After a year of war, the battle in Ukraine does not seem to be over. On the contrary, if Russian President Vladimir Putin has his way. Geopolitics experts Isa Yusibov and Tony van der Togt will discuss Putin’s motives for invading Ukraine, the strategies both Russia and Ukraine are using to influence the public opinion, and the future of the Russia-West relations.
About a year ago, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his so-called "special military operation". The invasion of Ukraine was the beginning of a still ongoing war with catastrophic consequences for Ukraine and its people, as well as a serious threat to world peace. A military confrontation between NATO and Russia has never been so close since the end of the Cold War. Although, Putin is far from achieving his goal after a year of war, it is clear that he intends to go all out this year to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign country.
With geopolitics experts Isa Yusibov and Tony van der Togt, we will discuss Putin’s motives for waging this war, the strategies and means he has used to achieve his goal, Ukraine's and the West's response to Russia's war tactics, and the future of relations between Russia and the West. Both speakers will share their views in short presentations and there will be ample time for questions from the audience.
Tony van der Togt is a Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael Russia and Eastern Europe Centre in The Hague. After studying contemporary history in Amsterdam (Free University) and Nijmegen, he had a long career as a Dutch diplomat, dealing with Eastern Europe and Central Asia, both in The Hague and in Moscow, Almaty and as Dutch Consul-General in St. Petersburg. Tony van der Togt has published extensively on EU-Russia relations, the EU’s Eastern Partnership, Dutch-Russian bilateral relations, and the Eurasian Economic Union. He is currently a visiting researcher at Leiden University, where he is working on a Ph.D. on Russian strategic narratives towards Europe since 1991.
Isa Yusibov is a Senior Eurasia Geopolitical Risk Analyst. After leaving Azerbaijan and coming to the Netherlands as a refugee, he studied Political Sciences in Amsterdam (UvA) and Russian and Eurasian Studies at Leiden University. He worked as geopolitical risk analyst in the UK, covering the wider Eurasian continent for government and commercial clients. BIn addition tohis current work in the field of financial crime, he regularly comments on geopolitical developments and regional affairs for (inter)national media outlets.
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SG & USE registration
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Connect with my culture (16:00 - 20:00, Hall Auditorium)
This late afternoon/early evening TU/e organizes the Connect with my Culture event in front of the Blauwe Zaal. Students and staff from the various countries that study and work at our university will present their culture with delicious food, performances, etc. The SG lecture in the Blauwe Zaal will start after the final performance.