Global Scans · Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• [New] The South Korean official apparently asked Russia to play a constructive role in ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula, with Seoul looking to reopen dialog with North Korea in 2026 and efforts being made to end the war in Ukraine. Yonhap News Agency
• [New] The estimated €136 billion of budget support needed by Ukraine in 2026 and 2027 is a relatively fixed figure regardless of whether any peace initiative comes to fruition. The Conversation
• [New] The Kremlin has consistently indicated that it will reject any peace deals that offer reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, and is highly unlikely to accept a settlement that contains any provisions safeguarding Ukrainian territorial integrity. Critical Threats
• [New] European leaders are expected to cement support for Ukraine Monday as it faces Washington's pressure to swiftly accept a U.S.-brokered peace deal. The American Legion
• [New] The Kremlin is unwilling to accept the original 28-point peace plan but that Russia will instead demand further modifications should Ukraine agree to it. Critical Threats
• [New] Russia has already made it clear that it will not accept, as part of any peace deal, NATO membership for Ukraine. The National Interest
• [New] Many countries remain concerned that a lopsided peace deal could work in Moscow's favour, and prelude further aggression in Ukraine or against NATO's long eastern flank. The Week
• [New] A peace settlement that reintegrates Russia economically - especially one backed by Washington - could widen India's room to manoeuvre, allowing it to sustain or even expand imports without fear of punitive tariffs or secondary sanctions. Economic Times
• [New] Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine's Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia's nearly four-year war in Ukraine. WHEC.com
• [New] By 2026, the differentiation between financial institutions will not be their interest rates or their branch locations. Salesforce
• [New] Facing a complex and challenging environment with tight margins and stretched customers in 2026, financial institutions must shift from simple AI chatbots to hiring autonomous, goal-oriented agents that actively execute business workflows. Salesforce
• [New] The outline draft peace proposals discussed by the United States and Ukraine could become the basis of future agreements to end the conflict in Ukraine, but that if not, Russia would fight on. investing.com
• [New] After nearly four years of full-scale war, most Ukrainians want peace, but they also realize that peace will only be possible if accompanied by justice and security. Atlantic Council
• [New] The key challenge for regional and global actors is managing competition without triggering conflict, while ensuring institutions, alliances, and diplomacy keep pace with rapidly evolving threats and opportunities. Eurasia Review
• [New] Stakeholders and businesses can expect continued efforts to strike regional peace agreements and resist deep military involvement while expanding U.S. access to critical markets, minerals and technologies. JD Supra
• [New] Institutions that implement coordinated, cross-jurisdictional governance for CRS 3.0, CARF, and FATCA will be better positioned to withstand regulatory scrutiny and maintain correspondent-banking confidence as global transparency expectations intensify. JD Supra
• [New] The DRC and Rwanda signed the US-brokered Regional Economic Integration Framework, but the REIF is contingent on security aspects of the US-brokered DRC-Rwanda peace agreement, which will likely face numerous challenges in the coming weeks. Critical Threats
• [New] The peace deal envisaged economic co-operation between DR Congo and Rwanda, including on hydro-electric power, mining and infrastructure development - something that the US hopes would pave the way for American companies to increase investments in the mineral-rich region. BBC News
• [New] The US has accused Rwanda of violating a US-brokered peace agreement by backing a deadly new rebel offensive in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, and warned action will be taken against spoilers. The Guardian
• [New] The meeting of OPEC +, which pumps half of the world's oil, comes during a fresh US effort to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, which could add to oil supply if sanctions on Russia are eased.
• [New] If the peace deal fails, Russia could see its supply curbed further by sanctions.
• [New] Failure to disarm Hamas could lead to renewed fighting with Israel, clashes with international troops and block progress on the rest of the peace plan. The Press Democrat
• [New] The United States has accused Rwanda of driving instability in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that a Rwanda-backed advance by the M23 rebel group threatens to derail a U.S.-brokered peace effort. OkayAfrica

Last updated: 22 December 2025