Georgetown University Holds Townhall Following Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Students and faculty gather to hear from speakers following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Photo by Caroline Mecia
Members of the Georgetown community demonstrated support for Ukraine at a town hall on February 24. Earlier that day, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, targeting multiple cities, including Kyiv, with missile and artillery attacks.
The town hall included four speakers: Joel Hellman, Dean of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service; Katerina Sedova, a Ukrainian Georgetown alumnus; and Georgetown professors Charles Kupchan and Caitlin Talmadge. The speakers at the event each offered a unique insight into the context and impacts of the invasion.
Sedova, a graduate of Georgetown’s Master’s in Foreign Service program and current Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, discussed her fears for the safety of her family members in Kyiv. She also affirmed Ukrainians’ sentiments of resistance, saying, “Ukrainians will resist … It is their homes, their children's future … They want to live their own choices for themselves.” She followed with a worldwide call to action, reminding those gathered that the struggles of Ukraine are real life, “not just a hashtag.”
Dean Hellman touched on his experience as a Sovietologist and referenced recent speeches from Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing the psychological and individual motivations behind the invasion in Putin’s history as a Soviet agent.
Georgetown Professor Charles Kupchan, who also served as President Obama’s former Senior Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council, touched on the lead up to the invasion. He referenced the post-Cold War challenges of building security architecture in Eastern Europe and pointed to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea as the “precipitating event” leading to a strong Ukrainian identity and setting the stage for strong opposition from its people. He criticized Putin’s actions as an “unprovoked, unjustified act of aggression” and identified a likely goal of establishing a puppet government. He also warned of increased domestic problems in the United States if it becomes too preoccupied with the war. Kupchan advised attendees to “fasten [their] seatbelts” and prepare themselves for “a bumpier world.”
Professor Caitlin Talmadge, Associate Professor of Security Studies in Georgetown’s SFS and Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, works in nuclear deterrence and escalation. She classified the invasion as an expression of Putin’s desire “to ensure Ukraine stays within Russia’s sphere of influence” and keep the country out of NATO. She highlighted Putin’s unconventional use of nuclear threats to deter other states from coming to Ukraine’s rescue.
The event left students with a modest understanding of the events unfolding in Ukraine and possible developments to expect. Professor Kupchan concluded the event by observing that “the global balance of pressure is shifting away from liberal democracy” and reasserted the importance of domestic strength: “If we don’t get our house in order, we won’t get anything else right.” As the world is projected into a new period of transition and conflict, this conflict will test the strength of NATO and the EU.
