As those of you who have followed Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, on social media over the last few years will know, Russia appears to be one of his favourite subjects to talk about.
It comes from years of academic research. Seely has written extensively about Russia and Russian Warfare, with peer-reviewed papers published on the subject and was a Research Associate at the Changing Character of War Programme at Oxford University.
Vocal on the subject
So it is no surprise that this week, given the developing situation around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and his position on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, that the Island MP has been particularly vocal in the House of Commons.
In turn, the number of MPs referring to Bob Seely in Parliament has increased somewhat (21 times in the last week alone), as his name becomes known for being an expert on Russia rather than just representing the Isle of Wight.
Indepth knowledge of Russia
Seely’s indepth knowledge of Russia, and indeed Russian warfare, comes from as far back as the early 1990s when he worked as a journalist in the former USSR.
As his Website explains,
“He first visited the USSR in early 1990, witnessing the first celebrations of Easter in western Ukraine since Soviet occupation after World War II, and also the first Chernobyl disaster protests in Kiev that year.
“He filed an initial batch of reports [to The Times] and was invited by the newspaper to return permanently to the USSR / former USSR from 1990 to 1994.
“During his time, Bob reported from most of the Union republics / new nations of the USSR: Russia (including Moscow, European Russia and Siberia) Ukraine (including Crimea), Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenian (including Nagorny Karabakh), Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. He also made occasional visits to the Balkans, including Sarajevo and Kosovo.
“In the final year in the former USSR, Bob became a Special Correspondent for The Washington Post. He then spent a year in the USA writing a book, Deadly Embrace, on Russia’s role in the Caucasus.”
Other connections
The life of Seely’s late German mother, who was brought up in Nazi Germany but moved to Krackow during the war, was saved by the fact that her father could speak Russian and serve as a translator for the invading Russian forces.
There’ll be lots more
As the situation in Ukraine develops, the House can expect to hear more from Bob Seely, Isle of Wight MP, and we can expect to see and hear him commentating far more in the media and on social media about the Ukrainian crisis.
News OnTheWight joins others across Europe in standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Image: © With kind permission of Allan Marsh
