Ukrainian Security
As Ukraine celebrates its long holiday season, all eyes are on the East. Putin has built up a massive force on the border between Russia and Ukraine but so far no one knows what he plans to do with it.
The US media are talking about a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia, apparently forgetting the takeover of Crimea in 2014. What they’re not doing is interviewing Ukrainians, of course.
On today’s episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr talks to Polina Sinovets, an international relations specialist at Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University, and Mykola Bielieskov, a Research Fellow at the National Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Ukraine.
They cover the lack of international support for armed resistance, relations with NATO, and Ukraine’s military readiness for an attack by the Kremlin. It’s a heavy episode about subjects with serious consequences, so we’re glad to have locals walk us through the details.
Thank you for listening!
Polina Sinovets
Polina Sinovets is the head of the Odessa Center for Nonproliferation (OdCNP) at the Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University (ONU), Ukraine. She is also Associate Professor in the International Relations Department at ONU.
Previously Dr. Sinovets served as senior research associate at Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies, as well as a fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and NATO Defense College. She is an expert in nuclear weapons policy and published articles in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Russia in Global Politics, NATO Defense College Research Papers etc.
Mykola Bielieskov
MA in international relations (2016). In September 2016-September 2019 worked in Ukrainian NGO "Institute of World Policy" as an analyst. Since October 2019 Research Fellow (Defense Policy Department) at National Institute for Strategic Studies under President of Ukraine. Fields of interest - Ukrainian and Russian Armed Forces, evolution of operational art.