On the 3 March PolSoc held a discussion on the pressing and very current issue of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The first thing that discussed was a timeline of the military action that Putin had taken and the actions the international community had taken in response to this. This then led a discussion of what more could be done, especially in terms of combating the ever increasing refugee crisis.
The group then discussed the reason behind Putin’s invasion. These included the strategic importance of Ukraine for Russia in terms of accessing European trade, the history of Ukraine having previously been part of the Russian Empire and then subsequently part of the USSR and the perceived threat to Russia’s sphere of influence as a result of the expansion of NATO and the EU.
This session was open to all year groups and it was great to see everyone especially the younger years showing an eagerness to understand and be engaged with this issue.