How Biden can help stave off invasion of Ukraine
Two experts weigh in on what Biden should say to Putin
EVANSTON, Ill. — Two experts on U.S.-Russian relations are available to speak with media ahead of President Biden’s call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin today.
Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern is a professor of history at Northwestern and an expert on modern Ukraine. He can be reached by contacting Mohamed Abdelfattah at mohamed@northwestern.edu.
Quote from Professor Petrovsky-Shtern
“Biden should tell Putin this: ‘We both signed the Budapest Memorandum and need to abide by it. We both guaranteed Ukraine its territorial integrity and sovereignty in exchange for Ukraine’s nuclear-weapons-free status. Any kind of agreements and negotiations should start with you, Mr. Putin, abiding by the documents Russia and the United States signed. Get your troops out of the Ukrainian borders, and out of the occupied territories in Eastern Ukraine and return peacefully the Crimean Peninsula to Ukraine. Once you do that, we can start discussing the gas pipelines, sanctions, Syria and Iran.”
Ian Kelly is the ambassador in residence at Northwestern. Previously, he was U.S. ambassador to Georgia, ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, State Department spokesperson, and director of the Office of Russian Affairs in Washington, D.C. He can be reached by contacting Mohamed Abdelfattah at mohamed@northwestern.edu.
Quote from Ambassador Kelly
“Biden should do what we didn't do before Putin invaded Georgia in 2008 and annexed Crimea in 2014—lay out exactly what the economic consequences will be to him and his regime, if Russia again violates the sovereignty of his neighbors.”