Lecture on ‘Russia-Ukraine War’
Aligarh : Dr Rajan Kumar from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) traced the roots of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the bombing of thriving, work-of-art structures in Ukrainian cities continues with the advancing Russian battle tanks and missiles wreaking havoc.
He was delivering an online lecture of the Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on the ongoing ‘Russia-Ukraine War’.
Touching upon the historical context of the war, Dr Rajan emphasised that the war may have begun in February 2014 following the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, initially focusing on the status of Crimea and parts of the Donbas region.
“There are milestone moments in history that explain the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. An ensuing war – between Ukraine’s military and Russian-backed rebels and Russian troops in Ukraine’s two eastern regions collectively known as the Donbas – never formally ended leading to uncounted and unnumbered displacements and deaths”, he said.
Speaking on President Putin’s grand strategy in the war, he pointed out that scholars and experts across the globe put forward three hypothesis.
“A maximalist theory argues that imperial Russia is headed to restore the USSR by collecting core territories that it lost in 1991. A second assumption, and a moderate one, holds that once the objective of regime change in Kiev is achieved, the Russian army will withdraw. And the third logic contends that President Putin wants to stop NATO from expanding eastwards”, said Dr Rajan.
He expounded that India wants a peaceful resolution of the conflict, taking into consideration the legitimate security interest of all the parties to the conflict including Ukraine’s interest in its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Dr Rajan also answered queries on the war.
Prof Upendra Choudhury chaired the session and moderated the lecture programme.
Prof Iqbal-ur Rehman (Chairman, Department of Political Science) extended the vote of thanks.
Dr Rahat Hasan delivered the introductory address.
Over 100 students and faculty members attended the lecture.