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The current status and the future of the war in Ukraine

Person i jacket that reads "War Crimes prosecutor"

A war crimes prosecutor examines the consequences of a Russian missile attack in central Odesa, Ukraine, on Nov. 25.

Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ukraine is in the crosshairs of politics, domestically and globally. What is the status of this war, and what does the future hold for the Ukrainian people?

On Nov. 18, the Network for Responsible Public Policy hosted a virtual discussion to answer these questions and many more about the current situation on the ground, U.S. political sentiments and challenges, Russia’s threats to the region, its cozy relationship with some American leaders and more.


The speakers addressed the current situation, options and future for Ukraine.

The speakers were:

  • Timothy Frye, the Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy at Columbia University. He received a B.A. in Russian language and literature from Middlebury College, an M.I.A. from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia. His research and teaching interests are in comparative politics and political economy, focusing on the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. His most recent book is “Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin’s Russia. He also edits Post-Soviet Affairs.”
  • Oxana Shevel is an associate professor of political science at Tufts University and director of the Tufts International Relations program. She is co-author (with Maria Popova) of a book on the root causes of the Russo-Ukrainian war, “Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States.” Shevel serves as vice president of the Association for the Study of Nationalities and of the American Association for Ukrainian Studies.

Gideon Rose, the moderator, is the Mary and David Boies Distinguished Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was previously editor of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2021. He served as associate director for Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council in 1994 and 1995.

Enjoy this insightful and important discussion and analysis of the war in Ukraine in which the speakers discussed the current situation (attitudes, strengths and weakness) in both Ukraine and Russia on the ground and politically, as well as scenarios that may be initiated by the Trump administration.

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