World Issues Forum: Understanding Russia’s War on Ukraine

Political Science faculty Cynthia Horne and Yuliya Tverdova will participate in a panel discussion on "Understanding Russia's War on Ukraine" hosted by the World Issues Forum on April 6 at 12 pm.  Please join them for this important presentation via Zoom.  More details below!

WWU faculty experts share their latest insights for understanding the war in Ukraine. What are the roots of Ukrainian nationalism and how has it developed since the Cold War? What are the mythological and historical bases of Russian nationalists’ interests in Ukraine? Have Western geopolitics and economic globalization contributed to Russian military adventurism? How do Russian leaders and civilians view its war on Ukraine? 

Susan Costanzo, Associate Professor and Chair of History; Cynthia Horne, Professor of Political Science; Yuliya Tverdova, Senior Instructor in Political Science; Sarah Zarrow, Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies, Associate Professor of History 

Prof. Cynthia Horne will focus on foreign policy issues, engaging Ukrainian, U.S., Russian, and EU foreign policy interests and actions, including NATO expansion since the Cold War, collective security obligations, the array of foreign policy options available to states, the use of economic sanctions, the possibility of nuclear weapons or war escalation, how oil and gas affect the geopolitics of this crisis, and the role (and limitations) of the United Nations. Prof. Susan Costanzo will explain how the entangled history of Russia and Ukraine going back over 1000 years why Ukrainians want to maintain their independence and why some Russians feel justified in claiming that the territory belongs in Russia. 

Connect to the Zoom presentation here and for more detail, please go to or visit the World Issues Forum website:  April 6th- Understanding Russia’s War on Ukraine | Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies | Western Washington University (wwu.edu)