On December 26, 2022, the Kyiv Post released an interview with UW’s chair of the economic department and associate professor, Alexandre “Sasha” Skiba.
Skiba is a Ukraine native from the village of Andrijevychi. He moved to the United States for college and finished his PhD at Purdue University. He noted that being a trilingual economist from Ukraine likely aided in the Post’s decision to reach out.
“I don’t know how they found my name, but I think there were some other Ukrainian economists who have been giving interviews about the situation and I think that’s kinda how they stumbled on me,” he said.
In the interview, Skiba discussed the Russian side of the war’s equation, including inflation and the status of the Ruble.
Skiba noted that the situation in Ukraine is a very personal matter. He still has family in the country, and mentioned that it’s more difficult to contact them via phone calls, as electricity is down frequently. For Skiba, conducting the interview was a small way to be a part of the war effort from across the world.
“The biggest thing for me honestly was just keeping the war in the news,” Skiba said. “Just keeping that war fresh, I think that’s the biggest thing that Ukrainians need right now.”
It’s not uncommon for people so physically distant from a conflict to lose sight of what’s going on. Although there is an abundance of information online, especially with social media, Skiba said it’s paramount that individuals are critical with the “facts” they read.
“What’s really important is to think about the situation. Get informed, and read uncomfortable but well-supported opinions. And question things,” he said.
Many professionals, including Skiba, point out that the war in Ukraine is monumental. Simply being informed, he argues, is one of the most important things the average bystanders can do to help victims.
Aside from supporting Ukrainians, being aware of the situation will be beneficial to bystanders, as countless issues will be affected following the aftermath, from energy security, to NATO, to the role of Asia in the world order.
“This is the war that will change the world order,” he said. “There will be far reaching consequences of this war.”
