New Tensions in Russia-Ukraine Relations: The Drivers and Politics Surrounding the 2021 Russian Troop Build-Up

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The New York-Russia Public Policy Series is co-hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University and the New York University Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia.

After weeks of growing regional tensions as Russia amassed more than 100,000 troops next to Ukraine’s borders, on April 22, 2021, Russian defense officials ordered troops back to their bases, with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu commenting that the forces had “demonstrated their ability to provide a credible defense for the country.” What were the drivers behind this large Russian military build-up, and did they achieve their objectives? Did reactions by EU and US officials play a positive role in encouraging a de-escalation, or should we expect new tensions to arise over the course of the year? How have the Russian and Ukrainian publics reacted to the prospect of a renewed regional conflict?

Please join us as we examine these important questions surrounding the 2021 crisis, with leading security and political researchers from academia, think tanks and the policy world.

This event is supported by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York.

SPEAKERS

Timothy Frye, Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy at Columbia University; Director of the International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow

Michael Kofman, Senior Research Scientist in the Russia Studies Program at CNA; Fellow at the Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC

Olga Oliker, Program Director for Europe and Central Asia at the International Crisis Group in Brussels; Adjunct Professor of European and Eurasian Studies at SAIS Europe

Polina Sinovets, head of the Odessa Center for Nonproliferation (OdCNP) and Associate Professor in the International Relations Department at the Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University (ONU), Ukraine

Moderated by:

Alexander Cooley, Director of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University

Joshua Tucker, Director of the Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia, New York University