September 17th Dinner Meeting

Dr. Robert Barylski, a retired associate professor in the Department of Government and International Affairs at USF, and author of The Soldier in Russian Politics 1988 -1996, addressed our September 17 meeting at Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club.

Dr. Barylski, who frequently travels to Russia and speaks on political and economic reconstruction in the former Soviet Union, addressed Russia’s need for a long-term alliance with Europe (Russia has energy supplies and Europe needs them); corruption in Russia (It may just be may be part of Russia’s heritage); and the need for Russia to build and maintain positive relations with neighboring Islamic nations on its southern border. He also gave his views on the recent conflict between Russia and the Ukraine, and the effective annexation of the Crimea by Russia.

After his presentation, Dr. Barylski conducted a question-and-answer session, fielding a variety of questions from the audience