•Study returns and volatility spillover across commodities around the war in Ukraine.•Volatility spillover spikes from 35% to 85%, topping the level seen during COVID-19.•The role of commodities ...changes in both return and volatility spillover systems.•Geopolitical risk (GPR) index Granger causes the spillover indices.•High levels of return and volatility spillovers are linked to high levels of GPR.
We evaluate the transmission of returns and volatility in the universe of commodities around the war in Ukraine. The total volatility spillover increases from 35% to 85%, exceeding the level seen during the pandemic. The role of commodities changes in both return and volatility spillover systems. Crude oil becomes a net transmitter of return spillovers whereas wheat and soybeans become net receivers of return spillovers. Silver, gold, copper, platinum, aluminium, and sugar become net transmitters of volatility. Geopolitical risk Granger causes the spillover indices. High levels of return and volatility spillovers are associated with high levels of geopolitical risk.
The conflict in Ukraine is not only taking a heavy toll on human lives but also significantly impacting the environment and wildlife. Many natural areas have suffered extensive damage, and numerous ...animal species face even greater threats. It is concerning that many ecosystems may never recover their former biodiversity. This environmental disaster, culminating in the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, prompts questions about whether such actions can be denounced as acts of ecocide. This article aims to provide an overview of the ecological and legal landscape regarding allegations of ecocidal acts committed during the Ukrainian War. To this end, the first section of the paper will outline a non-exhaustive list of potential ecocidal crimes that occurred during the conflict in Ukraine. Subsequently, we will examine the opportunities and limitations associated with applying the concept of ecocide as a crime during the war in Ukraine. Finally, we emphasize the necessity for reforming environmental law to incorporate the concept of ecocide as a crime.
This study investigates the relationships between perceiving media as a positive or negative influence (both news media and fictional media) during the war in Ukraine in 2022 and anxiety, distress, ...and resilience. Corroborating existing research, our study (N = 393, 47.3% male) showed that there was a clear relationship between the perceived negative impact of both news and fictional media during the war and increased symptoms of anxiety (b = .09, SE = 0.04, p = .024; b = 0.16, SE = 0.04, p < .001, respectively) and distress (b = 0.08, SE = 0.04, p = .047; b = 0.17, SE = 0.04, p < .001, respectively) as well as lowered psychological resilience (b = −0.10, SE = 0.05, p = .047; b = −0.15, SE = 0.06, p = .009, respectively). The study is the first to demonstrate this association for fictional media. Contrary to expectations, however, the perception of a positive impact of both news and fiction was not associated with decreased symptoms of anxiety and distress or higher resilience.
The consequences of the war in Ukraine are considered both by psychologists, sociologists, representatives of security sciences, and ordinary citizens whose sense of security has changed under the ...influence of the dramatic event. Linking the indicated situation with a growing decline in trust in public institutions raises questions about the impact of the war on the image and effectiveness of recruitment to the Polish Police, as one of the key institutions responsible for security and public order. The lack of research in this regard was decided to be filled in June 2022. 384 Poles took part in the survey. The survey found that most Poles are of the opinion that the war does not affect the image and recruitment of the Police. One in three respondents indicated a positive impact, with less than 11% of respondents holding the opposite view. The survey also revealed that the image of the Police in Poland in 2022 has deteriorated relative to 2021.
This article addresses a great many points of importance related to the war in Ukraine, especially the need for negotiations and the role of the UN in peacekeeping, which no one seems to be thinking ...about. It offers a balanced view that shifts the focus from moral outrage shouted from every rooftop (on both sides) to a reference to root causes, missed opportunities and absence of leadership (also on both sides). – Editor
This article maps how Ukraine's international agency has been discursively constructed through juxtaposing and relating different insecurities triggered by the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022. ...How does Ukraine persuade its partners of the validity of its approach to these insecurities, what is the intentionality behind its strategy, and how do they contribute to the production of the Ukrainian agency? It argues that Ukraine's agency is developed in the context of the battlefield, and therefore becomes a heavy loaded security concept with a strong normative background. By addressing numerous insecurities in energy supply, environmental and nuclear hazards, and disruption of food transportation, Ukraine builds the strategic narrative of the war as an intrinsic part of European security governance.
