When will the war in Ukraine end?

We are approaching the end of the fourth year since Russia’s full-scaled Ukraine invasion as well as the end of the 12th year since its seizure of Crimea and part of Donbas. It seems a good moment to have another hard look at the history that brought us here, the course of the war, and prospects for its end.

The three scholar/participants we have to discuss these questions 12-2 pm February 16 (live and remote) at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies are simply the best:

• SAIS Europe Professor Eugene Finkel will lead off with some reflections from his recent book Intent to Destroy. It is a well-documented account of what the Russians have been trying to do during the past two hundred years or more.

• SAIS Russian Studies doctorate Lauren van Metre, president and chief executive of Women in International Security, has been providing assistance to women near the front lines in Ukraine. She’ll give us an up close read on the important role of civil society in supporting the war effort.

• SAIS Europe Professor Sergey Radchenko has published perceptive analyses of the pitfalls and prospects of negotiations to end the war. His recent warning to the American administration appeared in December in Foreign Affairs.

I’ll be moderating. I spent a few weeks in Kyiv in May speaking at the Kyiv School of Economics on planning for the post-war transition and talking with a lot of Ukrainians determined to hold on to their identity and state. Please do reserve a spot here). We’ll be both in person in room 258 at the Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and on livestreamed on Youtube.