The existing discourses on the Russia-Ukraine war mainly focus on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine as well as on the implications for the global economy. There is a lack of policy and scholarly attention to how the war threatens the prospects for the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Underpinned by a critical document analysis of secondary sources available in both academic and grey literature and with a focus on Africa, the article explores various global challenges ensuing from the crisis and demonstrates how such challenges impact on prospects for SDGs realisation in Africa. Using the first two SDGs as an example, the study found that with the disruption of the global supply chain by the war and the international sanctions imposed on Russia, Africa now experiences food commodity and energy shortages, soaring inflation, and commodity price hikes which now threatens to worsen poverty and hunger. The article recommends that Africa should give structural change and regional cooperation top priority, reconsidering the global financial system and the way that development finance is structured as well as maintaining a steady commitment to building resilience. Future research could be focused on the effectiveness of non-sanctions-based conflict resolutions.

This edited volume provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, particularly within the context of sustainable development in Africa. The book explores the multifaceted consequences of the war, drawing attention to its socioeconomic, environmental, and political implications. It also emphasizes the significance of sustainable development on a global scale, positioning itself at the intersection of conflict studies and sustainable development literature. Chapters discuss the international response to the conflict, including sanctions on Russia and disruptions in global supply chains, which has had significant implications for countries in Africa that rely on Russia and Ukraine for essential commodities. The history and root causes of the conflict are analyzed, highlighting the contrasting narratives – the pro-Russian perspective and the pro-Western viewpoint. Underscoring the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on global peace, sustainable development, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline, this volume will be of interest to researchers and students focusing on development, food systems, peace and conflict, security studies, international relations, and the SDGs.

This volume describes the thinking on sustainable development and a variety of initiatives across Europe, illustrating regional efforts to foster sustainable communities and ecological and social innovation. It contains various contributions which showcase examples of thinking, economic and social structures and in consumption and production patterns needed, to implement the SDGs. This book is part of the "100 papers to accelerate the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals initiative".

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Implications for the Central Region addresses national security threats and strategic opportunities for the United States and its allies in the Middle East and Central Asia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Recognizing that integrated deterrence is not constrained by geography or domain, this book focuses on the complex threats and challenges confronting U.S. national security and foreign policy in a post-Ukraine invasion environment. That is to say, what happens in Ukraine does not stay in Ukraine. It affects everyone from the region to the cyberspace domain to people on the other side of the world, due to changes in commodity prices. Specifically, this volume explores how revised analyses of Russia may alter U.S. and allied strategies in a shifting international system and within the framing of strategic competition. Experts in this volume examine how the war in Ukraine will influence Russian strategy and foreign policy in the Middle East, Central Asia, and globally; what effect the Ukraine invasion could have on global and regional geopolitics and geoeconomics; and the United States’ ability to protect national interests in the Central Region. The reasons for this are multiple and complex. In this volume, we explore many issues that have confounded security experts by asking questions such as: What happens after the Russian invasion? What lessons did the U.S., Ukraine, NATO, and the European Union learn about Russia? What lessons did Russia learn about itself and its military after the Ukraine invasion? What lessons did the U.S. learn in Afghanistan that apply to Ukraine? Why was the initial analysis of the Russian invasion so wrong? How has power shifted in the international system since the Ukraine invasion? How has the security environment shifted since the Ukraine invasion? For the U.S. to continue supporting its partners in the Middle East and Central Asia, it must anticipate what new opportunities will arise from Russia’s missteps in Ukraine. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Implications for the Central Region addresses these challenges and opportunities and informs policymakers on the changing contours of the Great Power Competition.

This paper analyzes the implications of the Russian-Ukraine crisis on global and regional food security. We start with a global vulnerability analysis to identify most vulnerable regions and countries. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is particularly vulnerable to trade shocks because of its high food import dependence. Thus, we provide descriptive evidence characterizing how food systems and policies impact vulnerability to the price shock in selected MENA countries: Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen. Within these countries, we show that the crisis will differentially impact poor and non-poor households as well as rural and urban households. Although the absolute level of food insecurity may still be higher in rural areas where larger numbers of poor households are located, urban poor are likely to suffer most because of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and associated hikes in food prices, especially in those countries where social protection and food subsidies are missing. On the policy side, we review lessons from previous food crises and identify actions needed to take (and to avoid) to protect most vulnerable countries and households in the short-term while also highlighting long-term policy options to diversify food, fertilizer and energy production and trade.