News

06 March 2022

Why has Russia attacked Ukraine?

We invited Stephen Dalziel to the school on Wednesday 2 March to speak on the very poignant topic: ‘Why has Russia attacked Ukraine?’ Stephen is a Russian specialist, translator and author, who has worked as a Russian Affairs Analyst at the BBC World Service.

Stephen, who began by saying how tragic it is to see what is happening in Ukraine, spoke with great clarity on the Russian invasion, drawing from his personal experiences visiting both Ukraine and Russia and having friends in both countries. He went on to give us a fascinating insight on Putin’s early years, how he started out in politics and how he has become more and more of a hardliner over the years.

The talk in the Boyd Campbell Hall ended with a Q&A session in which pupils asked penetrating questions such as ‘How far will Russia go if they complete their invasion of Ukraine?’, ‘Can the West do more?’, ‘Are sanctions harsh on ordinary Russian people?’ and ‘What impact has social media had on this war?’

A recording of the talk is available to watch on the school’s YouTube channel:

The thoughts of all of us at John Lyon and Stephen Dalziel are with those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If pupils or parents have been personally affected by this event, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your tutor or Head of Year, so that we can best support you.