Has Russia’s aggression against Ukraine divided the world?

Pankaj Mishra, Author, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Maina Kiai, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, + TBA.

May 23, 2023

Is the strong reaction from Europe to the war in Ukraine an example of Western double standards, and the instrumentalization of concepts of rights and freedoms for political purposes, as some observers in the global south have suggested, or is the Ukrainian experience of resisting imperialism relevant to oppressed communities around the world. Can the language of human rights and democracy provide common ground, a way to a more equitable international order, or is it irredeemably tainted by its association with former colonial powers?

Maina Kiai

Mr. Maina Kiai is the founding director of Human Rights Watch’s Alliances and Partnerships Program, which focuses on human rights. Before joining Human Rig...

Oleksandra Matviichuk

Oleksandra Vyacheslavivna Matviichuk is a Kyiv-based human rights lawyer and civil society leader. She heads the non-profit organization The Center for Civil L...

Pankaj Mishra

Pankaj Mishra has a MA in English Literature at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Mishra writes literary and political essays for the New York Tim...