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The UN Secretary-General is on his way to Moscow and Kyiv. With fighting still raging, he may find his diplomatic options limited, but nevertheless he should table proposals both for how to save lives now and how the UN might help with future peace talks.

A truce in Ethiopia has generated cautious optimism. As the belligerents take tentative steps toward peace, the first order of business is to surge humanitarian aid into Tigray and restore vital services. The country’s external partners should find ways to nudge all parties toward compromise.

With the war in Ukraine grinding on, Western governments should pursue a strategy that raises costs to Russia while urgently exploring the contours of a negotiated solution. Such an approach is imperative to halt Ukraine’s decimation – and to ward off the gravest threat of nuclear confrontation in decades.

Libya again has two rival administrations pressing claims to be the rightful government. Both sides have armed loyalists. Outside powers should join hands to help stop them from clashing once more.

The UN General Assembly begins an Emergency Special Session on the war in Ukraine. UN members, and especially those from Africa, Asia and Latin America, should use this opportunity to condemn Russia's aggression and take steps to contain and de-escalate the conflict.

Russia’s assault on Ukraine threatens to become the largest European conflict in decades. A vigorous but judicious Western and global response is critical to limit the damage.

On 24 December, the International Crisis Group's Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Comfort Ero as the organisation's President & CEO. In this inaugural message, she lays out her vision, goals and a personal vocation that underpins her career in preventing deadly conflict.

Cameroon will shortly begin hosting the biggest Africa Cup of Nations in history. Eight games will be held in Anglophone regions riven since 2016 by conflict between the government and separatists. Internal and external actors should seize the opportunity to broker a football truce.

Tigray’s leaders have withdrawn their forces from neighbouring regions and called for a cessation of hostilities followed by negotiations. Ethiopia’s federal government should grasp this opportunity to end the fighting, while international actors should step up to provide support for talks.

In this statement, Crisis Group corrects the record regarding William Davison, Senior Analyst for Ethiopia.