Khrystyna Holynska

Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, and Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in political science, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine; MBA+MBAI in business administration, artificial intelligence and data analytics, Kyiv School of Economics, Kyiv, Ukraine; M.A. in political science, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine

One Page Bio

Overview

Khrystyna Holynska is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. Her research interests include foreign, defense, security policy, Ukraine, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Holynska has a Ph.D. in political science from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and an M.B.A.+M.B.A.I. (business and management in artificial intelligence and data analysis) from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE). Prior to joining Pardee RAND, she headed the defense and security policy research startup KSE StratBase and was an assistant professor of public policy and governance at KSE. Holynska was also a strategic analyst at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, where she focused on Russia's coercive behavior, nonproliferation, deterrence, the future of NATO, and geodynamics.

Research Focus

Concurrent Non-RAND Positions

Selected Publications

Stephan De Spiegeleire, Karlijn Jans , Mischa Sibbel , Khrystyna Holynska & Deborah Lassche, "Implementing defence policy: a benchmark-“lite”," Defense & Security Analysis , 35(1), 2019

Stephan De Spiegeleire, Khrystyna Holynska, Yar Batoh, Tim Sweijs , Reimagining Deterrence: Towards Strategic (Dis)Suasion Design , Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, 2020

Yar Batoh and Khrystyna Holynska, "Assessing International Support of Ukraine Regardnig Crimea," UA: Ukraine Analytica , 1(23), 2021

De Spiegeleire, Stephan, Yar Batoh, Daria Goriacheva, Glib Voloskyi, Khrystyna Holynska, Anastasiia Vozovych, Bohdan Baliuk, et al. , (Russian) Deterrence, we hardly know ye, , 2021

Khrystyna Holynska, Yar Batoh, Yevhen Sapolovych, Daria Goriacheva, Stephan De Spiegeleire, A Decade of Russian Cross-Domain Coercion Towards Ukraine: Letting the Data Speak, FREE Network Policy Brief, 2020

Stephan De Spiegeleire, Khrystyna Holynska, and Yevhen Sapolovych, Taking Russian Assertiveness Seriously: Letting the Data Speak, PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo, 2020

Languages

Ukrainian; Russian

Commentary

Ukraine

From Gatherer of Lands to Gravedigger: A Political Assessment of Putin's War on Ukraine
Putin's war in Ukraine is already redefining the entire international order. If the United States acts now, it may be able to influence the shape of the post-war geopolitical terrain.
Feb 13, 2023
The RAND Blog
Nation Building

Politics of Ukrainian Reconstruction
When fighting subsides, Ukraine may undergo reconstruction on the scale of the post–World War II Marshall Plan. Debate is ramping up about core issues, such as the scope of reconstruction, sources of funding, and reforms needed for success. Ukraine and the West might begin now to forge consensus on these issues.
Nov 30, 2022
The Hill
Russia

Understanding Russia's Motivations, and Using Them
The concept of ontological security could help explain Putin's war on Ukraine and his regime's reasoning. It's about maintaining a continuous sense of self, and in this case, of state identity. Putin may have deemed the invasion necessary to maintain a sense of continuity and order, where order is Russia's continued adversarial relationship with the West.
Aug 19, 2022
RealClearWorld
Nuclear Disarmament

How Russia's Nuclear Double Cross of Ukraine Teaches Dangerous Lessons
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the West's support for Kyiv has been tempered by an ace up Vladimir Putin's sleeve: the potential use of nuclear weapons. But other countries are taking notice, which could imperil world stability even further.
Aug 16, 2022
Breaking Defense
Ukraine

Rebuilding Ukraine
By leveraging better investment conditions and reforms and broad international support, Ukraine could carry out a well-executed reconstruction program once the fighting ends. It might repair much of the war damage and help Ukraine move into the ranks of faster-growing European economies.
Apr 18, 2022
United Press International
Russia

Russia's Problems with Military Professionalization
Even if Russia manages to take control of the territory of Ukraine, the Russian military's underlying problems with professionalization may handicap these occupiers in their efforts to maintain control over that country for the long-term.
Mar 21, 2022
Breaking Defense
Ukraine

Continuity of Government in Ukraine
On February 23 Russia launched a war on Ukraine. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky and its parliament might accelerate steps to ensure the continuity of government, a need made more urgent because of the risk that Kyiv could soon fall.
Feb 25, 2022
The Hill
Ukraine

Two Choices in Ukraine
Facing existential risk, Ukraine may consider unprecedented steps. Urgent measures might help it protect against a Russian invasion. And if the immediate threat were to ebb, Ukraine might use the time gained to prepare for potential future threats.
Jan 31, 2022
The Hill

Publications

Report
The Trade-Offs of Ukraine's Recovery: Fighting for the Future
In making decisions about reconstruction, the Ukrainian people and their government will face trade-offs regarding timelines, prioritization of efforts, leadership, and funding.
May 2, 2023
Report
Great-Power Competition and Conflict in the 21st Century Outside the Indo-Pacific and Europe
This report explores where the United States, China, and Russia may be competing for influence in secondary theaters; where and why competition might turn to conflict; what form that conflict might take; and implications for the United States.
Apr 25, 2023
Report
Countering Domestic Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Terrorism on Social Media: Introducing the Racist and Violent Extremist Flock Tool
Researchers developed the Racist and Violent Extremist Flock (RVE-Flock) tool to explore and analyze textual content on racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist–affiliated social media. This guide explains the tool's functionality.
Feb 23, 2023
Report
Russia's Evolution Toward a Unified Strategic Operation: The Influence of Geography and Conventional Capacity
In this report, RAND researchers examine the reasons behind Russia's evolution toward a unified strategic operation, as well as the capabilities that would be necessary to execute key conventional offensive tasks in such an operation.
Feb 13, 2023
Report
Chinese and Russian Perceptions of and Responses to U.S. Military Activities in the Space Domain
RAND researchers reviewed a variety of Chinese and Russian primary sources to understand internal Chinese and Russian perceptions of U.S. military space-related policies and activities. This report presents the results of their analysis.
Oct 11, 2022
Report
Rivalry in the Information Sphere: Russian Conceptions of Information Confrontation
Information confrontation, with historical roots in Russian (and Soviet) military thinking, is an important element of Russian military strategy. The Ukrainian experience offers insights into Russia's present-day and future use of information confrontation and hybrid warfare.
Aug 18, 2022
Report
Russian and Ukrainian Perspectives on the Concept of Information Confrontation: Translations, 2002–2020
This volume compiles texts from leading members of the military-scientific communities in Russia and Ukraine and illustrates how decisionmakers in these countries understand and debate information weapons and information influence.
Aug 18, 2022