National Defence committee  Sanctions are already starting to work. The Russian ruble is crashing. The banks are under threat. If sanctions need to be escalated even more, that can be done. Military aid to Ukraine is going ahead. I think this is the way to go.

National Defence committee  Absolutely.

National Defence committee  Okay, sure. Let me mention that the biggest problem is that Ukraine needs security guarantees. Also the problem of recognizing Crimea is that this is a threat to the international rules-based order. What I want to say really briefly is that the reality that Europe and North America are faced with right now after this Russian aggression is that a new iron curtain will be descending in Europe.

National Defence committee  To be honest, we would have to talk to the Russians in order to stop this war. Expelling is a very strong symbolic step, but somehow the talks will have to continue.

National Defence committee  Hello, and thank you for this invitation. I am a professor of political science. I have worked on Russian and Ukrainian domestic politics for about 20 years now. I have extensive experience researching the political processes of both countries. I have written articles and books about that.