Faculty panel considers global implications of war in Ukraine

Skidmore College political science and history faculty drew on their disciplines and regional expertise to offer insight into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the motivations driving Russian President Vladmir Putin and Western allies, and the global implications of the growing conflict. 

Assistant Professor of Political Science Emmanuel Balogun moderated the in-person panel, on Thursday, March 3. The discussion featured Associate Professor of Political Science Yelena Biberman-Ocakli, Professor of History Jennifer Delton, Professor of Political Science Kate Graney, and Associate Professor of Political Science Feryaz Ocakli. 

Graney, a specialist on Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union, opened the panel with an appeal for students and other audience members to recognize the complexity of the war, to read widely and deeply about issues surrounding the conflict, and to be skeptical of overly simplistic explanations. 

Drawing on her book “Russia, the Former Soviet Republics, and Europe Since 1989” (Oxford University Press, 2019), Graney situated the conflict over Ukraine in a broader context of the growth of the European Union in recent decades, which overlapped with the collapse of the former communist regimes in Eastern Europe, and centuries-old questions about Russia’s place in Europe.  

“Over the past 30 years, we've had these dual processes of Europe becoming Europe and also being bigger than it ever thought it was going to be, and having to grapple with the Russian question and the question of (the future of) post-Soviet countries,” said Graney, who also serves as director of Skidmore’s Gender Studies Program. “What I describe in in my research is that that's a really multifaceted process: Yes, it goes along political and military lines — NATO and the EU — but also cultural and civilizational lines … What I was writing about in the book was how, since 1989, you've had this new chapter in this ongoing story about is Russia ‘Europe’ or is it not?” 

Biberman-Ocakli, a scholar of military strategy who has worked in both Russia and Ukraine and co-produced a recent podcast series about the dissolution of the Soviet Union, described the continuing uncertainty associated with the war, including much more "robust and courageous resistance” by Ukrainians than Putin had anticipated. She acknowledged the difficulty of gauging Putin’s intentions in Ukraine but also cautioned against discounting the threat that Putin saw in Ukraine’s recent efforts to join the Western military alliance.  

“I think the truth is that Putin was both bothered by NATO and threatened by NATO. He also wants power,” she said. “Whether or not we think it (Ukraine’s desire to join NATO) is threatening is immaterial; Putin thought it was a threat, and he's the leader of Russia.” 

Moving forward, “Putin’s threat is existential,” Biberman-Ocakli added. “He has everything to lose. He is staking everything on this” war, raising important concerns about possible escalation of the conflict. 

Feryaz Ocakli, a specialist in comparative politics and international relations, discussed global responses to the war, including the implications for the global economy. Although Western countries have unified during this crisis, economic sanctions remain among the few measures that Europe and the United States were able to deploy because of concerns of engaging in direct conflict with a nuclear power.  

The measures, which exclude Russian banks from the global messaging system allowing international bank transactions and also prevent Russia from accessing foreign reserves, are unprecedented in scope and are likely to continue to have deep implications for Russian elites, the public, and the global economy, Ocakli said.  

“If you look at the economic sanctions that have been placed on Russia, I think they qualify as economic warfare: The West is not in an actual shooting war with Russia, but it is certainly in a kind of war with Russia. We haven't seen these before, especially toward such a large country as Russia,” he said. “If the sanctions were meant to be a deterrent, we would have had to implement them before the Russian assault on Ukraine. These are meant to be punitive — to basically hurt the Russian economy.”  

“These sanctions are unlikely to put an end to the Russian war effort, but they are likely to be able to significantly affect their economy.” 

Delton, a historian, opened by contrasting the current conflict with U.S. posturing during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and considered the ways that overarching liberal worldviews shape Western attitudes toward the conflict.  

“The reason we did not see this (war) coming is that we think within a liberal paradigm — that is what we teach, what we expect the world to be. We don't understand the world from an illiberal perspective,” Delton said. “I don't want to predict anything because historians never do that, but there are a lot of signs suggesting that there is a real paradigm shift in the world right now, where liberalism and Western liberalism and rule of law and individual rights may be on the decline as their protectors have weakened in power, which is one way of understanding why Putin invaded Ukraine.” 

The discussion, which took place in The Center at Skidmore, was at full capacity. Many alumni, parents of students, faculty, staff, and other community members also joined the conversation via livestream.  

Aside from the academic aspects of the conflict, both Graney and Biberman-Ocakli also noted the emotional toll that war presented for many. Biberman-Ocakli grew up in Belarus, which was then part of the Soviet Union, before immigrating to the United States. She also spent time as an adult in neighboring Russia and Ukraine. 

“I came to this country as a refugee, and my heart is breaking,” Biberman-Ocakli said. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such a warm and supportive community as Skidmore. We must recognize such a community to be our most precious resource …  All this reminds us how interconnected we are not just politically, but also physically and emotionally.”  

Earlier in the week, the College also held a moment of silence and vigil to reflect on events in Ukraine. Community members lit candles and contributed messages of peace, healing, and support to a community banner.