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In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a bloody escalation of a conflict that had begun eight years earlier. What drove Vladimir Putin to launch Europes largest land war since World War II? Lucian Kiman on-the-ground reporter in the region for decadesoffers a gripping, definitive account of Russias path to war, from Ukraines 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2014 Maidan uprising right up to the full-scale invasion. He examines the Kremlins motives, tracing Putins transformation from a seemingly pragmatic leader into an embittered tyrant who saw it as his historical mission to reconquer Ukraine. Kim places the war in the broader context of the Soviet Unions collapse, arguing that it represents a clash between those who reject the Soviet pastlike Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexei Navalnyand those who still identify with it. He debunks the Kremlin narrative that the West instigated the conflict, and he instead identifies the root causes of the war in the legacy of Russian imperialism and Putins dictatorial rule. At the same time, Kim is critical of the Wests empty promises to Ukraine, which made the country vulnerable to a revanchist Russia. Putins Revenge features insight from Kims first-hand reporting on key moments, such as Russias occupation of Crimea and the beginning of the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine. This book tells the story of the lead-up to the invasion with revelatory detail and fresh analysis, shedding new light on a conflict that has roiled the postCold War order.
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a bloody escalation of a conflict that had begun eight years earlier. What drove Vladimir Putin to launch Europes largest land war since World War II?
Lucian Kiman on-the-ground reporter in the region for decadesoffers a gripping, definitive account of Russias path to war, from Ukraines 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2014 Maidan uprising right up to the full-scale invasion. He examines the Kremlins motives, tracing Putins transformation from a seemingly pragmatic leader into an embittered tyrant who saw it as his historical mission to reconquer Ukraine. Kim places the war in the broader context of the Soviet Unions collapse, arguing that it represents a clash between those who reject the Soviet pastlike Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexei Navalnyand those who still identify with it. He debunks the Kremlin narrative that the West instigated the conflict, and he instead identifies the root causes of the war in the legacy of Russian imperialism and Putins dictatorial rule. At the same time, Kim is critical of the Wests empty promises to Ukraine, which made the country vulnerable to a revanchist Russia.
Putins Revenge features insight from Kims first-hand reporting on key moments, such as Russias occupation of Crimea and the beginning of the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine. This book tells the story of the lead-up to the invasion with revelatory detail and fresh analysis, shedding new light on a conflict that has roiled the postCold War order.