Russ LengPolitical Science professor,
Middlebury College and at
Academy of Lifetime Learning
Cape Cod Community College
Two Classes
1:30 – 3:00 (Zoom ONLY)
November 8, 15
11/8: The Trial of Vladimir Putin
Russia has been accused of a variety of war crimes in Ukraine: aggression, traditional war crimes against Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, crimes against humanity, and even genocide. Members of the Russian army already are being tried in Ukrainian courts. But what about the man at the top, Vladimir Putin? Can he be held responsible for the actions of Russian troops? Is there any reasonable possibility that he eventually may be brought to trial by an international court? This talk takes a close look at the legal, moral, and political issues surrounding these important questions.
11/15: Russian-American Relations After the Ukraine War
Eventually the war in Ukraine will end, most likely through a diplomatic settlement. Whatever the residue of enmity and distrust created by the war, the United States and Russia are too large and exert too much influence in global affairs to ignore each other. Will they find a workable modus vivendi? Or are we headed for another Cold War? This talk considers those questions from the perspective of the history of Russian-American relations since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.