World leaders of the Group of Seven are gathering in Italy for a three-day summit. There are a number of big items on the agenda, including negotiations over how to finance an aid package for Ukraine that entails using the interest from frozen Russian financial assets to help support Ukraine fight Russia and help Ukraine rebuild after the war. The U.S. also announced a long-term security agreement with Ukraine.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insights, analysis and commentary on the summit, including those negotiations around aid for Ukraine and the U.S. and Ukraine long-term security agreement. To speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at gwmedia
gwu [dot] edu.
Scheherazade Rehman is the director of the European Union Research Center and a professor of international finance, business, and international affairs. She has advised a number of institutions including OPIC, USAID, U.S. State Department, The World Bank, IMF, and Central Banks and Finance Ministers of Turkey, Nigeria, Peru, Mongolia, Hungary, Poland, Russia and China. Rehman’s areas of expertise include international finance, global and emerging financial markets, central banking, privatization and financial sector development, Middle East economics and Islamic finance, and the European Union.
On using the interest from frozen Russian financial assets to help Ukraine, Rehman spoke with NPR about what exactly this looks like. She says, “The Europeans would like to transfer them to Ukraine yearly or every two years, so spread it out. The Americans, however, want to find a way to get this money very quickly to Ukraine all at once.”
Colin Cleary, professorial lecturer of U.S. Foreign Policy at GW, is an expert on Ukraine-Russia dynamics, Europe Energy Security and NATO. Professor Cleary can speak on the great power conflict and national security, NATO’s expansion–especially as it relates to Ukraine, and arms control. In addition to his expertise, Clearly has lived and worked in Kyiv, Moscow, Poland, Romania, Spain and Ireland.
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