Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr is in Ukraine, despite President Biden’s warning that Americans should leave. He’s reporting on the ground, but also spending time with loved ones and friends. Like everyone else in the country he’s keeping an eye on the Russian troops at the border but trying not to let the situation get to him.

With so much focus on what Russia is doing in Eastern Ukraine, it’s easy to forget why they’re doing it. Today on Black Diplomats we have two keen observers of the Russian model of colonialism - journalist Maksym Eristavi and historian Alexander Etkind.

They cover the history of Ukrainian/Russian relations going back to Catherine the Great, compare the American “frontier” with Russias takeover of Siberia, and talk about Putin’s sense of a Slavic peoples that is distinct from other Europeans.

Thank you for listening!