The Ukraine War & the Future of Democracy
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is an unambiguous violation of the UN Charter and international law. NATO’s expansion eastward up to Russia’s borders was seen by Moscow as an existential threat thus prompting its attack. The war continues with no end in sight. The Ukrainian foreign minister says, “Every war ends in a diplomatic way. Every war ends at the negotiating table.” That’s no doubt true but Kjiv is imposing preconditions for talks that are highly unlikely to be accepted by Russia. Medea Benjamin co-founder of the peace group Code Pink says, “The White House and Congress are fueling this war with a steady stream of weapons instead of pushing for talks to end the conflict.” We need, she says, “negotiations, not escalation.”
Speaker
Timothy Snyder
Timothy Snyder is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, Austria. He is the author of Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning, Our Malady and On Tyranny.
Larisa Muravska –
Thank you, Dr. Snyder, for educating the world about the importance of Ukraine and its fight against russian aggressor.
Den Kirby –
The above opening “headline” I did not notice in the presentation;
did I miss something. This was the most interesting narrative of (Putin, Russia) that I can recall. In the 1980″s a National Geographic issue stated that Russia believed it was destined to restore the Christian Empire of Constantine ( the 3 headed eagle being the symbol of both empires). I always used that to explain the Orthodox Patriarch”s endorsement of Putin.
Rahul Majumdar –
Can’t share the effusive praise being heaped by some on Professor Snyder’s presentation. Russia has violated the UN Charter and international law by invading Ukraine, but the current war is merely the logical result of a provocative 30-year NATO expansion towards Russia’s borders, the 2014 coup d’état (Maiden), and especially the 8-year Ukrainian civil war in the Donbas that took 14,000 lives before the Russian invasion. This is, in effect, a U.S.-N.A.T.O. proxy war on Russia with Ukraine as the staging ground.
Every serious attempt at peace, or at the very least an armistice, is being thwarted by the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) and neocons bent on destabilization and/or regime change. Recent revelations from Angela Merkel, François Hollande, and Petro Poroschenko about the Minsk Agreements’ use as a delay tactic to beef up Ukraine’s military should raise alarm bells. However, they don’t.
$110 billion for Ukraine from the U.S. Treasury alone, all for what? To continue sacrificing Ukrainian and Russian lives in a never-ending war? We look to people like Professor Snyder to expose the folly of war, which is after all a racket (Butler). Sadly, what we got instead was a black and white portrait of conflict, something war rarely, if ever, is.
Bob Brandstetter –
A sobering assessment of a grim situation. It makes clear that we should have intervened in 2014, but failing to arise to the occasion now feels like Chamberlin’s capitulation in the 30s.
Emeka Igwe –
Timothy Schneider is a great historian. Very educative and super inspiring. Thank you for the opportunity to discover such a great personality.
Kathryn Sherlock –
Snyder’s presentation is mind-opening and reassuring. First, he presents a framework, a structure” as a way to evaluate governments, applying this structure analysis to the surprising strength of Ukraine’s struggle. He presents an alternative perspective about the possible future not only of Ukraine but also of America as a possible democracy.
I am usually internally distressed when I hear the daily world news, so I avoid being informed for several days or so later. Thank you for presenting this inspiring, truly “alternative” speaker.
Iana Sommer –
Excellent clarifications and insights on so many things, I’m going to listen a second time to make sure I understand even better.
Bill Kor –
Dr. Snyder says that Russia must lose this war or democracy will be seriously undermined. He discusses Putin’s mental illness and Russia’s captivity to an intractable murderous autocracy.
J. D. Carriere –
Super good discussion. Provided me with relevant and clarifying views set in a sound historical perspective.
Thank you.