BTiP 2023, nr 3 – Artykuł 9

The impact of the Ukrainian war on Lebanon: a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel

Carene Kodalazian |
ORCID 0000-0003-1528-8564

„Bezpieczeństwo. Teoria i Praktyka”, 3/2023, s. 131-140
DOI 10.48269/2451-0718-btip-2023-3-009
PDF: English

Abstract: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) had a catastrophic impact on Lebanon which was already suffering from grave economic problems. Since day one, Lebanon has supported Ukraine and asked for the withdrawal of the Russian forces. The war has left negative impacts on Lebanon, raising particular concerns about famine due to a sharp rise in the food and oil prices. However, this war has also presented Lebanon with a pleasant surprise. For the first time in two decades, Lebanon and Israel have agreed to secure a maritime border deal through US-led mediation, which will allow both countries to extract gas from their marine deposits. The deadlocked negotiations were suddenly resumed because of this war and the acute energy crisis in Europe. Lebanese and Israeli gas is expected to replace Russian gas on the European market. This paper will explain the Lebanese foreign policy and its stance regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war as well as to the political and economic impacts of the war on Lebanon.
Key words: Lebanon, Ukraine-Russia war, Israel, Gas, inflation, maritime deal