UNA: Ukraine and the State of Affairs
Ukraine and the State of Affairs: A Conversation about Peace and Justice; United Nations Association USA, Pasadena Chapter; Armory Center for the Arts August 22, 2019 Speaker: Dr. Gregory Zabacz, Associate Provost and Director of the Center For Peacemaking and Conflict Studies, Fresno Pacific University Presentation: Dr. Zabacz began with a historical overview (6th century to present day) of the Ukraine's Russification. Russification is the replacement of native Ukrainian language and culture with the Russian language and culture based on Russia’s belief that Ukraine is inherently a part of Russia. Presently, President Putin believes that Ukraine is covered in the Brezhnev doctrine, which states that Russia has the right to militarily intervene in the affairs of countries that were in the historical Soviet Union. Gregory Zabacz explained the causes of the current conflict. He first acknowledged three of the Ukrainian government’s past errors: 1) destroying a