This week's class had a variety of angles to explore, all connected to the larger theme of transatlantic relations and the state of the transatlantic order. There was an added element of excitement and anticipation, as this time next week the AU students will be kicking off their week-long immersion experience in Brussels!
28 Feb 2022; the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been ongoing for five days. Russian forces are moving in from the south out of Crimea, in from the east in the already-volatile Donbas region, and in from the northeast, centering in on the capital city of Kyiv. At least 500,000 Ukrainians have reportedly fled the country, though actual numbers may be much higher. The US, UK, EU, and other alleged nations have enacted sanctions on Russia's economic and financial functions, and several European nations have begun supplying the Ukrainian forces with military equipment and supplies.
The first half of today's meeting focused on a transatlantic discussion of the current state of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Students discussed the irony and absurdity of the Russian "denazification" narrative, given that Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish. Another point of note is the unexpectedly "swift" response (pun intended) by western nations, enacting sanctions on Russia, including cutting off access to the SWIFT international payment system, forcing Russia to look for alternatives to the USD, the GBP, and the Euro. Less encouraging, there was a mutual concern shared about Putin's nuclear rhetoric alongside the decision of Belarus to amend their constitution, revoking their neutral and nuclear-free status.
After a brief and slightly complicated bit of small group discussion, the students came together to hear from guest speaker, Brandon Bohrn of the German Marshall Fund. Mr. Bohrn discussed the GMF's 2021 Transatlantic Trends report, providing insight into what the collected survey data revealed about topics including Europe's opinion of the US and NATO, and the stark generational gap present in views of China's global influence and position as a world power.
Though taking place under a looming cloud of war and escalating conflict in eastern Europe, the students of Reimagining the Transatlantic Order had yet another session of collaborative and productive discussion on all that the transatlantic order encompasses.
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