Our Politics Society were delighted to host on Friday 18 March John Lough, Associate Fellow of the Russia & Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and a consultant with Highgate, a London-based strategy advisory firm. Mr Lough spent six years with NATO’s Office of Information & Press, including a posting to Moscow where he set up NATO’s Information Office. He later managed NATO’s information programmes aimed at Central & Eastern Europe. He is the author of ‘Germany’s Russia Problem’ published in July 2021.
Mr Lough spoke about “Putin’s miscalculation in Ukraine: the outlook for Russia” to an audience of Sixth Form students and staff from Habs Boys and Habs Girls. He summarised the history of Ukraine since independence in 1992 and how event had led to the state’s strong sense of nationhood, independence and identity as a democratic society. He outlined several miscalculations and incorrect assumptions that Vladimir Putin made in his invasion strategy such as assuming that the Russian army would be treated as liberators by the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine, that President Volodymr Zelenskyy would flee Kyiv and that there would be little international support for Ukraine. Mr Lough asked questions about the likelihood of peace negotiations achieving a break through soon, the possibility of the current conflict escalating or intensifying and the likely impact of sanctions on Russia.
We thank Mr Lough for speaking to our student with such knowledge and expertise about a matter of ongoing international importance.
Meanwhile, the Habs School Council are raising funds for the British Red Cross because they want to help Ukrainian refugees. The British Red Cross is playing a vital role in the ongoing refugee crisis in Ukraine and ongoing countries. They are asking the Habs community for donations to help deliver vital humanitarian supplies to people who are in dire need at this time. Click here for the donation link.
