Looking back at “The War in Ukraine: On the Battlefield, in the Kremlin, and in the Courtroom”

On September 13^th, the Clements Center for National Security, the Strauss Center for International Security and Law, and the Clements-Strauss Intelligence Studies Project, hosted “The War in Ukraine: On the Battlefield, in the Kremlin, and in the Courtroom.”

The event kicked off with keynote remarks on “Investigating Russian War Crimes: Ukraine’s Quest for Justice” by Ambassador Clint Williamson, Lead Coordinator of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) for Ukraine. Amb. Williamson reflected on the first days after Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine and the strong spirit of the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russia. He provided insights on the complicated process of investigating and prosecuting atrocity crimes, as well as explaining why it is important for justice.

Following the keynote, we hosted a panel discussion on “Russia’s War in Ukraine: Where Does it Stand? How Will it End?”. Panelists included General Vince Brooks, U.S. Army, Ret., Former Commander, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea, Susan Colbourn, Associate Director of the Program in American Grand Strategy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Simon Miles, Assistant Professor, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Mark Pomar, Senior National Security Fellow, Clements Center for National Security. Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Founding Director of the Asia Policy Program, moderated. The panel touched on a range of topics, including the present internal states of Ukraine and Russia and the broader future of European security. Simon Miles provided an analysis of Ukrainian morale and battlefield operations, highlighting that the Ukrainian advances are “hard fought ground”. Following this, General Brooks spoke on the global implications of the war and how Ukraine can achieve success. Susan Colbourn gave comments on how domestic political changes in NATO member countries could impact involvement and aid. Mark Pomar commented on possible long-term consequences of the war. Finally, the panel took questions and discussed the potential for conflict resolution.

The event was held in conjunction with the National Security Career Fair, where students met with federal, state, and private employers from the national security and intelligence enterprise.

Watch: “Investigating Russian War Crimes: Ukraine’s Quest for Justice“

Watch: “Russia’s War in Ukraine: Where Does it Stand? How Will it End?”

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