Russia’s war has triggered a tsunami of crises, says Bob Rae, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Canada’s Permanent Representative to the UN. Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine has sparked a global food crisis, mass displacement, and setbacks in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, UkrInform reports.
Russia shows no signs of being ready to end its war on Ukraine. On the contrary, Moscow is intensifying attacks on civilians and accelerating the arms race with the help of its partners, Iran, China, and North Korea. The logic of power based on nuclear deterrence has effectively been eroded by the development of drones. International law, too, was broken after the annexation of Crimea.
Rae notes that the war has sharply increased food prices for billions of people, endangered food security, and caused large-scale forced migration both within Ukraine and beyond its borders. This poses a serious challenge to the international community, which must ensure that people’s basic needs, especially access to affordable food, are met.
According to Rae, Russia’s effect on the global economy has been consistently negative. Even though inflation is beginning to ease, its effects remain deeply felt in many countries.
The diplomat likens the war’s impact not to “ripples on the water” but to a tsunami, so vast is the scale of the invasion’s consequences on a global level.
At the same time, he emphasizes that despite all challenges, Ukraine remains strong: its economy is holding, and its people continue to resist. Rae expresses hope that international support would remain as resilient as Ukraine itself.