PON Live! Negotiating a Resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian War: The Moral Dilemmas
In an unprovoked war of aggression, Ukraine faces a giant foe with the capacity to inflict catastrophic damage on its civilian population. What role can negotiation play in ending this war, or mitigating its effects? It is easy to imagine the elements of a negotiated deal that might save thousands of lives: in exchange for Russian troops withdrawal, in addition to removing the economic sanctions imposed on Russia, Ukraine would pledge never to join NATO and remain a “neutral nation,” aligned neither with the West nor Russia. The deal might even cede Crimea, and possibly the eastern provinces to Russia. Would it be proper to promote such a deal, or like Munich, would this be what Professor Avishai Margalit, might properly characterize as “a rotten compromise,” that is immoral? Would it not reward Russian aggression? Quite apart from negotiations to end entirely the bloodshed, what role might negotiation play to mitigate the costs of war, especially for noncombatants? To what extent might deals that provide safe passage and humanitarian aid during a war save lives? Wars pose terrible negotiation dilemmas that this panel will expose and explore.
In an unprovoked war of aggression, Ukraine faces a giant foe with the capacity to inflict catastrophic damage on its civilian population. What role can negotiation play in ending this war, or mitigating its effects? It is easy to imagine the elements of a negotiated deal that might save thousands of lives: in exchange for Russian troops withdrawal, in addition to removing the economic sanctions imposed on Russia, Ukraine would pledge never to join NATO and remain a “neutral nation,” aligned neither with the West nor Russia. The deal might even cede Crimea, and possibly the eastern provinces to Russia. Would it be proper to promote such a deal, or like Munich, would this be what Professor Avishai Margalit, might properly characterize as “a rotten compromise,” that is immoral? Would it not reward Russian aggression? Quite apart from negotiations to end entirely the bloodshed, what role might negotiation play to mitigate the costs of war, especially for noncombatants? To what extent might deals that provide safe passage and humanitarian aid during a war save lives? Wars pose terrible negotiation dilemmas that this panel will expose and explore.