About this Talk
Veterans, refugees & at-risk populations
Up to nine million Ukrainian veterans, millions of IDPs, and 6.9 million refugees face a daunting future in terms of employment, trauma, and reintegration. Russia’s criminal challenge may be even steeper, given its mass recruitment of convicts during the war. Once demobilized, this wave of veterans may have potentially seismic consequences for Russian society, far outstripping the violent fallout of the Soviet-Afghan War. The warning signs are already apparent.
Three questions to guide the debate:
- How can veteran-employment schemes outcompete criminal recruitment?
- What early indicators flag refugee or IDP descent into illicit economies?
- What are the lessons of past reintegration models – from the Balkans and Colombia to Vietnam and beyond – and are they transferable to the Russo-Ukrainian war?
