Russia Invades Ukraine

Early on Thursday, Russia began a major invasion of Ukraine with shelling and airstrikes reaching across the country including into the capital Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin released his announcement of what he termed a “special military operation” coinciding with the United Nations Security Council emergency meeting on the conflict. For months, Russia massed troops along Ukraine’s borders, and earlier in the week, Putin declared that he would formally recognize the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which Russia helped break away from Ukraine in 2014 as it also seized Crimea. The expanded Russian invasion raises significant questions about the humanitarian toll and potential responses, the stability of the international system, the causes and motivations behind Russia’s actions, and the future of Ukraine.

To discuss these issues, New America welcomes Ben Dalton, Beatrice Godefroy, and Aric Toler in conversation with Candace Rondeaux with additional comments from the ground by Liza Baran. Ben Dalton is an Open Source Fellow in New America’s Future Frontlines program, a public intelligence service for next generation security and democratic resilience. He previously worked as a journalist, videographer, and producer for BuzzFeed News, World Learning, and the International Crisis Group, and holds a dual master’s degree in Russian & Slavic Studies and Journalism from New York University. Beatrice Godefroy is Europe Director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), and previously served in several leadership roles at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Aric Toler is Director of Training & Research at Bellingcat, an international collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists using open source and social media investigation to probe a range of subjects including the conflict in Ukraine. Liza Baran was CIVIC Ukraine Country Director until recently and currently serves as an Advisor to the team. Over the last four years she has worked on issues related to the protection of civilians and the community-based protection approach in the east of Ukraine. Prior to joining CIVIC she worked with the Ukraine government and in leading think tanks. Candace Rondeaux directs New America’s Future Frontlines program. A journalist and public policy analyst she is a professor of practice and fellow at the Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies and the Center on the Future of War at Arizona State University. She is a columnist for the World Politics Review and a contributing writer for the Daily Beast.

Speakers:

Ben Dalton
Open Source Fellow, Future Frontlines

Aric Toler
Director of Training & Research, Bellingcat

Beatrice Godefroy
Europe Director, Center for Civilians in Conflict

Moderator:

Candace Rondeaux
Director, Future Frontlines
Professor of Practice, Arizona State University

With additional remarks from the ground by:

Liza Baran
Former Ukraine Country Director and Current Advisor, CIVIC