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Peacemaking in Transition?: A comparative case study of Türkiye's and Saudi Arabia's mediation in Ukriane

Ågård, Carl LU (2025) FKVK02 20251
Department of Political Science
Abstract
Recent years have seen a declining role of Western actors and international organisations in peace processes. Meanwhile, emerging powers have increasingly engaged as mediators in contemporary conflicts. This dynamic is particularly evident in the Ukraine war, where several emerging powers have launched a variety of peacemaking initiatives. Among these, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have assumed the leading diplomatic roles. This thesis conducts a comparative case study of their mediation efforts in Ukraine, with the broader aim of shedding light on the characteristics of emerging powers’ approaches to peacemaking. Through the lens of an analytical framework developed from mediation theory, it analyses why Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have become... (More)
Recent years have seen a declining role of Western actors and international organisations in peace processes. Meanwhile, emerging powers have increasingly engaged as mediators in contemporary conflicts. This dynamic is particularly evident in the Ukraine war, where several emerging powers have launched a variety of peacemaking initiatives. Among these, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have assumed the leading diplomatic roles. This thesis conducts a comparative case study of their mediation efforts in Ukraine, with the broader aim of shedding light on the characteristics of emerging powers’ approaches to peacemaking. Through the lens of an analytical framework developed from mediation theory, it analyses why Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have become mediators in the conflict, how their efforts have unfolded, and what aspects of negotiations they have prioritised. The findings suggest that both countries use mediation to advance their broader foreign policy ambitions as emerging powers, while additional interests that separate them have shaped distinct mediation styles. Their approaches are marked by pragmatism and self-interest, underpinned by a normative orientation that departs from traditional principles of international peacemaking. While these findings offer early insights into how emerging powers engage in peace diplomacy, further research is needed to nuance and expand upon the conclusions. (Less)
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author
Ågård, Carl LU
supervisor
organization
course
FKVK02 20251
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Emerging powers, International peacemaking, Mediation, Peace diplomacy, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Mediation theory.
language
English
id
9191220
date added to LUP
2025-08-08 11:24:22
date last changed
2025-08-08 11:24:22
@misc{9191220,
  abstract     = {{Recent years have seen a declining role of Western actors and international organisations in peace processes. Meanwhile, emerging powers have increasingly engaged as mediators in contemporary conflicts. This dynamic is particularly evident in the Ukraine war, where several emerging powers have launched a variety of peacemaking initiatives. Among these, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have assumed the leading diplomatic roles. This thesis conducts a comparative case study of their mediation efforts in Ukraine, with the broader aim of shedding light on the characteristics of emerging powers’ approaches to peacemaking. Through the lens of an analytical framework developed from mediation theory, it analyses why Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have become mediators in the conflict, how their efforts have unfolded, and what aspects of negotiations they have prioritised. The findings suggest that both countries use mediation to advance their broader foreign policy ambitions as emerging powers, while additional interests that separate them have shaped distinct mediation styles. Their approaches are marked by pragmatism and self-interest, underpinned by a normative orientation that departs from traditional principles of international peacemaking. While these findings offer early insights into how emerging powers engage in peace diplomacy, further research is needed to nuance and expand upon the conclusions.}},
  author       = {{Ågård, Carl}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Peacemaking in Transition?: A comparative case study of Türkiye's and Saudi Arabia's mediation in Ukriane}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}