Germany and the United States donate tanks to Ukraine, motivating other countries to send military aid
Over the past week, discussion of Germany donating Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine has created upheaval in the international community. On Jan. 20, 2023, The New York Times reported that “billions of dollars in new arms for Ukraine” from NATO allies were announced, “including British tanks, American fighting vehicles and howitzers from Denmark and Sweden.” This is in light of the plan for Ukraine to go on the offensive in the spring, which is creating a pressing timeline for countries to equip Ukraine with much-needed supplies.
Russian Club hosts lecture on Russian and Ukranian art
On Thursday, Oct. 20, the Mount Holyoke College Russian Club hosted a talk entitled “The Black Square Goes Where?: (Re)locating Ukrainian Artists in the Russo-Soviet Avant-Garde.” The lecturer, Professor Daniel Brooks, is a visiting lecturer in Russian and Eurasian Studies at Mount Holyoke, and a Russian language and literature expert. His talk discussed Russian and Ukrainian art throughout history, grounding art in location, historical context, culture and language.
Mount Holyoke community reflects on racial discrimination faced by Africans at the Ukranian border
In the wake of Russian military forces invading Ukraine on February 24, Mount Holyoke’s McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives organized “War in Ukraine: Why? What Next?” This event was held virtually on March 8. The event, moderated by Professor of Politics and Chair of International Relations Sohail Hashmi, featured Professor of Russian Studies Stephen Jones, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Politics Christopher Mitchell and Cyrus Vance Visiting Professor in International Relations Natalie Sabanadze, who shared an in-depth discussion regarding the invasion. One of the main topics of discussion was the differences between how this war is portrayed by the media as opposed to conflicts in the Global South. Additionally, the speakers discussed the racism being faced by African and Black refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Russia invades Ukraine; US and others impose sanctions
Early in the morning of Feb. 24, Russian military forces began invading Ukraine. According to NBC News, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a “special military operation” in eastern regions of Ukraine, but in a matter of hours, land attacks as well as air strikes occurred in eastern and northern areas of the country.
Russia threatens Ukraine with increased military presence at border
In December 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin increased the presence of Russian troops on the Russia-Ukraine border. The New York Times reported that this maneuver was accompanied by demands that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should violate its standing open-door policy, which permits any country to apply for membership, and bar Ukraine from ever applying for membership. In the same article, the Times reported that Putin also “wanted NATO allies to pull all troops and nuclear weapons from former Soviet republics and nations that once belonged to the Warsaw Pact.”