Professor Emeritus Elise Kimerling Wirtschafter of CalPolyPomona's long academic career studying Russian history has almost come full circle: beginning in the Cold War context, she has seen very different attitudes emerge in the three decades before Putin's invasion of Ukraine. In this fascinating extended interview Elise talks us through that journey and explains how, even after all these years, there are still plenty of question-marks to ponder about Russia's place in the world.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly