The Deep Roots of the Ukraine War, with Richard Sakwa

While all eyes are focused elsewhere, the war in Ukraine rages on. And the distortion of the war and its causes continue to lead the U.S. and the west down a road that has led to catastrophe for Ukraine and that continues to feed the danger of nuclear war. Professor Richard Sakwa helps us break through this distorted narrative about the war to a deeper understanding of this tragic conflict that is wreaking such human, physical and ecological damage in Ukraine.

On May 19 at noon join Professor Richard Sakwa, among the leading authorities on Ukraine and Russia, to delve deeper into understanding the war, diplomacy, and peace movement priorities in this continuing dangerous time. Richard Sakwa is a professor of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent and is widely recognized as the leading Russia scholar in Europe. The webinar begins at noon eastern time because of the difference in time zones in the U.S. from those in Europe.

Professor Sakwa will be discussing the subject of his new book, The Russo-Ukrainian War: Follies of Empire. The number of casualties in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is rapidly approaching 1.5 million, with no resolution in sight … a staggering reality. Seeking to make what sense is possible of this catastrophic conflict, Richard Sakwa meticulously explores the origins, course, and consequences of the war in the sweeping context of global and domestic politics since 1945.

Sakwa’s balanced analysis centers on what he perceives as the five levels of the conflict: the dynamics of Ukrainian politics, the evolution of Russo-Ukrainian relations, the relationship between Russia and the West, broad changes in international politics, and the prospects for a viable and sustainable peace. In explaining—without endorsing—the logic behind actions on all sides, his goal is to contribute to a path toward that peace.

Richard Sakwa is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. After graduating in History from the London School of Economics, he took a PhD from the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham. He held lectureships at the Universities of Essex and California, Santa Cruz, before joining the University of Kent in 1987. He has written widely on comparative politics, international relations and political philosophy, with a focus on Russian and European affairs. His latest books are The Putin Paradox (Bloomsbury, 2020), Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War (Lexington Books, 2022), The Russia Scare: Fake News and Genuine Threat (Routledge, 2022), The Lost Peace: How the West Failed to Prevent a Second Cold War (Yale University Press, 2023) and The Culture of the Second Cold War (Anthem Press, 2025). His book The Russo-Ukrainian War: Follies of Empire was published by Lynne Rienner Publishers in March 2026.

Sponsored by MAPA’s Ukraine: A Time for Peace Campaign.