On November 8, the Institute of European Studies, and the Goldman School of Public Policy with sponsorship from the Center for Security in Politics, the Center for Studies in Higher Education, and the Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES) held a panel discussion on the war in Ukraine. The panel members consisted of Inna Sovsun, a Ukrainian Member of Parliament who serves on the Committee of Energy, Housing and Communal Services, and Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Professor of Economics at UC Berkeley, with discussion moderated by Professor Janet Napolitano of the Goldman School of Public Policy. The panel focused on what the current situation in Ukraine looks like, what has been done so far to help Ukrainians during the war, and what the future could hold.
Sovsun opened the discussion by sharing her personal experience with the war and the ways that it affects her daily life in Kiev. As the event began, she shared how only 35 minutes prior her phone alerted her of an air raid. She explained how the alerts can happen at any time and people must be prepared to get to a bomb shelter in case bombs land in the city. On October 10, 2022, Kiev faced the largest bombing attack it had thus far. Sovsun described how she had to reassure her son of their safety while they could hear bombs exploding as they had to make their way to their nearest bomb shelter located at a metro station.
Professor Gorodnichenko gave his economic perspective of the war. Gorodnichenko noted that the Ukrainian economy has faced a major economic shock as GDP has contracted and inflation is expected to reach 30% by the end of the year. Despite these effects, the economic infrastructure of Ukraine is still intact.
A major issue that Ukraine faces, Sovsun explained, is that Russian attacks focus on destroying energy infrastructure. For Ukrainians, this means when they have power is unpredictable. Electricity can be down for hours unexpectedly which means business must close and people must find alternative ways of getting water and heat. The Ukrainian government has taken action to repair damaged infrastructure, but energy sources continue to be damaged by attacks. The best way that other countries can help Ukraine, Sovsun says, is by providing military support, particularly by providing heavy artillery such as tanks.
Sovsun and Gorodnichenko also spoke on the way sanctions have affected the Russian economy, keeping up the Ukrainian people’s morale, and how anyone can help by donating to the Ukrainian humanitarian relief. Their final comments emphasized that the war should not be thought of as something that is happening far away, but that we should all care because no one should have to live in fear of attack.