If the UK government was truly pacifist, how would they respond to the wider threat posed by Russia in Ukraine?
If the UK government was committed to a pacifist policy, its response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine would be fundamentally different from its current approach. A genuinely pacifist government would reject military intervention and the provision of arms, instead prioritising diplomacy, nonviolent resistance, and economic strategies to counter the threat.
Here are some ways in which such a government might respond:
1. Diplomatic Leadership and Mediation
A pacifist UK government would seek to act as a neutral mediator, facilitating peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, as well as engaging with allies and non-aligned nations to build diplomatic pressure. It would push for negotiations through international bodies such as the UN and the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), offering to host peace summits or back mediation efforts led by neutral countries like Switzerland.
2. Economic and Political Measures
Rather than providing military aid, the UK would intensify economic sanctions against Russia, but with a focus on minimising harm to ordinary Russians and global food and energy markets. It might advocate for targeted sanctions on oligarchs, state-owned enterprises, and the arms industry, while also working with international partners to close loopholes that allow Russian businesses to evade restrictions.
3. Nonviolent Resistance Support
A pacifist approach could involve supporting Ukrainian civil resistance rather than armed defence. This might include training in nonviolent tactics, providing funding for independent Ukrainian media, and amplifying efforts to expose Russian war crimes and misinformation. The UK could also support nonviolent resistance within Russia, funding human rights organisations, opposition groups, and independent journalism.
4. Humanitarian Assistance
The UK would focus on large-scale humanitarian aid, providing financial and logistical support to refugees and displaced persons. This could include housing more refugees, funding rebuilding efforts, and ensuring medical and psychological support for those affected by the war. Aid would be distributed through neutral international organisations like the Red Cross.
5. International Legal Action
A pacifist UK government would prioritise holding Russian leaders accountable through legal channels, supporting war crimes investigations by the International Criminal Court and pushing for reparations through international courts. It might also advocate for international arms control agreements to prevent further militarisation in the region.
6. Demilitarisation and Defence Rethinking
A truly pacifist government would likely review its own military policies, potentially shifting funding away from traditional defence towards civil defence, cyber security, and peacebuilding initiatives. It might invest in UN peacekeeping efforts or propose new global frameworks for conflict prevention.
7. Energy Independence and Economic Leverage
To weaken Russia’s economic leverage, a pacifist UK would accelerate investment in renewable energy to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
How much does the UK rely on energy from Russia? In 2021 imports from Russia made up 4% of gas used in the UK, 9% of oil and 27% of coal. In 2021, imports of gas, oil and coal from Russian to the UK were worth a combined £4.5 billion. This fell to £2.2 billion in 2022 and £1.3 billion in the year to January 2023. (Source: UK Government)
It might also push for global agreements on resource independence, weakening authoritarian regimes’ ability to use energy as a geopolitical weapon.
Challenges and Risks
A strictly pacifist approach would undoubtedly face significant criticism. Some would even say that it is impossible. Ukraine has made clear that it sees armed resistance as necessary for survival, and refusing to provide military aid could be perceived, by those who choose to do so, as abandoning them, though many practical ways of doing so are outlined above. Russia’s leadership has also shown little interest in diplomacy, and economic measures alone have had limited success. A pacifist UK might struggle to deter aggression without military leverage, though the nature of that ‘military’ has changed in recent years and you no longer need to demonstrate physical violence in order to exert power and influence.
A pacifist response to Russia’s war in Ukraine would prioritise diplomacy, economic measures, nonviolent resistance, and humanitarian aid over military intervention. While this approach could reduce escalation and long-term militarisation, it would certainly face major strategic challenges given Russia’s current trajectory and Ukraine’s own defensive priorities.