On 9 August 2022, the Centre for russian Studies, with the organisational assistance of the Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions, conducted a roundtable entitled ruscism: What Is It? at the premises of the GDIP Media Center.
Volodymyr Ohryzko, the Head of the Centre for Russian Studies and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007–9), moderated the meeting.
Народы России! Империя рухнет – сможете ли вы создать на её трупе свои свободные государства или окажитесь под обломками – зависит исключительно от вас.
Russia is ‘a dread, droll, and disgraceful place’.
—Dmitriy Bykov, a Russian writer [1]
Over the last two decades, the development of Russia has led to a number of phenomena that have resulted in sweeping changes both domestically and internationally. While claiming no comprehensive analysis of these events, I will attempt to outline at least the major challenges besetting modern Russia and share my vision of its future prospects.
This report deconstructs 16 of the most prevalent myths and misconceptions that shape contemporary Western thinking on Russia. It explains their detrimental impact on the design and execution of policy, and in each case outlines how Western positions need critical re-examination to ensure more rational and effective responses to Russian actions.
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/05/myths-and-misconceptions-debate-russia
The article describes international sanctions against the Russian Federation as an instrument of pressure and punishment for its aggression against Ukraine and other international crimes. The author asserts that sanctions are used to enforce international legal norms when all voluntary conciliation measures of resolving a conflict caused by an international delinquency are exhausted. The Russian aggression endangered the whole European security architecture formed after World War II with the meaningful participa¬tion of the US, European countries, and Moscow, then the Soviet Union. As Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA in 2010–15, the author of the article worked in 2014 with his American colleagues from the State Department, National Security Council, Pentagon, and US Department of the Treasury on the provision of support to Ukraine and imposition of sanctions on Russia. Appeals to exert pressure on Russia to stop its interven¬tion and to provide assistance to Ukraine were also addressed to the UN, other internation¬al organisations, and financial institutions. More than 40 states have joined the anti-Russian sanctions.
The author underscores that sanctions can in no case be reduced; rather, they should made tougher until Russia withdraws its troops Ukraine and stops flagrantly violating in¬ternational law. If Western states have a unified position and political will, Russia will be compelled to respect the international order and security system formed by the interna¬tional community after World War II, particularly in Europe.