How does Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine look from the perspective of a thoughtful Russian who publicly opposes the war, is horrified by its conduct, and has been motivated to painfully reexamine his own country’s history and culture as a result?
How has Russian history and culture contributed to the political ecosystem that made this genocidal war possible?
And can Russia ever move beyond the corrosive imperial mindset that has led us to the largest land war in Europe since World War II?
On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Mikhail Zygar, a columnist for Der Spiegel, founding editor-in-chief of the independent Russian TV news channel Dozhd, and author of the recently published book, “War and Punishment: Putin, Zelensky, and the Path to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.”
Enjoy…
SHOW NOTES
The audio clips opening the podcast and the second segment came from a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 24, 2023 marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.
The translations of the clips are as follows:
“Every day, the occupiers killed our relatives and friends. We will not erase their names from our phones or from our own memory. We will never forget them. We will never forgive this. We will never rest until the Russian murderers face their deserved punishment.”
“The war changed the fate of many families. It rewrote the history of our families. It changed our customs and traditions. Grandfathers used to tell their grandchildren how they beat the Fascists. Now grandchildren tell their grandfathers how they beat the Russists.”
Mikhail Zygar’s book “War and Punishment: Putin, Zelensky, and the Path to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine“can be purchased here. And his columns for Der Spiegel (in German) can be accessed here.