Department of International Relations, Faculty of International Relations, Political Science and Sociology,
Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University,
2, Vsevoloda Zmienko, Odesa, Ukraine, 65082

Telephone (+380 482) 63 32 59; Fax (+380 482) 68 72 84
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ORCID ID: Polina Sinovets
Google Scholar: Polina Sinovets

Main Courses:

• Nuclear Factor in International Security Architecture;
• Diplomatic and Consulate Service of Ukraine;
• Actual Problems of the World Politics.
• Since 2015 – Head of Odessa Center for Nonproliferation (OdCNP), Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University.
• Since 2004 – Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Institute of Social Sciences, Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University.
• 2004 - PhD in Political Sciences (specialty 23.00.04 – “Political Problems of International Systems and Global Development”), Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Kyiv, Ukraine. Title of Thesis: “Nuclear Deterrence in the Policies of the USA and Russia in the Post-Bipolar Period”.
• 2003 - 2012 - Senior Research Fellow, Odessa Regional Branch of National Institute for Strategic Studies under President of Ukraine.
• 2000 - 2004- Research Fellow, Center for International Studies, Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University.
• 2000 – MA in International Relations with deep knowledge of the Arabic and English languages, Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University.

Native language: Russian, Ukrainian.
Other languages: English (fluent), Arabic and Italian (elementary).

Membership in associations: PONARS Eurasia (New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia, since 2001); Women in International Security (WIIS, 2000). International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN, 2014).

