Russia Ukraine War
In the new Europe ‘neutrality is no longer an option’
The war in Ukraine has crystallized a remarkable transformation of Europe that has been building since World War II, says Northeastern expert Mai’a Cross: Nations that historically had been in conflict are now realizing they need each other.
How long will inflation last? And will it trigger a recession?
The causes of inflation were hard to anticipate, says Robert Triest, chair and professor of economics at Northeastern. But he is optimistic that the outcome of the current wave of rising prices is predictable—and that it will result in a relatively favorable ending.
How do Russian citizens feel about the war in Ukraine? Here’s why it’s hard to tell.
Russian support for the war is likely to begin declining as the true costs of the war—the staggering loss of life and the effects of Western sanctions—become more apparent. Based on available data, attitudes may have already begun to shift, a Northeastern Ukraine expert explains.
Are you more likely to believe misinformation about Ukraine or COVID-19?
Researchers with the Covid States Project, a collaboration among Northeastern and partner institutions, found that fewer people believed false claims about Ukraine than false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, but where they landed politically made a difference.
Has Russia’s timeline in Ukraine accelerated? Here’s what you need to know.
Russia this week entered a new phase of the war. How does this new timeline influence what’s happening on the ground—and is Putin now more likely to resort to tactical nuclear weapons? News@Northeastern spoke with Mai’a Cross, Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern, to understand more.
The shackles of the United Nations Security Council veto, explained
The Russian Federation is one of five nations that hold unilateral veto power on the Security Council—a group known as the “P5” that also includes China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Is it time to reform this power? Northeastern associate teaching professor Fiona Creed, a U.N. scholar, explains this complex situation.
What does the US have to do to avoid a recession?
A recessionary period, defined as two or more consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, may be inevitable in the coming months as the Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates in an effort to crack down on inflation, Northeastern economists say.
At war’s end, will Ukrainian refugees come home–or thrive elsewhere?
United Nations data shows 4 million refugees have fled since the Russian invasion Feb. 24. Whether they return–or thrive in new countries–depends upon how quickly the nation can rebuild and how much support they receive in their new homes, say two Northeastern scholars.
A more insidious form of Holocaust denial emerges
It is Holocaust distortion—and it was experienced first-hand by Jan Grabowski, who delivered the 29th Annual Robert Salomon Morton Lecture as part of Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week at Northeastern. He told a rapt audience he was found guilty of defamation in Poland for researching and writing a history of the mass killing.
War crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide? How to understand Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
Evidence of unthinkable barbarity has been mounting, as photos and reporting showing mass executions, mass graves, and (in some cases, tortured) bodies of civilians in the city of Bucha circulate online. But how can global leaders prosecute them?
How to simplify complex supply chains amid unprecedented disruption
If the COVID-19 pandemic showed businesses that depend on offshore production anything, it’s that one stoppage along these vast delivery channels can propagate across the entire system, Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern, said in the annual Robert D. Klein Lecture on Tuesday.
Why aren’t we using the global gas crisis to go green?
The stresses surrounding the global petroleum market should be hastening governments to lessen their dependence on fossil fuels, says Jennie C. Stephens, Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern. And yet the world seems to be doubling-down on oil and gas in defiance of an alarming UN climate report Monday.
Deepfakes and fake news pose a growing threat to democracy, experts warn
With social-media users apt to believe information that reinforces their biases, deepfakes pose an increasingly significant threat, Northeastern experts say.
Why Ukrainian neutrality may not be a pathway to peace
Ukrainian neutrality is reportedly on the table in ongoing negotiations—a result that wouldn’t necessarily ensure peace in the region after the war and, in fact, may only heighten tensions in the future, says Mai’a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern.
Why Biden’s call for Putin’s ouster isn’t damaging the Ukraine negotiations
“The comment [by President Joe Biden] was what everybody has been thinking,” says Mai’a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern. Cross remains skeptical of Russia’s intentions.
Russian students at Northeastern express support for Ukraine, share feelings about the war
Northeastern students with strong ties to Russia shared their thoughts about the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin’s conservative government, and how it feels to watch the conflict from afar as they focus on earning their degrees.
The other casualty of the war in Ukraine–architecture
Overshadowed by the human toll of the war in Ukraine is another tragedy: The loss—potential and, in some cases, already realized—of historic monuments, architecture, artwork, and public squares. Northeastern experts analyze the cultural cost and the efforts to protect priceless work.
The war in Ukraine is creating a massive grain shortage. What does that mean for the rest of the world?
In the United States, says Christopher Bosso, professor of public policy at Northeastern, the shortage will mean higher prices for bread and cereal. But elsewhere, the effects may be much more dire.
What does the war in Ukraine have to do with the price of bananas? It’s complicated.
Surging oil and gas prices will spill over into the supply chains for just about everything that has to be carted around the world, says Nada Sanders, university distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern. In the case of bananas—which have a “very long” footprint—the story is a complicated one.
A month into the invasion of Ukraine, is the Russian army becoming demoralized?
“When you are trying to engage in a military campaign for an extended period of time, being able to maintain morale is very important to unit cohesion,” says Xander Meise, associate teaching professor of law at Northeastern, who has taught international human-rights law.
The Russia-Ukraine war could throw global supply chains into chaos. And that’s the best-case scenario.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine extends into its fourth week, its effect on global supply chains—already beleaguered by the COVID-19 pandemic—is only just beginning. “This is going to have a significant impact,” says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern. “I’m extremely concerned.”
Speak out and compete, or stay silent and stay home? Russian athletes face a dilemma.
Forcing Russian and Belarusian tennis players to expressly condemn Putin would do little to put an end to the full-scale war. But the pressure of an international boycott on Russian and Belarusian athletes could push a heavily sanctioned Russia deeper into isolation, Northeastern experts say.
