When It Comes to Russia and Ukraine, Nothing is Simple

Trending Globally: Politics and Policy

02-02-2022 • 27 mins

Over the past few months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has built up a massive  military presence on Russia’s border with Ukraine.

As a result, pundits, politicians, and casual observers of the news have all been asking the same questions: would President Putin actually invade Ukraine? And if so, what would that mean for the rest of the world?

These are fair questions, of course. But Michael Kennedy, our guest on this week’s episode of Trending Globally, thinks this framing might actually obscure more than it illuminates.

Michael is a professor of sociology at the Watson Institute and an expert on social transformation in Eastern Europe in the post-Cold War era. He’s written and taught extensively on Ukraine, and on this episode he helps make sense of this crisis that defies easy explanation.

Despite the complexity of the situation, there’s one thing Michael wants us all to see clearly right now: the stakes of this crisis – for the Ukraine, the US, and democracies around the world – couldn’t be higher.

Learn more about the Watson Institute’s other podcasts.

You Might Like

The Morning Brief
The Morning Brief
The Economic Times
ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash
ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash
Asian News International (ANI)
ThePrint
ThePrint
ThePrint
3 Things
3 Things
Express Audio
FT News Briefing
FT News Briefing
Financial Times
Top of the Morning
Top of the Morning
Mint - HT Smartcast
Economist Podcasts
Economist Podcasts
The Economist
HT Daily News Wrap
HT Daily News Wrap
Hindustan Times - HT Smartcast
Daybreak
Daybreak
The Ken
The Daily
The Daily
The New York Times
The Journal.
The Journal.
The Wall Street Journal & Gimlet
WSJ What’s News
WSJ What’s News
The Wall Street Journal
Serial
Serial
Serial Productions & The New York Times
WSJ Tech News Briefing
WSJ Tech News Briefing
The Wall Street Journal
The Signal Daily
The Signal Daily
The Core Team