According to historian and Cold War expert, Jeffrey Engel, many analysts — including himself — believed that Vladimir Putin would not invade Ukraine. Now, over one year later, the Russia-Ukraine War is one of the world’s largest military conflicts since the end of World War II. This week, we bring you a brand-new Special Report from Professor Engel, as well as some historical context regarding our country’s “troubled history” with Russia.
A Special Report on the Russia-Ukraine War
On February 24th, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, violating the sovereignty of a NATO ally. One year later, on the first anniversary of the invasion, we invited SMU Professor Jeffrey Engel to reflect on the war. What’s happened so far? Why did it happen? What’s next? What does it all really mean in the context of history? In this short discussion, Professor Engel will tackle these questions, and provide a glimpse into the twisted mind of the man behind it all: Vladimir Putin.
How Do We Understand America’s Turbulent Relationship with Russia?
William Burke-White is a renowned political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School who previously served under Secretary of State Clinton in the Obama administration. In his powerful class “Europe, Russia and Mexico: An Analysis of U.S. Policy,” Professor Burke-White explains how, and why, the United States transformed from a small independent nation into a huge global player–taking us behind-the-scenes of U.S. foreign policymaking. In this clip, he highlights three fundamental concerns –– security, economic interests and core values –– when evaluating our relations with Russia.
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