As Sting once sang, “in Europe and America, there’s a growing feeling of hysteria.” With war in Ukraine looking increasingly likely and tensions mounting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, it feels an awful lot like we’re back in 1987. To explore how Russia’s bellicosity might affect the global stage, Jonah is joined by Leon Aron, director of Russian studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Together, they address heady questions on Russia and narrowly resist performing a duet of “99 Red Balloons.” Would the Russian people support an invasion of Ukraine? How is Russia influencing European politics? And is there any chance of Russia becoming a quasi-democratic country in the near future?

Show Notes:

- Leon’s page at AEI

- Leon’s contributions to The Dispatch

- Leon on what lies ahead for Putin

- The Morning Dispatch gives the latest on Ukraine

- Alexei Navalny profiled in Time

- Jonah on the dangers of conceding to Putin

- Putin on the nukes

- The Gerard Schröder controversy

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