Historian of 20th C international relations, USSR, communism in global/transnational frameworks; professor at Western University and King's University College. www.oleksadrachewych.com
I'm going to try and get back to providing what analysis I can re: Russia and the Russo-Ukrainian War this week. Teaching and research has taken up quite a bit of time.
Seems that I missed the latest round of Schrodinger's Putin. Is he alive? Is he dead? Here's a pro tip - unless we know he's dead (and by this, confirmed by legit sources), assume he's alive. Especially with the rampant misinformation being spread on X/Twitter.
A reminder that Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities and civilian targets. Another example today in Kherson: www.cbc.ca/news/world/r...
More evidence that Russia is replaying the Second World War - adapting Order No. 227 - the Not One Step Back order - and the use of commissars (That said, this isn't new - something similar was being reported March 2022 too). meduza.io/en/news/2023...
U.S. National Security spokesman John Kirby reported that the Russian army executes soldiers who refuse to carry out orders, according to a statement by the White House press service.
meduza.ioSorry for the twitter link, but content important. The continued normalization of the Russian state's instrumentalization of history, targeting children, with ideas of "Great Russia" while whitewashing Soviet repression, is significant. This will have long-term impact. twitter.com/BBCSteveR/st...
In moments like these, we should also remember the casual antisemitism Putin himself has used to insult Zelenskyy or to promote certain anti-Russian conspiracy theories. It was only September that his latest such claims gained broad attention.
Hundreds stormed an airport in Russia’s Dagestan after hearing of an incoming flight from Israel on Sunday. Rioters checked people’s passports to ensure they weren’t Israeli. For hours, police appeared to do next to nothing, telling the crowd they “understand” them.
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Hundreds of protesters gathered Sunday evening at an airport in Makhachkala, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Dagestan, ahead of the arrival of a flight from Tel Aviv. The protest occurred after ...
meduza.ioThe challenge of teaching subjects you know well to potential incoming students. Do I have a general outline and notes and ad-lib most of it or do I have a script and teach it more like a normal lecture to give them a taste of the real thing? Same for powerpoint...
Russian/Slavic/Soviet scholars - H-Russia is looking for contributors for its blog series. See the CFPs here: Decolonizing Russian Studies: networks.h-net.org/node/10000/b... and Starting Points: networks.h-net.org/node/10000/b...
Historian of the Comintern, international communism, and Soviet foreign policy in the interwar period. My recent research has focused on Soviet atrocities in Eastern Europe during and post-WW2 and the parallels with Russian atrocities in Ukraine since 2014 and especially February 2022.
Putin's reaction suggests some level of concern, but also the "cowardly leadership" Kevin argues in his follow-up post. Additionally, this should put to rest the latest round of "Putin's dead" rumours unless he prerecorded a bunch of responses with instructions of "break glass in case of."
With Eng-lang subtitles: Putin’s comments today to senior govt officials gathered to discuss the anti-Semitic riots in Dagestan. He sandwiches sympathy for Gaza between remarks about terrorist attacks against Israel & the need to stay calm in Russia. “Clenched fists and tears.”
Attached: 1 video
With Eng-lang subtitles: Putin’s comments today to senior govt officials gathered to discuss the anti-Semitic riots in Dagestan. He sandwiches sympathy for Gaza between remarks ab...
A very good read to help explain and analyze what we know regarding yesterday's events in Dagestan. ridl.io/the-storming...
Harold Chambers on the implications of the storming of Makhachkala airport
ridl.ioDamn it, I just said yesterday that with Putin's speech re: Dagestan that it should put the latest rumours to rest. Until we know from legit sources, it's one's wishful thinking. Maybe cracks in facade of Putin's control in Russia, but nothing new post-Prigozhin.
Break out the tinfoil hats, lads, Telegram says Putin’s dead. Again. thehill.com/opinion/inte...
