The Russian invasion of Ukraine likely will end in one of three ways: a protracted cold war, possible World War III, or a nuclear war, said Mai’a Cross, Edward W. Brooke Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Northeastern. “It’s a really precarious situation that we’re in right now, globally,” Cross said. “There are two things I would pay attention to: the danger of miscalculation and human error, and the question of how far [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is willing to go.”
Cross delivered the sobering assessment during a discussion on the Russia-Ukraine conflict Tuesday evening that was attended by dozens of students, faculty, and staff in-person on Northeastern’s Boston campus, as well as countless more who watched a livestream of the event. Cross was joined by a host of other faculty from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities whose expertise in global politics includes the humanitarian toll of the conflict, its historical underpinnings, and the emerging refugee crisis in Eastern Europe.
Their conversation—moderated by Thomas Vicino, associate dean of graduate studies and professor of political science, public policy, and urban affairs—covered a range of issues that have emerged from the invasion.
