Editorial - August/September 2022

In this edition of Global Insight, we have two features that zoom in on major aspects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Our cover piece, On the breadline, notes that already-existing food security issues have been severely exacerbated by the conflict and considers what can be done to alleviate them. Our feature, Ending Putin’s war, assesses what can be done to stop the Russian President given the prevalence of propaganda and that dissenting voices within the country have been all but silenced.

As this edition goes to press, the precarious deal between Russia and Ukraine to provide safe passage of ships carrying 20 million tonnes of grain has been making headlines. The first ship, the Razoni, containing 26,000 tonnes, sailed at the start of August; a further 17 are set to follow. Coming amid the Covid-19 pandemic, disruption of supply has led the UN to predict an increase in the number of people facing food shortages of between eight and 13 million. The $4.5bn commitment from the G7 in June may go some way to addressing immediate short-term issues, but, in the longer term, significant and wide-ranging responses will be needed to address long-standing and deep-rooted issues.

In the meantime, though, stopping Putin remains a priority and, so far, measures taken by the international community, such as sanctions and rulings from international courts, have failed to have the desired effect, raising the question as to whether change can come from within. Following the invasion, thousands of Russians took to the streets to protest, but such demonstrations were quickly stifled and legislation passed criminalising such activity. Nevertheless, figures such as Nils Muižnieks – the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights from 2012 to 2018 – remain hopeful that change is possible. This he believes may come ‘if the war continues and the need for soldiers spreads, having broader social and political repercussions in Russia’. He also says it’s ‘our duty to help Russian journalists, human rights defenders and others in exile […] They’re the ones who know how to reach the target audience in Russia best’.