El Departamento de Ciencia Política y Estudios Internacionales tiene el agrado de invitar al seminario "Russian Aggression Against Ukraine: Petro-Dictatorship vs Emerging Democracy" a cargo de Alexander Strakhov. 

Abstract: This study explores the profound political and economic disparities between Russia and Ukraine, which have often been overlooked in favor of other explanations of their conflict. By analyzing ten comparative graphs of development indicators, the research reveals the divergent paths the two nations have taken since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia has moved towards increased autocracy, state ownership, and rentier economy, while Ukraine has progressed in democratic practices, civil society development, and market reforms. The paper argues that these growing disparities have played a crucial role in fostering Russian aggression, positioning the conflict as a clash between an authoritarian, imperialist regime and an emerging market democracy. Using statistical analysis, the study identifies substantial correlations between rising Russian aggression and the widening political and economic gap between the two countries. This findings suggest that the increasing hostility from Russia towards Ukraine may be to a certain extent explained by their contrasting development trajectories. This paper contributes to post-communist studies by providing a nuanced understanding of the divergent democratic and non-democratic transitions in Russia and Ukraine, as well as the complex relationship between socio-political divergence and international conflict. 

Expone:

• Alexander Strakhov (IE University)

Modera:

• Alejandro Peña (Universidad Torcuato Di Tella)

El seminario será en inglés, sin traducción.