Is Vladimir Putin dead? According to a mysterious Russian Telegram channel and a prominent Russian political analyst, the answer is yes.
thehill.comJust leaving this here. That said, I'm surprised the tabloids haven't used the lurid rumours of leaders in Russia's past to get more creative. We have pictures of Putin riding horses - shirtless too! - after all. (picture from Max Seddon's Twitter feed)
Didn't know that! Still going to share my disappointment though that they could have been far more creative with the satire. Russian history has so much they can work with!
How is it November? I'm still on my September projects. I need things to slow down.
New reports that Ukraine's Western allies are believing that efforts in Ukraine will not change soon and are starting to discuss peace. A short thread to explain the challenges and recognize that little has changed re: diplomacy. Thread: (1)
According to NBC News, the U.S. and Europe have started to talk to Ukraine about the possibility of peace talks with Russia. The discussions reportedly included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up in order to reach a deal with Russia. meduza.io/en/news/2023...
U.S. and European officials have started to talk to the Ukrainian government about the possibility of peace talks with Russia, according to NBC News, which cited one current senior U.S. official and o...
meduza.ioFirst, you can read the NBC News piece, which has a few additional quotes here: nbcnews.com/news/world/u... (2)
The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal with Russia.
nbcnews.comThe logic: Feeling that a stalemate is inevitable and Ukraine is unlikely to make any real headway, the US and European allies are starting to broach the topic of peace. Fuller discussions will start in 2024. To help, security guarantees, outside of NATO, may be offered. (3)
First off, diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Russia have not ended. In fact, backchannels have remained open through war - this is smart diplomacy. And diplomacy had led to some wins: prisoner swaps, grain deal, etc. (4)
But regardless of the military realities, nothing has changed on the diplomatic front otherwise. In fact, the Americans even admit that the Russian government has not suggested any change in their diplomatic aims. They still want everything they occupy. (5)
Even further, this report highlights along with that, the plan to potentially give Ukraine security guarantees outside of NATO. How will that work? Ukr. in NATO unlikely before Feb 24. U.S. could not dissuade Russia from war pre Feb. 24. wanted war for its imperial aims! (6)
While the report suggests a realization that even if peace is signed, Russia may still restart this war, there have a naive view of how. Russia wanted to control Ukraine, all of it, and remains unlikely to accept any security guarantee for Ukraine via the West. (7)
And given some of the comments of GOP candidates re: Ukraine and Russia, will Ukraine or Europe for that matter, be okay with a US in a loose security guarantee that may be abrogated based on who's in charge? (8)
All of this is to say that while reports from Ukraine have not been encouraging regarding its offensive, and that Western allies are reconsidering how long they can support, these discussions for peace as reported are incomplete and appear to be a test to see likelihood. (9)
I still think peace is elusive. I do fear what may happen a year from now in terms of Western support for Ukraine. But at this point, this report suggests a degree of understanding things may change a year from now in domestic politics for the Ukr's allies. Little else. (10).
All of this is also before the need to convince Ukraine and Ukrainians, who still broadly support liberation of occupied territory, where Russian forces inflict atrocities on Ukrainian people, to give up territory. (11)
If interested in more from me on peace in the Russo-Ukrainian War, see my piece in the Conversation from February 2023: theconversation.com/calls-for-pe...
Calls for peace that suggest Ukraine should give up territory simply to end the war will condemn some Ukrainians to unspeakable horrors and provide a precarious foundation for lasting peace.
theconversation.comOr read my primer on what a peace plan in the Russo-Ukrainian War needs to consider: oleksadrachewych.com/2023/08/02/p...
So you want to talk about peace in Ukraine. Here’s a quick primer regarding the issues at play if you want your ideas to be taken seriously. First, full disclosure, I have been clear about my positi...
oleksadrachewych.comWhy does the West keep flirting with normalization of relations with Putin and Russia: A lot of conservative thinking. It's easy to know what we had and go back to it. Policies made on it; theories to back it. The new is hard, harder when you can't impose a vision internationally
Greetings new followers. I try to provide analysis or share thoughtful reads regarding the Russo-UkrainianWar. I also specialize in the history of modern IR, Soviet history, and international communism, offering my perspective there from time to time.
