My book manuscript, Appeasing Russia? The Council of Europe after the Annexation of Crimea, investigates European reactions to Russian aggression in Ukraine. In 2014, the Council of Europe’s status as the premier international organization dedicated to democracy and human rights collided with Russia’s imperial impulses. Although the Council of Europe initially held true and sanctioned Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea, in 2019 the organization betrayed its principles when it lifted the sanction. Appeasing Russia? examines this reversal. The manuscript demonstrates how Russia capitalized on its knowledge of the Council of Europe to change the original logic of the sanction as well as how the actions of Russia-sympathizers and party volatility in multiple states facilitated an outcome that has been criticized as appeasement. These developments set the stage for Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine by giving the Kremlin reason to believe that any unity in a European response would again prove frail or fleeting.

I am grateful to the following Junior Research Fellows who have assisted me with the manuscript, Appeasing Russia?:

• Abby Snodgrass (Fall 2024)
• Hannah Harris (Spring 2024)
• Jillian Malinsky (Fall 2022)
• Gabriel Castro (Spring 2021)
• Kasey Joyce (Fall 2016)

Students interested in research opportunities should speak with me during office hours. As a rule, participants will have performed well in one of my courses. Undergraduate students wishing to receive academic credit may apply to the Junior Research Fellows Program, which is administered through the University of Florida’s Department of Political Science. An overview of the Junior Research Fellows Program, including contact information and deadlines, is available here. Please note that the workload for Junior Research Fellows will be more than what is expected from participants who are assisting on a voluntary basis.