Intent to destroy: Russia's Two-Hundred Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine

In Intent to Destroy, political scientist Eugene Finkel uncovers these deep roots of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Russia has long used genocidal tactics—killings, deportations, starvation, and cultural destruction—to successfully crush Ukrainian efforts to chart an independent path. As Finkel shows, today’s violence is simply a more extreme version of the Kremlin’s long-standing policy. But unlike in the past, the people of Ukraine—motivated by the rise of democracy in their nation—have overcome their deep internal divisions. For the first time, they have united in favor of independence from Russia. 

Eugene Finkel is Kenneth H. Keller Professor of International Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He is the author of Ordinary Jews: Choice and Survival during the Holocaust (Princeton, 2017). His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Foreign Affairs. He was born in Lviv, Ukraine, and lives in Bologna, Italy.

The lecture will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 11.30am in Room FSS 4006 (Faculty of Social Sciences Building, 120 University Private.

Since seating is limited, people interested in attending the Franko Lecture are encouraged to register by email ([email protected]).