Lukes Interviewed on Russian Annexation of Ukrainian Regions
Igor Lukes, Professor of International Relations and History at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, was interviewed by La Razon on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of four regions in Ukraine and the impact of this announcement.
While both Ukraine and the West as a whole have declared Putin’s annexation invalid, Lukes notes that de facto control over these territories is held by Russia. He argues that the Russian President’s latest actions raise the specter of nuclear arms, a threat he has made previously. However, Lukes argues that this likely won’t happen because the figures that surround him would refuse to die with him.
An excerpt:
The Kremlin has been assuring for some time that any attempt to release occupied Donbas would be treated as a direct attack on Russia. This brings up immediately the specter of nuclear weapons and put supporters on alert western Kyiv. What Putin has done is a classic combination of diplomacy and use of force.
Lukes’ full insights can be read (in Spanish) online.
Igor Lukes is a past winner of the 1997 Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2020 winner of the Gitner Prize for Faculty Excellence at the Pardee School. He writes primarily about Central Europe. His work has won the support of various other institutions, including Fulbright, Fulbright-Hays, the Woodrow Wilson Center, IREX, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Read more about Professor Lukes on his faculty profile.