I think Zelenskyy's earned the right to drop an F-bomb on American television given what Ukraine and Ukrainians have endured.
Could I ask you where? Unfortunately, I've not been asked to comment on events for a few weeks, but did have some comments recorded for stories some journalists were working on, but for whatever reason my comments weren't/haven't been used. More curious!
Russian forces continue to attack Ukrainian cities - residential targets in Kherson, port infrastructure in Odesa. It just continues...
Excellent! Didn't know when Ania's piece would be coming out. Hoping despite other important world events, newsmedia continue to cover the Russo-Ukrainian War.
If I can cheat and say a book series (it technically was "one work" though...), E.H. Carr's A History of Soviet Russia. For content and to reconsider his arguments and conclusions now that we've had significant archival research since.
If you're a specialist in Russian and Slavic studies (broadly defined), consider reviewing a book or contributing to the Decolonizing Russian Studies (networks.h-net.org/node/10000/b...) or Starting Points (networks.h-net.org/node/10000/b...) blogs for H-Russia. Reach out to me if interested!
A reminder also of the significant environmental catastrophe Russian aggression has caused. Think also all of the Russian mining of Ukrainian territory. Think of the damage to agricultural land. Think of the Kakhovka Dam. kyivindependent.com/environment-...
The Russian invasion has impacted more than 20% of Ukraine's nature conservation areas, the Environment Ministry reported on Nov. 6. In total, 812 sites listed by Ukraine's Nature Reserve Fund have be...
kyivindependent.comYes, although, I would complicate this a bit more. Russia has accepted that it is unlikely to gain more at this point, wants to consolidate and incorporate territory it does occupy, and destroy and terrorize Ukraine for long-term destabilization (both Ukr. and the West by tying it up with Ukraine).
I really wish people who call for peace in Ukraine would stop acting like it's something that magically happens. You have Russia committing significant atrocities in occupied territory. That isn't going to be just wished away.
Do not sleep on this. The instrumentalization of history plays a significant role in how Putin and Russia has justified its aggression and imperialism in Ukraine. It is not going away and, in fact, only being further entrenched. For evidence, this great twitter thread: twitter.com/OPolianichev...
Vivek Ramaswamy literally gave the Russian propaganda cocktail in his debate answer. Every "fact" is a Russian propaganda talking point.
Alright - my brief foray (back? I do have a chapter on Canada in my first book...) into Canadian history (Don't worry, there's a Russia and Ukraine connection!) has ended (at least until I get feedback from the editor). I can return to my usual research focuses.
In Russia, Russian senator Margarita Pavlova is arguing Russia to stop encouraging women to go to university to solve its demographic crisis. Literally going with the option the Nazis implemented upon coming to power to encourage reproduction (and "end unemployment" w/ rearmament/military)
More and more evidence. Shades of Holodomor and Famine of 46-47 when Soviets took food from Ukrainians for own benefit. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
Purchases by Russian defence contractor suggest Moscow was planning to steal vast quantities of Ukrainian grain months before troops ever crossed the border
www.independent.co.ukDear remaining peer reviewer, please hurry. Yet again, more and more connections between Soviets and WW2 and Russia and Ukraine today. Just hope they are positive as my book sheds light on these connections and I hope that the book can be published quickly for the general public to read.
Really brings into perspective that "desatanization" Russia claims to be enacting in Ukraine... meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Nikolai Ogolobyak, who was sentenced in 2010 to 20 years in a penal colony for the ritual killing of four teenagers in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, was pardoned after fighting in Russia’s full-scale...
meduza.ioA good review of the budding historiography and a fair review of three books on the subject. Adding to his review of Plokhy's Russo-Ukrainian War and his own book on the subject (still waiting on my copy to arrive!), people should follow Mark Edele's analysis. insidestory.org.au/writing-the-...
Russia’s war against Ukraine is generating a rich historiography
insidestory.org.au