Our Scans · (LF.16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• [New] Without firm US security guarantees, spelled out in a peace agreement, handing over Donbas in return for a free economic zone will not work for Ukraine. RTE
• [New] The Israeli government's attitude toward the peace framework will likely be sour. ynetglobal
• [New] Cambodian territory will inevitably return to its rightful sovereign when the global system of genuine security and justice fully reasserts itself. FRESH NEWS
• [New] A 'peace agreement without a peace agreement' between Russia and Ukraine is totally possible, but it will require Polish, German, Swedish, Baltic, etc, troops on the ground in Ukraine and a firm US commitment to get involved immediately if a new conflict starts. HuffPost UK
• [New] Staffing Ukraine-related missions in foreign ministries and international organizations with long-term experts, establishing standing parliamentary groups, and creating Ukraine-focused academic and research institutions will ensure sustained intellectual and political engagement. CEPA
• [New] Without strong democratic institutions to protect pluralism, Ukraine could experience increased polarization and exclusion of marginalized groups from political participation. CEPA
• [New] Without adequate support for democratic institution-building, Ukraine risks sliding into a fragile hybrid political regime beset by weak rule of law, captured institutions, and limited political competition. CEPA
• [New] The resilience of Ukraine's democratic institutions during the full-scale invasion demonstrates their potential, but consolidation requires sustained support to transform wartime adaptations into permanent democratic structures. CEPA
• [New] Critically, the United States could formally withdraw all support for the 2016 Peace Accords, including support for the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. Council on Foreign Relations
• [New] External factors - primarily U.S. military threats and ripple effects from a Venezuela humanitarian and security crisis - could overwhelm Colombia's capacity to implement the 2016 Peace Accords and could fundamentally alter the political calculus for all parties. Council on Foreign Relations
• [New] Two plausible scenarios could precipitate the collapse of the 2016 Peace Accords: internal breakdown of the reintegration process and security guarantees or external destabilization driven by U.S. intervention and regional spillover from the Venezuela crisis. Council on Foreign Relations
• [New] Colombia's ability to prevent instability and violence will depend on, among other factors, its commitment to implement the 2016 Peace Accords. Council on Foreign Relations
• [New] Moscow's demand that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the Donbas region before the Kremlin will enter into negotiations for a full-fledged peace is unrealistic - at least under Ukraine's current political conditions. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• [New] To prevent a clash with Moscow, it will need a durable peace in Ukraine. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• [New] The United States will not finalize a security agreement with Ukraine until after Ukraine and Russia reach a peace agreement and that the United States is pushing Ukraine to make concessions in order to conclude a peace agreement by Summer 2026. Critical Threats
• [New] Even if the Ukraine conflict ends, most European countries now view Russia as a long-term threat to national security, and peace-keeping efforts will require sustained investment. Global Social
• [New] Underpinning the reluctance of global leaders to commit ISF forces is the core sticking point that has plagued the Trump peace plan from inception: the uncertainty over whether Hamas will agree to demobilize and disarm. The Soufan Center
• Even remote hearings, lawyers for Rubio added, present a serious risk of intentional interference by anti-American elements in Venezuela that would undermine the interests of justice. The Guardian
• Russian police and National Guard will stay in eastern Ukraine's Donbas even if a peace settlement ends the war, which Ukraine has rejected. Manifold
• Concretely, as long as Russia or Ukraine feel insecure after a ceasefire and peace agreement, there will be no sustainable peace. Toda Peace Institute
• An enduring peace deal between Ukraine and Russia will require a strategic shift in Moscow, a credible set of Western security commitments to Kiev, and a herculean amount of planning and technical expertise. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Last updated: 23 February 2026