International Space Station:
The ISS was formed not just laboratory and scientific purposes, but also diplomatic and cooperative purposes. It has been a beacon of Western-Russian scientific cooperation since the Soviet era. Putin has announced Russia may withdraw from ISS in 2025. This is not a good sign for Russian-Western relations, and a big indicator that peacebuilding efforts from the Cold War are unraveling and will need to be restructured to fit contemporary interests.
Nuclear Weapons:
In 1994 Ukraine, Russia, the United states, and a few other post-Soviet states and Western nations signed the Budapest Memorandum. Some of the points of the Budapest memorandum were as follows:
- Respect Ukrainian independence and sovereignty.
- Refrain from the threat or the use of force against Ukraine.
- Refrain from using economic pressure on Ukraine to influence their politics.
- Provide assistance to Ukraine if they become a victim of an act of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used.
- Refrain from the use of nuclear arms against Ukraine.
These points have largely been ignored by both Russia, who has acted as an aggressor towards Ukraine, and the United States, who has not delivered very much on the promised assistance. Nuclear weapons have introduced a new level of danger never before seen in the idea of “appeasement”, where a non rational leader can easily wipe out entire nations if not appeased in their goals, such as Putin expanding west. Putin putting Russia’s nuclear missiles on high alert could have easily prompted a weapons spiral if President Biden had responded in kind, promoting further aggressions, and the role of nuclear weapons in the current Russo–-Ukrainian conflict shows how much of a hindrance these weapons are towards building peace.
Energy:
The reliance of Western nations on Russia for oil and natural gas has prompted disaster for the economy. Moving away from reliance will probably prompt further green energy efforts in the future, contributing to peacebuilding by increasing cooperation between nations to ensure peaceful collections of green energy and cooperation much like that seen in the Paris Accords.
Apps:
Companies have made great use of mobile apps to participate even minutely in peacebuilding efforts in the conflict. Google Maps shut down navigation in some parts of Ukraine, making it difficult for Russian forces to find and attack targets. AirBnB has offered shelter to refugees, as well as allowing people to rent rooms they don’t plan on staying in in Ukraine to provide families with further financial support.
Starlink Satellite:
Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has sent satellites to Ukraine to keep them connected to the internet even when ground internet facilities are destroyed, keeping Ukrainians connected to the world and allowing for digital involvement in relief efforts and relocation.
NFTs:
Ukraine has begun using NFTs almost as government bonds to make money and support the war effort, the first conflict where the world sees the use of cryptocurrency as an investment tool.
Sources:
Bacchi, Umberto. “Here are 5 ways technology is being used to help Ukraine.” The World Economic Forum, 2 March 2022
Gross, Samantha. “Why care about Ukraine and the Budapest Memorandum.” Brookings, 5 December 2019
Nover, Scott. “Ukraine is selling NFTs like war bonds — Quartz.” Quartz, 28 March 2022
Sheetz, Michael. “Elon Musk’s SpaceX sent thousands of Starlink satellite internet dishes to Ukraine, company’s president says.” CNBC, 22 March 2022,