On March 1, Kent State University’s College of Arts & Sciences hosted a packed house panel discussion on Russia's invasion of Ukraine both in person and virtually. Altogether, nearly 500 people tuned in to learn about the history, politics, and global implications of the invasion.
The discussion explored the historical roots of this invasion, how those roots have been distorted by Russian President Vladmir Putin and major Russian media outlets, the regional and international political factors involved, and the invasion’s implications for human rights, human security, and the global order.
Neil Cooper, Ph.D., director of the School of Peace & Conflict Studies, served as moderator and introduced the topic by posing several key questions which helped to frame the discussion. Panel discussants each spoke for about 10 minutes, and they included: Associate Professors Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., and Molly Merryman, Ph.D., (School of Multidisciplinary Social Sciences and Humanities); Eli Kaul, Ph.D. and Associate Professor Gabriella Paar-Jakli, Ph.D., (Department of Political Science); and Associate Professor Richard Steigmann-Gall, Ph.D. (Department of History).
The first event was so highly attended that two follow-up virtual discussions were planned in the following weeks. On March 9, the follow-up virtual Zoom discussion, moderated by Merryman, featured the same panelists focused on responses to the many questions and concerns related to arms control that were asked at the previous event.
On March 16, the virtual Zoom discussion was on "The Human Cost of War" in collaboration with and featuring panel members from the University of Akron, including co-organizer Robert Peralta, Ph.D. (Center for Conflict Management) and Polina Vlasenko, Ph.D. (Department of Anthropology). Co-organizer Neil Cooper again served as moderator and panelists from Kent State included Professor James Tyner, Ph.D. (Department of Geography) and Associate Professor Karin Coifman, Ph.D. (Department of Psychological Sciences).
At the root of the invasion and overall conflict, President Vladmir Putin has expressed his displeasure with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) expanding eastward after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In a televised speech Feb. 24, Putin said he viewed the likelihood of Ukraine joining NATO as “a hostile act”.
“Global solidarity for Ukraine is quickly taking root across the nation as President Vladmir Putin continues to attack Ukrainian civilian regions,” Steigmann-Gall said. “He attacks on the premise that Ukrainian people are nationally and ethnically no different than Russians and the notion that this is a war against fascism.”
Paar-Jakli discussed the history of the European Union, eastern enlargement and why it is germane to conversations surrounding Russia and Ukraine.
“It is a big deal. I cannot emphasize that enough. It is not only an economic powerhouse and a political powerhouse, but it also has the legacy of 70 years of peace,” Paar-Jakli said. “If you belong to the European Union that means that war is unimaginable.”
Many Ukrainian ally nations are imposing heavy sanctions on Russia– freezing assets, placing travel bans on wealthy individuals close to Putin and cutting off Russia’s central bank. NATO and its member countries are also moving troops and delivering supplies to strengthen the eastern border. “There’s been rapid action that appears meaningful, and they demonstrate a willingness to suffer at least a little bit of pain at home,” Barnes said.
“While it hasn’t gone as well for Putin and his government as they probably expected, nonetheless, it’s causing terrible human suffering,” Barnes said. “People who remain in the country have taken shelter where their food and water are running out.”