At the heart of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lies a struggle over who defines the past and who is allowed to shape the future.
This programme examines how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has revealed the continuing hold of history and myth over Russian political reasoning, and how Ukrainians—across regions and circumstances—are enduring and interpreting the war, sustaining civic life, and asserting moral and political agency amid destruction and occupation.
It seeks to generate rigorous academic understanding of the moral, historical, and political dynamics driving the conflict, while also informing government and policy responses in the UK, Europe, and North America. By connecting deep research to strategic analysis, the programme aims to strengthen public resilience, democratic clarity, and policy coherence toward Ukraine and Russia.
The work proceeds with scholarly independence and integrity, recognising that Russia’s aggression constitutes an ongoing catastrophe for the Ukrainian people. A Russian victory would endanger not only Ukrainian sovereignty but also the broader European security architecture and the intellectual and civic freedoms that make academic work possible.