When did the war in Ukraine begin: 1654, 1991, or 2021?

On September 9, Kennan Institute Director Michael Kimmage joined the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Michigan for The Origins of the War in Ukraine: A Question of Chronology.

Kimmage considers three possible points of origin for the war and examine how the chronology we choose shapes our explanations of it. The lecture also explores the difficulty of conducting chronological analysis without solid empirical evidence, a challenge extending from academic research on Russia to intelligence analysis and policymaking.

Kennan Conversations is made possible through the generosity of the Carnegie Foundation.