International Relations

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt sits in a chair and gestures while speaking to NYT's Clay Risen

Sweden’s ex-Prime Minister talks Ukraine, effects on Europe

In a Perry World House chat with New York Times reporter Clay Risen, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt offers his assessment on everything from the history of the conflict to the effects of IKEA leaving Russia.

The best way to stop China from aiding Russia is for the U.S. to help Ukraine

Neysun Mahboubi of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about China’s relationship to Russia, which has shifted over time. “It’s more than a little ironic—and not lost on any Chinese leaders of a certain generation, I’m sure—that Mr. Putin’s big plan for Making Russia Great Again seems now to rest on whether or not China feels like taking on Russia as its vassal state,” he said.

Alice Sukhina in Ukraine holding a large Ukrainian flag wearing a flower crown.

A Ukrainian watches their country at war

Ph.D. student Alice Sukhina watched on their computer at Penn as their hometown of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, was invaded by Russian troops. While their parents were able to leave Ukraine, the rest of their family remains; Sukhina has been working nonstop to provide aid from afar.

On the screen of a tablet (l), the website of the Russian TV channel RT can be seen. On the right, the screen of a smartphone shows the official Twitter account of Ukrainian President Selenskyj

Cyberattacks, Russia, and the changing face of war in the 21st century

Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, a visiting fellow of Perry World House, shares her expertise in cybersecurity and how cyber methods are being utilized during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

How did this many deaths become normal?

Courtney Boen of the School of Arts & Sciences said the Global North’s insistence on moving on from the pandemic “shifts the burden to the very groups experiencing mass deaths to protect themselves” and absolves world leaders of responsibility. “It’s a lot easier to say that we have to learn to live with COVID if you’re not personally experiencing the ongoing loss of your family members,” she said.

Two women sit on either side of a table onstage. The signage behind them reads, "Perry World House"

Four takeaways from the ‘The Struggle for Women’s Human Rights’

In an event marking Women’s History Month, the Law School’s Rangita de Silva de Alwis joined Perry World House’s LaShawn R. Jefferson in the discussion “Global Justice: The Struggle for Women’s Human Rights.”

The case for more companies to keep pulling out of Russia

Philip Nichols of the Wharton School spoke about the potential effects of divesting from Russia. “In the past decade, Putin’s administration has undertaken a lot of things that either insulate the administration from public opinion or manipulate public opinion,” Nichols said. “So, when the Russian people are hurt by all of these things, it kind of dulls the effect that that will have inside of the Kremlin. On the other hand, just because it dulls it doesn’t mean it is not felt.”

Putin tried to break the international order—it will hold him accountable

William Burke-White of the Law School wrote an opinion piece about Vladimir Putin’s relationship to the international legal system. “The collective global rejection of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has actually made that system stronger, unifying it in a shared commitment to sovereignty, rights and law,” Burke-White wrote. “Putin unwittingly has given the international order exactly what it needed to hold him to account.”

Four people seated on stage at Perry World House.

‘War in Europe: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine’

In an expert briefing hosted by Perry World House and moderated by Lightning Scholar Jane Vaynman, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow, political science professor Rudra Sil, and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin discussed sanctions, the humanitarian crisis, and whether diplomatic solutions are realistic.

A closer look at racist biases in the coverage of Ukraine

Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, a Ph.D. student in the School of Arts & Sciences, was interviewed about the mistreatment of Ukraine’s Black residents as they attempt to flee the country. “This is a multi-country problem we’re looking at,” she said.

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