Round table "Understanding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict", March 4

Event co-organized by the Observatoire des Etats post-soviétiques and the Observatoire de l'Europe médiane contemporaine of the Centre de Recherches Europes-Eurasie-CREE (Inalco).

Friday, March 4, 2022 - 14:00-17:00 - Maison de la Recherche - Auditorium Dumézil / and online
Inalco - 2, rue de Lille (Paris, 7e)
Registration required to attend on site or remotely.

Understanding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict

Proposal by Sergei Feduinin (CREE, Inalco), Adrien Nonjon (CREE, Inalco), Mélanie Sadozaï (CREE, Inalco)

Presentation

Since February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin's Russia has stormed Ukraine. In the words of the Russian President, this "special military operation" aims to "demilitarize" and "denazify" the neighboring country. Assailed from all sides, the Ukrainian population has no choice but to flee or resist with weapons in hand. In geopolitical terms, this brutal escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which dates back to 2014, has taken the entire international community by surprise. While the success of the Russian military operation would mark an unprecedented reconfiguration of the European and world order in the name of a truncated vision of history, the fate of Ukraine seems to be reopening the debate on Western positioning vis-à-vis Europe's eastern margins. But can a peaceful outcome be envisaged? What does the future hold for Ukraine's sovereignty? What role will Putin's Russia play in the world? One thing is certain, however: while reviving the catastrophist imagination in the West (the fear of a Third World War), the war in Ukraine marks a turning point in international relations in many respects.

This round table, jointly organized by the Observatory of Post-Soviet States and the Observatory of Medieval Europe, is aimed at the general public, journalists and French-speaking students interested in the ins and outs of the current crisis. It aims to explain three fundamental dynamics to contextualize current events: the language and rhetoric of Russia's leaders, the place and role of radical movements in Ukraine, and the state of forces and Russian military doctrine. The speakers base their presentations on several years of field research in Russia and Ukraine, but also on an analysis of official texts in Russian and Ukrainian.

Speakers

• Emmanuel Dreyfus, PhD in Political Science and researcher on Russia and the Eurasian space at the Institut de recherche stratégique de l'École militaire (IRSEM).
• Sergei Fediunin, Doctor of Political Science, ATER at Sorbonne University and Russia researcher (CREE, Inalco).
• Adrien Nonjon, PhD student in History, lecturer at Inalco and researcher Ukraine (CREE, Inalco).
  

Introduction and Moderation

• Catherine Poujol, University Professor at Inalco and co-director of the Observatory of Post-Soviet States (CREE, Inalco).
• Iryna Dmytrychyn, Senior Lecturer in Ukrainian Language and Civilization (CREE, Inalco).
  

The Observatory of Post-Soviet States

The Observatory of Post-Soviet States (OEPS), directed by Catherine Poujol and Taline Ter Minassian, works on research and analysis of regional reorganization processes in the post-Soviet space, media monitoring of political, economic and geopolitical news in post-Soviet states, and the study of heritage and architecture in these states. The OEPS coordinates regular scientific activities, and publishes works, some of which have become veritable tools for understanding the "post-Soviet transition".

The OEPS continues its monitoring and analysis work in the form of "Petits déjeuners" devoted to the political, economic and geopolitical news of the post-Soviet states. Based on the principle of a media watch, the aim is to invite an expert to speak on a subject relating to current events in the post-Soviet states. Organized at a regular rate of around once every two months, these breakfasts reach a wide audience: academics, experts and business circles.

L'Observatoire de l'Europe médiane contemporaine

L'Observatoire de l'Europe médiane contemporaine of the Centre de Recherches Europes-Eurasie (CREE), Inalco, aims to organize debates open to the general public, bringing together specialists (academics, experts, journalists, diplomats...) from the states and societies of Central Europe, to provide contextualized insights into current issues, and to question the perception of the region's civilian populations on political and social changes and phenomena that are the subject of debate. While focusing on current issues, the Observatoire de l'Europe Médiane will also take an interest in longer-term societal questions (issues linked to internal politics, the socio-economic situation and transformations, cultural or media issues).
Created on the model of the Observatory of Post-Soviet States, which has been in existence since the 1990s, the Observatory of Contemporary Medieval Europe responds to the need to nurture knowledge, information and debate on a geographical area stretching from Finland to Greece, including the countries of Central and Balkan Europe, but also occasionally, depending on the issues, dealing with its "margins", countries situated between two historical and political spaces, such as the Baltic States (both ex-Soviet and EU members), Ukraine or Belarus (ex-Soviet and Medieval Europe).

Organizers

Adrien Nonjon (CREE, Inalco)
Sergei Fediunin (CREE, Inalco)

Contact: adrien.nonjon@inalco.fr