Wars come and go, international society changes, and religions endure: Narratives of religious actors on the Ukraine War

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reactions by religious leaders have differed greatly, with the Shia Ayatollah blaming the USA for the war; the Catholic Pope calling the United Nations "impotent"; and the Dalai Lama stating that "war is outdated". But has there been a change in any of these religious narratives when it comes to war? Does the Ukraine War signify a turning point, or can we observe more of the same? Embedded in an English School framework, this article conducts a narrative analysis to better understand whether and how the primary institutions of war and international law are being (re-)interpreted. The article analyses these three religious actors’ narratives on the Ukraine War and compares them to their respective past war narratives. Based on these narratives, the article examines how these narratives reflect a strengthening and even expansion or an undermining and thus weakening of international society, with a particular emphasis on the primary institutions of war and international law as well as the secondary institution of the United Nations. The article argues that at least for religious actors in international politics the Ukraine War does not pose a formative event in global security policy. Instead, they may have missed a critical juncture for strengthening or even upholding international law.