A Year in Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Forging a U.S. Response
A special episode of The Just Security Podcast, co-hosted by the Reiss Center on Law and Security
February 24, 2023
In the year since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we have seen some surprising military, diplomatic, and legal developments in the war. Ukrainian forces have proven remarkably strong, and the Ukrainian people have demonstrated utter determination against a Russian leadership and military that have drastically underperformed. Meanwhile, the United States has honed its own response to Russia’s illegal invasion, which includes assembling an alliance to support Ukraine, billions in humanitarian aid and weapons, massive sanctions against Russian entities, and new laws to prosecute those who commit grave crimes in Ukraine through U.S. courts.
On the occasion of this somber anniversary, the Reiss Center teamed up with The Just Security Podcast to reunite a group of experts to discuss how the United States has responded to the conflict and what comes next. These legal and diplomatic all-stars first came together in the panel discussion we convened on the day Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Today, they have returned to reflect on a year of war, the U.S. response, and what lies ahead.
Podcast Guests
Dan Baer, Senior Vice President for Policy Research and Director of the Europe Program, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Former: U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State.
Tess Bridgeman, Senior Fellow & Visiting Scholar, Reiss Center on Law and Security; Co-Editor-in-Chief, Just Security. Former: Deputy Legal Advisor, National Security Council, Special Assistant to President Obama, Associate Counsel to the President.
Rose Gottemoeller, Steven C. Házy Lecturer, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University. Former: Deputy Secretary General of NATO; Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, U.S. Department of State.
Podcast Hosts
Viola Gienger, Washington Senior Editor, Just Security; Research Scholar, NYU School of Law. Former: Senior Editor/Writer, U.S. Institute of Peace; Pentagon and State Department Reporter, Bloomberg News.
Paras Shah, Host of The Just Security Podcast, and postgraduate fellow at Just Security and research scholar at NYU School of Law. Former: Associate, O’Melveny & Myers LLP.
Additional Resources
What You Need to Know: Unpacking the Law in Russia’s War Against Ukraine
A series of brief question-and-answer interviews with leading experts on major legal issues arising out of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the global response to that conflict.
Just Security’s Russia–Ukraine War Archive
A compendium of over 200 articles published by Just Security since 2022 analyzing the diplomatic, political, legal, economic, humanitarian, and other issues and consequences of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
February 24, 2022: “The Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Navigating Law, Diplomacy, and Force”
One year ago, as Russia launched its invasion, a panel of leading experts and former US diplomats examined the current state of play, the domestic and international law issues involved, and the larger geopolitical and historical context.