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.
Ukraine: Justice for War Crimes Must Begin with Evidence
Photos and reporting emerging following the withdrawal of Russian forces from towns near Kyiv have triggered global revulsion, notably at the apparent summary execution of civilians. This initial evidence strongly suggests that Russian behavior in towns like Bucha and Irpin amounts to the widespread, systematic violence against civilians typical of atrocity crimes. World leaders have condemned the violence as war crimes, urging investigations and accountability. Ensuring eventual accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims means governments and others must quickly support the essential first step: the broadest possible collection of evidence.
How the Kremlin Distorts the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Principle
As Russia’s war against Ukraine moves into its sixth week, one of Moscow’s justifications for its unprovoked act of aggression against its western neighbor rests on its claimed right to protect ethnic Russians from discrimination in foreign countries. The Kremlin has tried to base this assertion on the language of fighting genocide and the United Nations’ principle of “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P). Russia has distorted those principles, twisting them instead to justify its intervention in the internal affairs of countries such as Estonia and Kazakhstan and, in the case of Ukraine, outright invasion. It also has bent the notion of Russian citizenship to justify its malign influence and use of force against other countries.
Rethinking U.S. Engagement with U.N. in the Context of Ukraine: Part Two
Russia’s war in Ukraine is a salient reminder of the world’s vulnerabilities to the potential cataclysmic impact of modern warfare. Russia’s nuclear arsenal, the world’s largest, is one of the underlying reasons why its actions in Ukraine have gone unchecked directly by NATO forces. Amid these threats, rules-based international institutions such as the United Nations have long been crucial to peaceful conflict prevention and resolution — but their effectiveness has been hampered in recent years by the United States’ withering commitment to multilateralism.
Ukraine considers neutrality. Will Putin respond?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just expanded on his proposal to halt Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine by offering to seek his country’s long-term security through a neutral status guaranteed by Russia, the United States and European nations. This is a serious response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stated reason for war—denying Ukraine its right to someday join the NATO alliance. The question now confronts Putin: Will he thus end his bloodshed? Or will he continue a war more truly based on his fear of allowing Russians to witness a free democracy of their fellow ethnic Slavs on Russia’s border?
Religious Mobilization in Ukraine
Even prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, religious relations between the two countries have often mirrored the long-simmering geopolitical tensions surrounding Ukrainian independence and autonomy. Russia’s previous annexation of Crimea and its intervention in Donbas had already provoked the creation of a united Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) by uniting the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church and Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate. The newly created OCU represented a direct threat to Russia’s official domination of Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine via the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).
How Russia May Reprise Its Syrian Playbook in Ukraine
The tragic patterns set in Russia’s brutal war in Syria are unfolding anew in Ukraine. Already, chilling parallels are evident between Moscow’s prosecution of the Syrian conflict and its current conduct in its Eastern European neighbor. Going forward, Russia’s Syrian playbook may provide additional insights into its approach to diplomacy as well as how Russia now envisions its eventual Ukrainian endgame.
Donald Jensen on Russia’s Stalled Offensive in Ukraine
With Russian forces reportedly shifting focus to Donbas, USIP’s Donald Jensen says, “Overall the Russian military has been unmasked to be … quite a bit more of a paper tiger than expected. But that doesn't mean they're not dangerous or effective in some places.”
In Ukraine, a War of Rare Clarity Demands Accountability
The world is witnessing a Russian assault so unprovoked, and Ukrainian agony so brutal, that these four weeks have forged a historically rare moment of moral clarity and global unity in affirming the criminality of a war. Nations must convert this clarity and unity into actions. We must sustain support for the Ukrainians who are courageously bearing their unsought role as frontline defenders of the democracy and rule of law on which a peaceful world depends. Second, we must begin now to ensure eventual accountability and justice for the authors of this war. Third, we must buttress our global institutions of that justice.
Ukraine War Fallout Will Damage Fragile States and the Poor
The world is gripped by the Russian invasion of Ukraine — already the most destructive European conventional military conflict since World War II. The damage being done most tragically to Ukraine, indirectly to Europe (not least the burden of refugee inflows) and to Russia (including as a result of crushing sanctions) is only too obvious. But the repercussions will be wider — for the global economy more generally and disproportionately for poorer countries, especially those affected by conflict and state fragility.
Rethinking U.S. Engagement with U.N. in the Context of Ukraine: Part One
The international community’s swift and unified response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been nothing short of historic. Countries around the world have offered their individual repudiation of Russia’s aggression, from sanctions to much-needed aid for Ukrainian forces and civilians. But it’s the resurgence of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations that has been one of the more interesting — and potentially powerful — developments so far.