Two years in: Analyzing the war in Ukraine

February 24 marks two years since the beginning of Russia’s wider invasion of Ukraine and ten years from Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. Ukrainians have fought valiantly against the brutal onslaught, but two years on from the full invasion, Kyiv is facing equipment and manpower shortages — along with wavering international support for additional military and financial aid.

The Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and the US Institute of Peace (USIP) host a discussion with former US ambassadors to Ukraine and Russia analyzing the current battlefield situation, the importance of Western aid and the disastrous consequences that would result without it, and what can be done to secure Ukraine and its democracy long term.

Opening remarks

Lise Grande
President and CEO
US Institute of Peace

Denys Sienik
Deputy Chief of Mission
Embassy of Ukraine to the US

Speakers

Ambassador John Herbst
Senior Director, Eurasia Center
Atlantic Council

Ambassador Steven Pifer
Senior Fellow
Brookings Institution

Ambassador John Tefft
Distinguished Chair, Diplomacy and Security
RAND Corporation

Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch
Senior Advisor, Russia and Europe
US Institute of Peace

Moderator

Ambassador William Taylor
Vice President, Russia and Europe
US Institute of Peace

issue spotlight

Europe in crisis

War in Ukraine

In February 2022, Moscow launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine after a months-long military build-up, threatening the country’s sovereignty and its future. This existential moment for the country follows the 2014 Maidan revolution, a nexus for Ukraine’s Europe-focused foreign policy and reform efforts. The ensuing Russian invasion and occupation of Crimea, aggression in Ukraine’s east, and Kremlin disinformation efforts, cast a shadow over Ukraine’s independence.

Ukraine’s partners should link wartime aid to continued reform progress

It is crucial for Ukraine’s international allies to link continued wartime financial assistance with the implementation of reforms, write Mykhailo Zhernakov and Nestor Barchuk.

Two years in: Analyzing the war in Ukraine

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Conflict National Security

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting policies that strengthen stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.

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