Dear CCI Friends,
Amidst much talk about how the war/special military operation in Ukraine might end
- crushing defeat (preferable to the West and Ukraine providing Russia is the defeated) or,
- stalemate (acceptable to the West as it keeps the war on life support and able to be revived at a moment’s notice, not a great way to live for Ukrainians or Russians) or,
- negotiated settlement (fraught with difficulties not the least being that the Ukrainian leadership will not negotiate with Russia and Russia would be foolish to trust the Ukrainian regime or any NATO representative at the negotiating table given recent experience) or,
- something else……….
nothing offers much hope for an end to the tragedy except the possibility of “something else.” And a vague wish for “something” to happen to end it sounds like a forlorn hope indeed.
But University of Rhode Island Professor of International Politics Nicolai N. Petro has offered us a “something else” alternative. Dr. Petro’s regional area of expertise is Russia and Ukraine and in this recent interview with Pascal Lottaz at Neutrality Studies he offers both a succinct summary of the difficulties of the present situation in Ukraine and a realistic, hopeful solution to conclude the hostilities and erase the bitterness that is sure to follow.
Please take time to see the video – it’s not long – and we would appreciate your thoughts on the reasonableness of Prof. Petro’s vision for peace.
Sincerely,
Paula Day, Director, CCI
Breaking Free: Ukraine Will Ditch Neocon Hawks, Strike Solo Peace with Russia! (youtube.com)