Teaching Notes: What to Do About Russia and Ukraine
Three experts join CFR President Richard N. Haass to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and its implications for U.S. foreign policy in this video of a mock high-level U.S. government meeting.
By experts and staff
- Published
Ukraine’s recently held presidential election has been deemed a success, but the country faces a number of continuing challenges including an ongoing separatist rebellion in the east. Karen Donfried of the German Marshall Fund and CFR Fellows Robert Kahn and Stephen Sestanovich join CFR President Richard N. Haass to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and its implications for U.S. foreign policy. The panelists outline potential steps that the United States can take to help stabilize the country and promote political and economic reform. They also consider the impact of the crisis on U.S.-Russia relations going forward.
This meeting is part of the “What to Do About” series, which highlights specific issues and features experts who put forward competing analyses and policy prescriptions in a mock high-level U.S. government meeting.
Teaching Notes Components
Background
Questions for Class or Writing Assignments
- How did the Ukrainian crisis begin? What were the most important events leading up to today?
- Why did Russia oppose the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union?
- Why did protestors oppose President Yanukovych’s decision not to sign the Association Agreement?
- What is Crimea and why is it important in this crisis?
- Who is fighting in Ukraine? Who is supporting each side? What are the goals of each side?
- How are regional and linguistic distinctions in Ukraine important to the current crisis?
- What actions have the United States and Europe taken thus far regarding the crisis in Ukraine? How have the United States and Europe differed in their approaches to resolving this crisis and why?
Stakes
Questions for Class or Writing Assignments
- What does President Putin’s speech tell you about his view of Russian interests in Ukraine?
- Why is the United States interested in what happens in Ukraine?
- Could the United States tolerate a divided Ukraine? What factors should Washington consider when making that decision?
- The United States and Russia collaborate on a number of diplomatic issues, including nuclear non-proliferation, negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, and the future of Afghanistan. How do you think Ukraine should fit into this mix of interests? Is it more important? Less? How does that assessment affect your argument about what the United States should do in Ukraine?
- What risks does Europe face by taking stronger action against Russia? What risks does it face by not acting?
Options
Questions for Class or Writing Assignments
- The United States and Europe have placed economic sanctions on Russia. Do you think sanctions are likely to change Russia’s behavior? Will the current sanctions be sufficient or will the US and the EU need to turn to more serious sanctions, perhaps targeting particular sectors of Russia’s economy? What costs might such sanctions impose on the US and the EU themselves?
- The United States is already supplying limited, non-lethal aid to the Ukrainian military. Should this aid be continued? What conditions, if any, should Washington put on the aid?
- Should Washington consider expanding its aid to include weapons, ammunition, and other lethal items? Why or why not?
- Should the United States and its allies consider sending their own forces to Ukraine, either openly or secretly? Why or why not? What considerations should they take into account before deciding?
- What diplomatic outreach should the United States and Europe conduct to resolve this crisis? What assurances, incentives, or threats about future behavior could be given to either Ukraine or Russia to help address their concerns and alleviate the conflict?
- The European Union has been reluctant to place broad, punitive sanctions on the Russian economy. Is Europe right to hold back, or should it be doing more? Are there conditions under which it should definitely expand its efforts? What are they and why?
- Under what conditions, if any, should NATO extend membership to Ukraine?
- Should the United States simply stay out of this crisis and tolerate a potentially divided Ukraine? What factors should Washington consider when making that decision?
Class activities
- Class discussion: Discuss the interests, stakes, and options facing the United States in Ukraine and see if consensus can be reached on a course of action. Specific questions might include: What are U.S. interests in Ukraine? What outcomes are preferable to the United States? What options are available and what risks do they bear? What might be the consequences of not acting? What has been the president’s course of action so far? Do you agree with his strategy? Explain your reasoning.
- White House role play: Either individually or in small groups, students should place themselves in the shoes of a presidential adviser. Taking into account regional and international political dynamics, they should make clear and internally coherent recommendations as to what the United States should do in Ukraine. [As a more challenging variant, hold a National Security Council-style meeting, in which each student or group represents the interests and positions of a particular U.S. department. Players could include the secretary of state, secretary of defense, director of national intelligence, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the U.S. permanent representative to the UN.]
- Regional role play: Divide the class into multiple small teams covering a variety of countries and groups active in the Ukraine conflict (e.g., the Ukrainian government, the Ukrainian rebel groups, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, the EU as a whole, and the United States.). Each team should prepare a presentation outlining its principal interests; describing its role in the conflict to date; and discussing what their group could contribute to a potential solution. Class discussion after the presentations should explore a) what the presentations illustrate about why agreement has not been reached and b) what an agreement to settle the Ukraine crisis might include.