BEYOND RUSSIA-UKRAINE DRONE WARFARE: ARE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS A VIABLE STRATEGY TO STOP THE KILLING AND DESTRUCTION?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54503/2953-8165-2026.5(2)-20Keywords:
Conflict resolution, economic sanctions, gunboat, mediation, Russia-Ukraine warAbstract
The deployment of lethal drones on the battlefield accounts for nearly 70% of casualties in the almost four and a half years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on the redactional and extant literature on the Russia-Ukraine imbroglio, the perceptions of expert scholars familiar with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and credible media sources, I examine the efficacy of economic sanctions and mediation as instruments of conflict resolution for the seemingly intractable Russia-Ukraine conflict. The study reveals that the continuous use of sophisticated and precision AI-driven drones by the warring states only exacerbates the conflict situation. The paper concludes that, beyond the high stakes in lethal drone warfare and coupled with economic sanctions, a mediation strategy is a key instrument for resolving conflicts in the long run. The paper recommends applying tact and intelligence to mediate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, while de-escalating the ineffective economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its European allies as part of a broader effort to end the war.
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