College of Liberal Arts to host major discussion on Russian-Ukraine war

March 16, 2022

Note: This story was initially published March 6 and has since been updated with the video of the event.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine more than a week ago, Towson University experts have been providing insight into its ramifications.

That discussion will come to campus March 9 when the College of Liberal Arts hosts a panel, moderated by Dean Chris Chulos, addressing the crisis from a variety of angles. Held in person and via Zoom, the panelists and professors will offer observations on historical (Benjamin Zajicek), military (Robert Rook), diplomatic (Alison McCartney) and security contexts (Joseph Clark) as well as the human consequences (Jennifer Ballengee).

After brief remarks, audience members will be invited to ask questions or share observations. 

“To better understand the context and consequences of military aggression against Ukraine, I invited five experts from the College of Liberal Arts to consider why this conflict in Eastern Europe matters to the global order and democratic nations,” says Chulos.

The event is open to faculty, alumni, staff and students and is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts Office of the Dean.

Ballengee called the last few weeks “a shocking series of events” and addressed the Ukrainian refugee crisis during an interview with WBAL radio. Since the war began, an estimated one million people have fled Ukraine, half of that to Poland. She compared it to the Syrian refugee crisis between 2015 and 2016.

“It’s a sudden and huge number,” Ballengee told WBAL. “So far, the Polish people have been incredibly welcoming and supportive. In addition, you have other countries [in the European Union] expressing a willingness to take in refugees.”

Clark participated in interviews on WBAL-TV, FOX 45 and WMAR, explaining the strategic moves being made. He also commented on the precarious position the U.S. is in with its ally, Ukraine.

"We need to do everything we can at this stage to avoid a military confrontation between the United States and Russia for a host of reasons. Now, we can only control half of that equation. If Russia moves against a NATO member, we must respond, and that would bring us into direct conflict," he told WBAL-TV’s Kim Dacey.