List of main publications

1. Sinovets P., Shultz D. Russia’s Nuclear Propaganda: From the Cold War to Ukraine, The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, 2023. 36:4, 340-360, DOI: 10.1080/13518046.2023.229758;
2. Sinovets P. Vicente A. (2024) The day after the impact of Russia’s invasion on Ukrainian political elites and public attitudes toward nuclear weapons. The Nonproliferation Review, 2024,  ISS 4-6.
3. Sinovets P., Vicente A. Nuclear Spring is Coming: Examining French Nuclear Deterrence in Response to Russia’s Actions in Ukraine. Note de la FRS No.8, 2024, 
4. Sinovets P., Vicente A. Are Nuclear Weapons ineffective in deterring non-nuclear weapon states? The paradox of Russia’s war on Ukraine// Note de la FRS N47, 2022 https://www.frstrategie.org/en/publications/notes/are-nuclear-weapons-ineffective-deterring-non-nuclear-weapon-states-paradox-russia-s-war-ukraine-2022;  
5. Sinovets P. The Nuclear Weapons Factor on Interstate Politics in the Russia-Ukraine War//PONARS Eurasia, September 19,2022, https://www.ponarseurasia.org/author/polina-sinovets/ ; 
6. Sinovets P., Hesse V. Russian Foreign and Security Policy: The Evolution of the Escalation Strategy//Arms Control and Europe. New Challenges and Prospects for Strategic Stability/Ed. By P.Sinovets and W. Alberque.- Springer Nuture Swizerland AG, 2022. – P. 21-28.
7. Sinovets P., Hesse V. Strategic Risk Reduction in the Black Sea Region//Arms Control and Europe. New Challenges and Prospects for Strategic Stability/Ed. By P. Sinovets and W. Alberque.- Springer Nuture Swizerland AG, 2022. – P. 141-150.
8. Sinovets P., Gergiieva V., Zavada Y. Iranian Nuclear Program and Its Impact on the European Security System//Arms Control and Europe. New Challenges and Prospects for Strategic Stability/Ed. By P. Sinovets and W. Alberque.- Springer Nuture Swizerland AG, 2022. – P. 163-172.
9. Sinovets P. The growing role of the nuclear factor in interstate politics: The case of Russia’s war against Ukraine// EUNPD Consortium Working Paper, 2022. http://odcnp.com.ua/images/pdf/Sinovets_Nuclear_Factor_in_Interstate_Politics.pdf ;
10. Ukraine’s Nuclear History: A Non-Proliferation Prospective / Ed. By P. Sinovets. –Springer Nuture Swizerland AG, 2022.
11. Sinovets P., Maksymenko I., Skrypnyk M. The Russian roulette: the Kremlin’s escalation strategy in the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea //Lithuanian Annual Strategic Review, 15 June, 2022, https://journals.lka.lt/journal/lasr/article/1919/info; 
12. Sinovets P. "Between the Rock and the Hard Place: Will the Black Sea avoid the Escalation Ladder?" In: Oleksii Polegkyi and Tomasz Stepniowski (eds.) Security dilemma in the Black Sea region in the light of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, IES Policy Papers, Institute of Central Europe, Liublin, 2021. –P.57-72. https://ies.lublin.pl/ies-policy-papers/security
13. Sinovets P. “How the “Escalation Strategy” Evolved in Russia’s Security Policy”, 21 September 2021: https://www.ponarseurasia.org/how-the-escalation-strategy-evolved-in-russias-security-policy/dilemma-in-the-black-sea-region-in-light-of-the-russian-ukrainian-conflict/; 
14. Sinovets P., Nerez M. The Essence of Russian Strategic Culture: from the Third Rome to the Russian World//Inter Polis, N34, 2021. – P.123-136. 
15. Sinovets P., Melnyk T. Born in the Ashes: Nuclear Uncertainties “Increasing” Strategic Stability//Przegląd Strategiczny 2020, Issue 13.- P.43-59.
16. Sinovets P. The Russian Black Sea fleet: is there a place for strategic dimension? / Black Sea Region in World Policy: Actors, Factors, and Scenarios of the Future/ Ed. By O. Brusylovska, I.M. Koval, V.I. Dubovyk. . – Odesa: Odesa Mechnikov National University Press, 2020.
17. Sinovets P., Maksymenko I. The Baltic–Black Sea Region in Great Powers’ Relations: The Hard Power Aspect/Baltic-Black Sea Regionalisms/ Ed. By O. Bogdanova and A. Makarychev. – Springer Nature Swizerland, AG 2020.- P.75-86. 
18. Sinovets P., Izhak O.Ukraine’s Position on the INF Treaty suspension/ Responses to the INF Treaty crisis: the European dimension. The European INF Initiative Project Meeting, May, 2019, Odesa, Ukraine / Edited by P. Sinovets.- Odesa: I. I. Mechnikov National University, 2019.- P.45-50. 
19. Sinovets P. Escalation for de-escalation? Hazy Nuclear Weapon “Red Lines” Generate Russian Advantages – 08.2019 - http://www.ponarseurasia.org/memo/escalation-de-escalation-hazy-nuclear-weapon-red-lines-generate-russian-advantages;
20. Sinovets P.  The EU states position as for the termination of the INF Treaty/Perspectives of the EU policy development: global and regional dimensions/Ed. By O. Brusylovska, I.M. Koval. – Odesa, 2019.
21. Sinovets P., Gergiieva V. The EU and the Iranian Nuclear Programme: is Venus Weaker than Mars? UA: Ukraine Analytica, Issue 4 (18), 2019.-P.14-20.
22. Sinovets P., M. Bujeryn Interpreting the Bomb: Ownership and Deterrence in Ukraine’s Political Discourse//Nuclear Proliferation International History Project, Wilson center, December 13, 2017, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/interpreting-the-bomb-ownership-and-deterrence-ukraines-nuclear-discourse;
23. Brusylovska O., Sinovets P. “Strategic Culture of Ukraine as the Research Instrument of the Ukrainian Foreign Policy”. In Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy of Ukraine, edited by І. Koval, О. Brusylovska, V. Dubovyk, 7-19. Odesa: Odesa Mechnikov National University Press, 2017. 
24. Sinovets P. Strategic Culture of Ukraine and its Non-Nuclear Status/ In Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy of Ukraine, ed. by I. Koval, O. Brusylovska, and V. Dubovyk, 20-32. Odesa: Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University, 2017.
25. Ban the bomb by... banning the bomb? A Ukrainian Response // The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. – 2017. - Vol. 73, N 3. - P. 197-198.
26. Kuhn U.,  Shetty S., Sinovets P. Europe’s nuclear woes: Mitigating the challenges of the next years // The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. – 2017: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00963402.2017;
27. Sinovets P. The Role of Nuclear Weapons in Russia’s Worldview: Policy Implications // Norwegian Institute for Safety and Security. Occasional Paper Series. - N 1. - 2015. – 12 p. 
28. Sinovets P. Nuclear Deterrence in the American political thought in the post-bipolar period // International Relations and State’s Politics in the conditions of the global transformations: analysis of the political thought /Ed. by I. Koval, O. Brusylovska. – Odesa: Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University, 2016. – P. 267-282. (in Ukrainian). 
29.  Sinovets P., Renz B. Russia 2015 Military Doctrine and Beyond: threats perceptions, capabilities and ambitions // NATO Research Paper. – NATO Defense College, Rome. – N 117. - July 2015. - 12 p. 
30. Sinovets P. The Wedding Rings of Europe: Some Military Aspects of Euro-Atlantic Integration / De cadencias y disonancias, representaciones alternativas de la integración regional en el siglo XXI : América Latina, Asia y Europa del Este / adaptado por Nicolás Matías Comini; compilado por Tomás Andrés Bontempo. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Universidad del Salvador, 2014. – P. 241-267. 
31. Sinovets P. Woman and Weapons. Redressing the Gender Gap. A Ukrainian Response // The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. - 2014. - Vol. 70. – N 5. - P. 20-23.
32. The Wedding Rings of Europe: Some Military Aspects of Euro-Atlantic Integration / De cadencias y disonancias, representaciones alternativas de la integración regional en el siglo XXI: América Latina, Asia y Europa del Este / adaptado por Nicolás Matías Comini; compilado por Tomás Andrés Bontempo. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Universidad del Salvador, 2014. – P. 241-267.

