War & Peace (Season 5)

Episode 3: Time to Talk? Assessing the Plausibility of Negotiations in the Russo-Ukrainian War

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga talks with Samuel Charap, Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation, about whether the current moment makes negotiations to end the war in Ukraine more or less advantageous for all concerned. They discuss Russian narratives about negotiations, various parties' goals and whether or not Moscow has the upper hand in the wake of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. They also unpack the prerequisites for and attainability of sustainable security for Ukraine and Europe.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more of Crisis Group’s analysis on the topics discussed in this episode, check out our Ukraine country page.

Episode 2: Why Women Fight: Gender Dynamics in Insurgencies and Armies

Throughout history, women have been involved in conflict: as soldiers, as insurgents and as civilians. Yet, the ways in which men and women are treated on and off the battlefield and the contributions they make can vary widely, shaped in large part by deeply ingrained societal views about gender.

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga Oliker and Elissa Jobson are joined by Jessica Trisko Darden, Associate Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, to discuss how gender dynamics shape insurgencies and wars. They explore the reasons why women decide to go to war, what motivates insurgent groups and armed forces to recruit women and the perceived benefits and costs of greater gender parity. They discuss the roles women and men take on in war and why these often differ. They take a closer look at how these gender dynamics have played out in Ukraine and elsewhere, the institutional barriers women face within the military and Kyiv’s efforts to recruit more women into its armed forces. They also discuss how the conscription of women differs in armed forces around the world.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more of Crisis Group’s analysis on the topics discussed in this episode, check out our Gender and Conflict page.

Episode 1: The Days After: Humanitarian Crisis and Prospects for Peace in Karabakh and the Region

In the first episode of a new season of War & Peace, Olga Oliker is joined by Crisis Group’s South Caucasus experts, Olesya Vartanyan and Zaur Shiriyev, to talk about the implications of Azerbaijan regaining control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a one-day military operation on 19 September. The immediate consequences were the end of the enclave’s three decades of de facto self-rule and a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians. Olya, Zaur, and Olesya discuss the new refugee crisis, Armenia’s response and prospects for the enclave under Azerbaijani rule, including for any ethnic Armenians who stay or those who seek to return in the future. They also address the potential for both peace deals and renewed escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan and what leverage outside actors, including the U.S., Russia (whose role has been fundamentally transformed), the European Union and Türkiye, can exert to make a sustainable peace more likely.

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more of Crisis Group’s analysis on the events in Nagorno-Karabakh, check out our recent statement Responding to the Humanitarian Catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and our Nagorno-Karabakh page.