University lecturer says de-escalation calls should be made without finger-pointing

Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her Caribbean Community (CARICOM) counterparts have been admonished to leave no stone unturned in their calls for a swift de-escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

International relations specialist at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Dr Kristina Hinds warned that the first world war in nearly a century could be triggered if the situation is mishandled with devastating socioeconomic consequences for small states.

At the same time, the outspoken academic has cautioned regional governments against “overtly” taking sides.

“Our position, I believe, should be in support of de-escalation and a way to diplomatically resolve this conflict in the soonest possible time,” Hinds told Barbados TODAY on Thursday.

“Generally in the region, we are not supportive of these kinds of conflicts that disturb international peace and security and that end up in severe loss of life, dislocation of populations and general harm to people who are caught in the middle of these kinds of aggressive actions.

“The other response, which I think we’ve seen already is to consider how this conflict will affect the cost of living in Barbados and the region and what measures we will be putting in place to ensure we have adequate access to energy and the products that we need, bearing in mind that we are likely to see price increases from this conflict,” the lecturer added.

Earlier in the day, PM Mottley and CARICOM issued separate statements essentially calling on Russia to cease hostilities, respect Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and withdraw its forces.

According to Dr Hinds, the local and regional calls ought to be made “without pointing a finger”.

“I think there is support for the safety and security of the people of Ukraine but I don’t know that it is especially productive in a situation like this to overtly appear to be taking one side or another when you are seeking a diplomatic solution,” said Dr Hinds.

“Violation of sovereignty is something that is very serious in international affairs, we see it in this conflict and it is not acceptable. However, getting all parties to cool this situation down and resolve this is a priority, rather than affixing blame to one side or another,” she added.

Dr Hinds believes the regional response should also be targeted at those influential super powers who could be critical in either fanning or extinguishing the flames of war.

“I don’t want to say that another world war is inevitable, but it is certainly not impossible. I think it is still possible to have a de-escalation of this situation, but it will take a little bit of time because we have already reached the point of a military invasion and military aggression,” said Hinds.

“It really is important for the countries that can exercise some influence over Russia to do so. China for instance and countries that have friendships both ways; India, for instance, and other countries and there definitely is a role for the United Nations as well. Once a conflict of this nature has begun, I believe it could go in either direction, depending on the way in which the international community responds.

“We have relationships in this region with Russia. There are countries that have received the Sputnik vaccine for instance, St Vincent and the Grenadines. So we clearly do have ties with Russia and we have to be very aware of what is happening and I do think that there is a space for us to have our voices heard and seek a diplomatic solution. Even though we may not be affected by the invasion itself, we will face significant consequences to the cost of living, cost of doing business and accessing goods that we need to import to the country and also potential exports out of the country,” Hinds added.

In a separate statement, Stefan Newton, who specialises in International Human Rights law explained that the complex unfolding conflict is occurring at a time when populations have very little appetite for disastrous events as they recover from the pandemic.

This, he believes, could lay the foundation for Russian president Vladimir Putin to expand the scope of his geopolitical ambitions.

“Taking into account domestic political calculations, leaders may be somewhat more amenable to making concessions in negotiations over Ukraine,” said Newton, an international legal consultant with Rommel St Hill Attorneys & International Law Consultancy.

“Peaceful solutions that may be thrown around include a power-sharing agreement or sort of bringing back [Ukraine] into the Russian empire”…but with a separate governance structure,” he added. kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb