Fragen an die Grundsätze der christlichen Kriegs- und Friedensethik angesichts des Krieges in der Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is, since February 2022, the main theme of a lot of discussions, especially in political circles and an important question for societies in Europe and throughout the world. The reflection on this theme includes different as- pects of not only geopolitical and economical character, but ethical too. The present article talks about questions which during the actual war in Ukraine bring up the principle of the Christian or Catholic ethics of war and of peace. Some of these principals are ineffective like political efforts and demand rethinking and reformulation. One of the main questions concerns the position towards war, others concern the conditions of the traditional under- standing of a just defense and the causes of this military conflict. The war in Ukraine rous- es questions about responsibility and the rule of international organizations and about the means to safeguard peace. The Christian or Catholic understanding of the ethics of war and peace is far from radical pacifism, but their principles demand in light of the war in Ukraine a rethinking and reformulation over some specific questions.