What motivated Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine and how is his war changing the balance of power between Russia, the US, Europe and China? First, a voice from the ground: Katia Iakovlenko, a writer who lives in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, shares how extreme hardship has unified her country. Then, former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul tells Ray Suarez how it feels to be scolded by Vladimir Putin and explains how the US missed critical opportunities to spread democracy in post-Soviet Russia. 

Guests:

Katia Iakovlenko, writer and curator based in Kyiv

Michael McFaul, US ambassador to Russia (2012-2014), director at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Host:  Ray Suarez, WorldAffairs co-host

Additional Reading:

"Eat Me, Drink Me--This is a War," by Kateryna Iakovlenko 

“From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia,” by Michael McFaul

Editor's note: Since we recorded this episode, Katia Iakovlenko safely escaped Irpin, which has sustained heavy shelling from Russian forces.

This episode was produced in partnership with Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies podcast WorldClass. 

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