No easy or quick end likely in Ukraine, expert tells ABA
A peaceful and lasting solution to the Russian invasion of Ukraine means keeping the best interests of the Ukrainian people front of mind, according to John Erath, a former member of the U.S. National Security Council, who now works as senior policy director for the nonprofit Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. He spoke at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security.
“Not only is the conflict not going to end in the next few weeks, but ending it too soon might do more harm than good,” Erath said.
A quick resolution would mean a cease-fire or “freezing” of the conflict, similar to what happened following the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia. This emboldened Russian president Vladimir Putin, and likely played a role in his decision to launch the February invasion of Ukraine, Erath said. Putin’s goal is to control more slices of Ukraine and install a compliant Ukrainian government that would avoid European integration, he added.
Instead, allies of Ukraine must listen to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people about how they want the conflict to end. “It’s got to be their choice,” he said. “And we need to back them up, for however long they decide to fight.” A shorter conflict means inflicting maximum damage on the Russian army, leading to a peace deal. A longer conflict would be a huge gamble for Ukraine, Erath said. “They could decide, ‘we’re going to fight this out, we’ve never had a better chance to rid our territory of Russian occupation.’”
Recently, Moscow has promised “unimaginable consequences” for any country that comes to the aid of Ukraine. This veiled threat is being used by Russia as a tool of statecraft, which has never been done before, Erath said, and incentivizes countries such as Iran or North Korea to use their nuclear weapons to threaten other nations to get what they want.
Erath said he is disturbed that Russia has chosen to attribute their military failures to the assistance coming into Ukraine. “I want to be very clear, the reason Russia is failing and Ukraine is doing so well is 90% due to the will of the Ukrainian people to resist. That is the key factor.“
ABA helping lawyers improve their mental health
The American Bar Association joined in the effort to help lawyers and other legal professionals thrive personally by offering a host of webinars that focused on mental wellness. It was part of Well-Being Week in Law, May 2-6, which marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month.
According to the ABA Profile of the Legal Profession report, several studies have shown that lawyers struggle with alcohol use, substance use and mental health issues at substantially higher levels than the general population and other highly educated professionals. Studies also show that 25% to 30% of lawyers facing disciplinary charges suffer from some type of addiction or mental illness.
During Well-Being Week in Law, the ABA offered five webinars sponsored by the Law Practice Division, a different one each day, geared toward improving lawyer well-being and overcoming crisis, trauma and grief. The free programs, which are available on demand at www.americanbar.org under CLE, are:
• “Practical Mindfulness: Taking Mindfulness Off the Cushion and Into Your Legal Practice for Greater Resilience, Calm and Joy” — Tips to maximize well-being
• “What the Worst Day of Your Life Can Teach You: Shifting Your Paradigm of Rejection” — How to benefit from disappointments
• “Redefining Crisis Management: Supporting a Lawyer’s Wellbeing by Supporting the Client’s Wellbeing” — Reduce your clients’ litigation stress
• “Creativity, Collaboration and Redefining Success: A Pathway to Wellbeing” — Create a life of meaningful work
• “It’s Time to Talk: Navigating and Surviving Trauma and Grief in the Legal Profession” — Strategies to move through trauma
This is the third consecutive year that the ABA has observed wellness week for legal professionals.