International conferences, seminars, schools

Carnegie Nuclear Policy Conference 2019, (Washington DC, March 12-14 2019). Responses to the INF Treaty crisis: the European dimension.  The European INF Initiative Project Meeting (May, 2019, Odessa, Ukraine).  Workshop “Managing the collapse of the INF Treaty” ( Berlin, June, 24, 2019). Annual Conference PONARS Eurasia, Washington DC,USA ( September 12-14, 2019). Nonproliferation and Disarmament Education Workshop, SIPRI, Stockholm, Sweden (September 23-14, 2019). Conference “End of the Cold War and its impact on Nuclear Proliferation” (January 20-21, 2020, Johannesburg). Conference “Nuclear and Military Affairs in US-Russian Relations” PONARS Eurasia, Washington DC,USA ( October 17, 2020). Conference “Nuclear deterrence in Europe: Visions, Tensions, opportunities and challenges. From 1945 to the present”, Paris, France (June28-29, 2021). 10th Consultative Meeting of the EU Nonproliferation and Disarmament Consortium”, Brussels, Belgium (September 16-17, 2021).

Workshop “Arms Control and Europe: New Challenges and opportunities for strategic stability”, Odessa Ukraine ( October, 15, 2021).Odessa II international winter school” Arms Control and Nonproliferation: From Basic to Advanced”, Odessa, Ukraine (February 17-19 2022). Track 1.5 International Meeting Strategic Stability in a Deteriorating European Security Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark, May 9-10, 2022. War in Ukraine: The impact on the international security architecture - non-proliferation, disarmament, arms control, export controls – EU Ad Hoc Seminar of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium, May 16-17, 2022.  OdCNP Workshop “Nuclear Ukraine”: Russian rhetoric and security consequences”; Ukrainian hub, Station Europe, Brussels ( 18 May, 2022); July 18-19, OdCNP Workshop “Russia’s War on Ukraine: the Implications for Arms Control and Nonproliferation”, the University of Malta, Valetta, Malta;  September 30t, 2022 – PONARS Eurasia Annual Policy Conference, Washington D.C.; October 4-9, 2022 XI OdCNP summer school on arms control and nonproliferation,“Responding to the new nuclear realities: concepts and actions”, Bodrum Institute,Turkey.; October 18-21 Ist meeting of the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network, Malta MFA; October 27-29, 2022 Carnegie Nuclear Policy Conference, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington D.C., United States; Nonember 14015, 2022- EU Nonproliferation and Disarmement Consortium annual conference. February 6-7th 2023 – OdCNP-FRS Workshop “War on Ukraine and the Nuclear World Order”, Foundation Pour La Recherche Strategique, Levallois-Perret, France.