Tension is in the air with Ukraine Crisis

On Feb. 19, 2020, PVCC held a seminar on the Ukraine Crisis within and the U.S-Russian relationship. This talk was run by Dr. Yuri Urbanovich, an associate professor of politics from UVA. Urbanovich got his M.A. in international relations at the University of Moscow, and his Ph.D in international relations from the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

The event was run at the main building in the auditorium, room M229. About 50 people attended, including students, staff, and even visitors from the community. The event ran from noon to 1 p.m. Many students signed in on a sign-in sheet to receive extra credit.

During the seminar, Urbanovich went over a few key points. He gave a short overview of the history of Ukraine, conflict in eastern Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, and lastly President Zelensky and his peace treaty. After Urbanovich went through the five points, he held a Q&A with the last five minutes of the seminar. 

While the seminar occurred, the air became tense and the severity of the issues that came to light. However, the seminar was not all bad. Urbanovich lightened the mood with light humor of the events happening by making remarks such as, “NATO is not a club of housewives.”

  Additional information was given, such as how Ukraine got its name, and how the U. S. sent medical support to Crimea to help Russian troops.  Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, and how he attempted to make a peace treaty with the EU known as the European Association Agreement, but plans failed once NATO was brought into the picture.

The event was educational while being  entertaining. It shed light on the current topic of the Ukraine crisis that is not talked much about on current news channels due to the presidential election. It also gives another perspective on the situation itself.