Unlike other refugees, Ukrainians are being met with open arms in Europe. Is it racism, or a new attitude toward those fleeing war?
Ukrainian refugees have been warmly welcomed into countries around the world, and particularly into the Eastern European countries to which most have fled, an attitude that Serena Parekh, a Northeastern professor of philosophy, hopes will outlive the conflict in Ukraine.
What happens to an American imprisoned in Russia? For a WNBA star, the troubles have only just begun
This report is part of ongoing coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war. Visit our dedicated page for more on this topic. Americans getting arrested overseas happens way more than people think, to the tune of several thousand a year. More than 30% of the cases are drug-related. The majority are citizens held by foreign governments with whom the […]
War is about suffering and death. But should those images be portrayed in the news?
The question of how to ethically and humanely document the world’s suffering is perennial, prompting conversations in newsrooms everywhere about how to portray violence, illness, and death without exploiting victims and needlessly traumatizing audiences and bystanders. Northeastern experts discuss the issue in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Is World War III possible? The next few weeks will tell.
If the U.S. and its NATO allies are going to avoid becoming militarily involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, developments in the coming days will prove critical, says Mai’a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern.
Will Putin face war crimes charges? Here’s how the legal process may play out.
If Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders are to be brought before the International Criminal Court for the invasion of Ukraine, there would likely have to be regime change in Russia, says Alexandra Meise, an international law expert. Prosecuting Putin “becomes very complicated” if he remains head of state. Meise explains how the war-crimes process could unfold.
How will the Russian invasion of Ukraine end? And at what cost?
Northeastern faculty whose expertise in global politics includes European foreign and security policy, the humanitarian toll of war, the conflict’s historical underpinnings, and the emerging refugee crisis in Eastern Europe, hosted a wide-ranging conversation about the ongoing invasion this week.
Russia hasn’t launched a massive cyberattack on Ukraine yet. Why not?
Moscow’s famed cyber prowess may not be as sophisticated as people believe, say Northeastern experts. And, Russia may not have the appetite to launch a digital war on top of a traditional one with tanks and bombs. “They don’t want a war on two fronts if they don’t have to,” says global strategy professor Luis Dau.
What could SpaceX’s Starlink do for Ukraine?
After a plea from Ukraine’s vice prime minister, aerospace company CEO Elon Musk deployed his satellite internet service in the country. Tommaso Melodia, director of the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things at Northeastern, explains what Starlink can—and can’t—do for besieged country.
In a historic shift driven by the Russia-Ukraine war, Germany building up its military
The nation is proposing to instantly increase spending by $113 billion while offering weapons to help Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion. These moves indicate a new kind of leadership from Europe’s economic powerhouse, says Mai’a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern.
How TikTok is influencing the tide of war in Ukraine
Social media posts by regular citizens have directly influenced the tide of war in these early days, from helping to expose Russian troop movements to rallying international support around the resistance, Northeastern experts say.
The International Space Station may become a casualty of the Russian war in Ukraine
The Russian space agency says Western sanctions have led Russia to question its commitment to the space station beyond 2024. Mai’a Cross, a Northeastern professor with expertise on the history of cooperation in space, explains all that is at stake.
Putin raised Russia’s nuclear forces alert status. What does that mean?
Putin’s decision to activate Russia’s nuclear forces is “deeply concerning,” says Northeastern’s Julie Garey, assistant teaching professor of political science. “Even if it is a bluff, it is a credible one,” she adds.
Vladimir Putin aimed to weaken Western alliances. He is strengthening them instead.
As Russian forces were approaching Kyiv, the European Union was making progress Tuesday on an extraordinary effort to hasten Ukraine’s application for membership. Putin’s plans to divide Europe “are not panning out,” says Mai’a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern.
What is NATO’s Response Force, and why is it being activated?
NATO’s multinational Response Force was alerted in order to create a red line at the border between Ukraine and NATO member states, not to send troops into Ukraine itself. It shouldn’t be read as an aggressive move, say Northeastern experts.
SWIFT, the ‘nuclear option,’ is about to be used as a sanction on Russia
Banning Russia from SWIFT, the payment system that links banks around the world, will be “heavily destructive to Russia’s economy,” says Mai’a Cross, the Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern.
Russian disinformation is part of its war effort in Ukraine. How can the West respond?
Propaganda campaigns by Russian President Vladimir Putin are reminiscent of his interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. But the efforts go back further, says Larissa Doroshenko, a postdoctoral teaching associate of communication studies who last year published research on Russian disinformation in 2014 during its annexation of Crimea.
What Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means for the global balance of power
The implications of Russian’s invasion for Ukraine, an aspiring North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member nation, are immense. But exactly how the conflict will affect the prevailing international liberal order depends, precisely, on how the U.S. and its allies respond, Northeastern experts say.
Stunned students protest Russian invasion of Ukraine
Northeastern’s Ukrainian students and supporters gathered Thursday to speak out against Russia’s military invasion. Those with relatives living in the country described the far-ranging attack as scary and surreal.
What do we call what’s happening in Ukraine? Words matter
There has been a stark difference between the terminology used by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Western leaders to describe the Russian attacks on Ukraine. The words we use to talk about what’s happening could unintentionally condone the invasion, say Northeastern international relations experts.
Economic sanctions may hurt, but they rarely deter
Russia may suffer financially for invading Ukraine, but President Vladimir Putin seems prepared for it, say Northeastern experts. Sanctions, however, won’t do much to halt Russian aggression.
Faculty Expertise
Northeastern faculty are available to speak about a broad range of topics on the developing situations in Eastern Europe.
To arrange interviews please email media@northeastern.edu to reach the media relations team or contact experts directly by visiting the media inquiries page.