Books For Understanding Russia S Invasion Of Ukraine

How did we get here? Who are the key players, and why is Russia so intent on undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty? As you may imagine, it’s been a long, blood-soaked road. There are several internet articles that ably break down the historical and political factors that led to the current crisis. This Vox article covers the region’s contentious history up to 2014, and Al-Jazeera has neatly summarized the recent developments — though the fast-moving nature of the crisis means that it will probably be out of date by the time you read this. While social media is certainly a double-edged sword, it has proven indispensable in terms of allowing people from the affected regions to get news out to the rest of the world in real time. You can try TikTokers like @xenasolo and @elonakarafin for up-to-the-minute, easy-to-understand explanations of what’s happening. People have also been using social media to share relevant reading lists, like this one which originated on Twitter. If you’ve got a little more time and want to delve deep into the history leading up to the conflict, Ukraine in Histories and Stories: Essays by Ukrainian Intellectuals, edited by Volodymyr Yermolenko, makes an excellent starting point due to its accessibility — you can download it for free — and its breadth of topics. It collects essays on a variety of historical and contemporary topics written by leading Ukrainian writers and scholars. Their combination of local knowledge and subject matter expertise makes for powerful reading. The rest of the books on this list tend to focus on one particular aspect of Russia and Ukraine’s relationship. All are by white authors, which is a shame, as both nations are home to multiple ethnic groups who surely experience the escalating crisis in different ways. Despite this limitation, these books are well-researched, informative, and perfect for anyone looking to better understand the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.