Dr. Michael Baker: Four Years and Over a Million Russian Casualties in Ukraine—What's Next?
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In 1994 the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom signed an agreement to ensure the sovereignty of Ukraine. The signatories of the memorandum pledged to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability of its borders, guarantee its security, and to refrain from the use or threat of military force. Russia breached these commitments with its annexation of Crimea in 2014, then escalation of attacks in Eastern Ukraine, and ultimately a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Join us for a talk by retired Rear Admiral Dr. Michael Baker, who asks: Why did the United States and Great Britain not honor the Budapest Memorandum and provide more support to Ukraine, and put more pressure on Russia to withdraw? Where has the cowardly United Nations been when a European country was invaded? Why is this erratic and uninformed administration withholding aid that could save Ukraine and its democracy from Russian aggression?
Baker says the United States and Europe should be "all in" to defend Ukraine to forestall further Russian aggression in the Baltics, Moldova, Finland and elsewhere; Ukraine should be brought into NATO as a full partner for its defense—and to share their current wartime expertise fighting Russia with their Western allied countries.
About the Speaker
Dr. Michael Baker recently retired from a 40-year career in general, vascular and trauma surgery. He also served 30 years in the uniform of his country and retired with the rank of rear admiral. He currently teaches history, political science, and military affairs for the Osher LifeLong Learning (OLLI) Programs at UC Berkeley, Dominican, CSUEB, CSUCI—and is on the Board of Governors of Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. He teaches advanced trauma life support (ATLS) in the United States and at military bases around the world and has had five tours in Ukraine teaching ATLS to physicians in that war-torn nation.
This program is in-person only. If you have symptoms of illness (coughing, fever, etc.), we ask that you either stay home or wear a mask.
Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming.
An East Bay Chapter program. Chapters and forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, and they cover a diverse range of topics.
Main image by SaveUkraine from Pixabay; Baker photo courtesy the speaker.
Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs.
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Lafayette Public Library
Don Tatzin Auditorium
3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard
Lafayette, CA 94549
United States
Dr. Michael Baker
M.D., Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret)
6 p.m. doors open & check-in
6:30–7:30 p.m. lecture
7:30–8 p.m. Q&A
8 p.m. book signing
(all times Pacific Time)
COST
In-person:
$10 for members (in advance purchase only; no discounts at the door)
$15 nonmembers
Free for high school and JC students with I.D.
