial intelligence (AI) are poised to have varying levels of impact on the elections in 2024. Without strong collaboration and planning between peacebuilders, civil society, technology companies and governments, the fallout from unmanaged technology use around the elections will be far reaching, from an increasing inability to discern fact from fiction to distrust in democratic political processes.