It is now over a year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and there is little indication that the fighting is subsiding. Indeed, with increasing levels of support among different nations for both Russia and Ukraine, the war may be intensifying. The panel of experts on Russia, Eurasia and Ukraine will discuss some of the key considerations of the historical origins, progress and possible directions of the war from their various disciplinary and professional backgrounds.

Jon Richardson is a former Australian diplomat. He covered Russia and Eastern Europe from Moscow (twice, in both the USSR and Russia), Canberra, London and Belgrade (as Chargé d’Affaires during the breakup of Yugoslavia 1991-94).  He graduated from the ANU with First Class Honours in History and was a postgraduate researcher and tutor in the politics and history of the Soviet Union prior to joining DFAT.  He also served in Africa as High Commissioner in Nigeria and Ghana.

Associate Professor Kirill Nourzhanov (ANU) has an MA from Moscow State University and a PhD from the ANU. His main research specialisation is on Central Asian politics and international relations, but his interests also cover Islamic radicalism, Eurasian geopolitics, and history of the USSR.

Associate Professor Matthew Sussex is a Fellow at the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs His main research specialisation is on Russian foreign and security policy, but his interests also cover: government and politics in Eurasia; strategic studies; terrorism and counter-terrorism; energy security; and Australian foreign policy. He is particularly interested in contemporary trends in violent conflict, especially in 'hybrid' warfare and in the evolution of propaganda.

Filip Slaveski is Lecturer in Russian/Soviet and East European History at ANU. He is an historian of the Soviet Empire, primarily of Russia and Ukraine whose work focuses on mass conflict and its aftermath, specifically the intersections of food crises, mass violence and political control and their contemporary echoes.

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Meeting ID: 875 6802 2832 Password: 859863