Friday October 11, 2024
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Meeting Both In-Person and by Zoom
Dampeer Room, Second Floor of Kelvin Smith Library*
Case Western Reserve University
Dear Colleagues:
Deep into its third year, with winter approaching, Russia’s war on Ukraine appears to be tilting in Russia’s favor.
In the Donbas, some argue, Ukraine appears to be pursuing a strategy of slow retreat designed to maximize Russia’s costs. Russian has ramped up “punishing air assaults” on Ukrainian cities far from the front lines. In spite of Ukraine’s brave resistance and some western support, Russia all along has had huge advantages: it is much larger and the war is fought on Ukraine’s soil. Ukraine’s efforts to redress the imbalance with incursions into Russia do not seem to have accomplished much. Russia plans to increase its military budget by 25 percent next year.
Meanwhile, of course, if Donald Trump regains the presidency, Ukraine will be faced with an enemy in the White House as well.
But can Putin really hope to fully conquer Ukraine? Can NATO give support that will reverse the trends on the ground? Even if it does, could that possibly allow Ukraine to recapture the land it has lost? Are Ukraine and Russia now at the point where each country’s leaders can imagine a settlement? Could that possibly be stable?
In March of 2022, Steve Crowley joined with our Roman Sheremata to discuss “Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: What is Putin Thinking?” In April of 2023 Steve spoke with us about “Russia’s War on Ukraine: Where Is It Headed?” He joins us by Zoom to ask the logical next question. We will have our usual gathering in the Dampeer Room for those who want to talk with each other and enjoy goodies, and on Zoom for all others.
Best wishes for safety and security for you and yours,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies
About Our Guest
Stephen Crowley is Professor in the Department of Politics, Oberlin College. He is a scholar of the politics of Russia, Eurasia and Eastern Europe, with a focus on labor and the political economy of postcommunist transformations. His teaching centers on Russia and Eastern Europe, peace and conflict studies, revolutions, and globalization.
Recent research has focused on the impact of economic sanctions on Russian society, and the potential for social and economic protest as a result. Another current research project is entitled “Deindustrialization and the Populist Challenge: Comparing East and West,” examining political outcomes in four rust-belt communities in the US, UK, Poland and Russia.
Crowley has been a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, a Visiting Scholar at George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, at the Aleksanteri Institute at the University of Helsinki, at the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Bologna, and at the Collegium Budapest/Institute for Advanced Study. |
