Russia’s war in Ukraine has become one of the defining tests of the international order in the 21st century. It raises fundamental questions about the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the authority of international law, and whether disputes can still be resolved through negotiation rather than force.
The war is followed closely in South Africa and across the African continent, where its consequences, from disrupted food and energy supplies to growing strain on the multilateral system, are felt far beyond Europe. How African states read the conflict and what part they might play in the search for a just and lasting peace remain open and much-debated questions.
In this seminar, Ambassador Dr Oleksandr Scherba sets out Ukraine’s perspective on the war and what is at stake for the international order, opening a wider conversation on how South Africa and the broader Global South understand the conflict and the kind of peace they hope to see.
Speaker
- Dr Oleksandr Scherba, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of South Africa
Dr Scherba is a Ukrainian diplomat currently serving as Ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa, having previously served as Ambassador to Austria between 2014 and 2021. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the Kyiv Institute of International Relations. He has worked across diplomacy, political advisory and international economic negotiations, including engagements with the IMF and EU. Since 2008, he has also contributed as a columnist to Ukraine’s weekly newspaper Dzerkalo Tyzhnia.
We look forward to your participation.
