Rethinking security in the occupied territories of Ukraine
This invitation only workshop invites participants to think about the concept of vernacular security as a tool for understanding the significance of the Occupied Territories of Ukraine in any settlement of the war.
While Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought the question of how to resolve interstate disputes back into international headlines, for citizens of the occupied territories in the east of Ukraine conflict dates back to 2014. The focus on state level initiatives to end the war has obscured the layered conflict dynamics which exist within the occupied territories. In the decade since its occupation of Crimea, Russian policy in the occupied territories has been marked by Russification and disinformation campaigns that weaponise historical narratives to legitimise its presence. A negotiated settlement to the interstate war will not necessarily resolve these tensions and indeed could exacerbate them. It is therefore necessary to understand how any interstate agreement on territory would be implemented within the occupied territories themselves.
The aims of this UK-Ukraine knowledge exchange workshop are to:
- Explore the utility of the conceptual framework of vernacular security for understanding security in the border territories of Ukraine
- Share insight from Ukrainian scholars on what security means in the context of a politically negotiated end to the war
Discussion will be focused on cultivating deeper understanding of vernacular security as a tool for connecting the local, national and international dimensions of security.
Please note that this event is invite only.