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The King's Russia Institute is pleased to invite you to a discussion of:

When Does Vladimir Putin's Russia Intervene Militarily, and Why?
with 
Simon Saradzhyan Director, Russia Matters Project, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Assistant Director, US-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism
and
Nabi Abdullaev Lecturer, Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences; Director, Control Risks
in conversation with with 
Domitilla Sagramoso Lecturer, Department of War Studies, King's College London

As we approach the fifth anniversary of Vladimir PUtin's military intervention in Ukraine, it is worth asking what drives such actions: When does Putin's Russia intervene militarily, and why? Russia used direct military force against Georgia in 2008 to protect the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, it employed covert and overt military force in Ukraine in 2014 to annex Crimea and assist the Donbas secessionist movement, and it became militarily engaged in Syria in 2015 in support of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. What lead the Russian leadership to resort to the use of force in these three scenarios? Were Russia's actions following a clear 'grand strategy'? What was the role of ideology? To what extent did national interest play a part? Can Russia's 'strategic culture' offer a convincing answer? Mr Saradzhyan and Mr Abdullaev, in conversation with Dr Sagramoso, will explore the factors that have shaped Russian military-political decision-making under Vladimir Putin.

Event details

K6.63
King's Building
Strand Campus, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS