During a meeting between Russian and American officials Monday (Jan. 10), both sides indicated an openness to ongoing diplomatic talks, but revealed no breakthroughs on resolving the standoff over Ukraine.
Dr. Scott Feinstein, assistant professor of political science at Iowa State University, offers expertise on the way national identity shapes both non-violent and violent politics in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
“Russia has taken an aggressive approach to reassert itself as a world power, but we often lose sight of the role that the expansion of the U.S. with NATO into eastern Europe has had in the recent escalation of conflict,” Feinstein said.
Feinstein is available to answer questions on the following topics:
- How U.S. politics have influenced growing tensions in Ukraine and eastern Europe
- The cultural relationship between Russia and Ukraine, including the concept of ‘Slavic Brotherhood’ pushed by Russia
- Why Russia may be more interested in disruption than a full-blown invasion of Ukraine
- How Russia has influenced other former Soviet states by moving into contested territories
Feinstein is currently working on a book project “National War and Peace in Post-Soviet Eurasia” to explore why some Soviet successor states experienced secessionist violence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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