Timothy Snyder: How Putin’s Lies Are Driving the War in Ukraine

Timothy Snyder: How Putin’s Lies Are Driving the War in Ukraine | The Foreign Affairs Interview

День тому

Foreign Affairs invites you to listen to its podcast, the Foreign Affairs Interview. This episode with Timothy Snyder was originally published on January 12, 2023.
Russia’s mythmaking-about its place in the world and the role Ukraine plays in its history-has made the world a more dangerous place. Russian President Vladimir Putin is the chief storyteller-and his version of events has even warped American thinking about Ukraine. Why didn’t the West react more forcefully in 2014, when Russia first violently took Ukrainian territory? Why is Ukraine’s post-Soviet history so different from Russia’s? And what can Ukrainians teach Americans about democracy?
Timothy Snyder is an expert on Ukrainian history and began warning about the dangers Russia poses long before Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine last February. He is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University and the author of several books, including Bloodlands, On Tyranny, and The Road to Unfreedom. In September, Snyder traveled to Ukraine and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
We discuss what’s at stake in Ukraine, what a Ukrainian victory might look like, and why using the word “stalemate” to describe the war is misguided.
SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE
“Ukraine Holds the Future” by Timothy Snyder
www.foreignaffairs.com/ukrain...
Read More by Timothy Snyder
www.foreignaffairs.com/author...

КОМЕНТАРІ: 123

@arktseytlin 11 місяців тому

"Russian speakers in Ukraine are a problem... for Russia". Bingo, Thimoty!

@Karamazov12 Рік тому

The wake up call that the Ukrainians gave to us. That’s an insightfull take home message

@thefisherking78 Рік тому

Snyder is brilliant. I watch everything he's in.

@daydays12 Рік тому

I agree

@George-2115 Рік тому

Yes. But, perhaps even more important is the fact that he is sane, grounded, decent and brave. So, yes, I also watch everything he's in.

@primalamusica3 Рік тому

Thank you for inviting Timothy Snyder!

@CrazyEightyEights Рік тому

Timothy Snyder is incredibly humble and well-informed. His Yale course, "Making of Modern Ukraine," is essential to understanding modern-day Ukraine.

@727412 Рік тому

People make democracy. Another simple but incisive comment from a brilliant intellect. Thank you Dr Snyder

@richardblock2458 Рік тому

One of our few, great public intellectuals.

@WangAiHua Рік тому

Timothy Snyder is one of the few with excellent understanding of what is happening in Ukraine and RuZZia!

@angusp5178 Рік тому

Superb, thank you

@misterwirez7731 Рік тому

I could listen to Mr Snyder 24 hours a day. He's a very smart man in geopolitics.

@patchso Рік тому

If you listen to just one person on Ukraine, make it Timothy Snyder.

@zoltankessel9257 Рік тому

Not good advice, listen to several sources and then make up your mind.

@AndyT-np8mm Рік тому

It's never enough to listen to just one person.

@christinamuzzu6414 Рік тому

Reasons I am so grateful for TS: 1. He acknowledges Ukraine's agency, and reveals the colonial hangover that proxy war chatter is. 2. He reminds us that democracy is Do It Yourself, not something to be left, passively, in the hands of a few oligarchs anywhere, including our Western counterparts. 3. He is deeply ethical and empathetic to actual humans while being an intellectual giant, and not afraid to say something is wrong, or better. Surrounded by relativist Ph.D.'s who never dare take a stand on anything for fear of (gasp) offending someone's sensibilities, this is too rare. Such a gem of a person. As with Julia Ioffe, every word is invaluable food for thought, and every talk/ interview/ article on Ukraine is worth putting down whatever you are doing to give your full attention to, every time.

@tomaszpialucha2402 11 місяців тому

Another excellent commentary from the world class historian of Eastern Europe. With love from Poland!

@dorotasokolowski718 11 місяців тому

Ukrainians are incredible people, my heart is bleeding for the nation and their country. Thank you so much for this brilliant interview reinforcing my view of this nation

@barbaraseymour3437 Рік тому

Delighted I came upon this. Excellent interview with world class T. Snyder. Wake up America. Stop sleep-walking…

@alcoholfree6381 Рік тому

Great thinker and speaker. Fortunately we have people like Professor Snyder to illuminate where we have been, the forces currently at play and where we might be able to go. Thanks for having him talk!!

@teddited9682 Рік тому

Professor Snyder…always interesting, informative and clear eyed…outside the box seeing Ukraine before anyone else. Very impressive!

@davidbrancaleone3039 Рік тому

I welcome the fast pace clear thinking of Timothy Snyder on Ukraine. His arguments are persuasive and I only wish more journalists would draw on his geopolitical understanding so that we get fewer asking what would a Ukrainian victory look like? Or claiming that compromise is inevitable. This is high quality journalism.

@Lappland67.92 10 місяців тому

The interviewer has done a great job!🇺🇦❇️

@Blanka1100 Рік тому

Everything he says is no suprise for Russia's neighbours.

@ldhorricks Рік тому

I've listened to everything Mr. Snyder has had on offer online...and I have to say this interview is the most succinct and profound so far. He utterly destroyed the Russian UN ambassador when Russia was crying about Russophobia.

@ukaszgrzesik7231 Рік тому

Thanks!

@gladdie10 Рік тому

This is totally to the point. Bang on!

@SteveWallis2 Рік тому

Fantastic analysis - really interesting

@keithdunwoody1302 Рік тому

I never tire of Professor Snyder's cogent analysis and perspective. Absolutely must listening and reading. This brutal war against Ukraine is everyone's concern.

@WonderMagician Рік тому

...the powerful segment on the costs for the surrender of personal agency...

@stacey_1111rh Рік тому

Excellent speaker on the topic. Thank you for having him. Great stuff

@uma_americares Рік тому

I wanted to write a comment in support of this interview so that more people could hear it :)

@cathyskitchenprescription500 Рік тому

Excellent, intelligent conversation and analysis. Thank you!

@clancyjames585 10 місяців тому

I read "The Road to Unfreedom". Having read that, I very much see why Timothy Snyder was not at all surprised by the invasion. Excellent interview. Keep it up Foreign Affairs.

@edwardfowle2404 Рік тому

Brilliant interview. Let's do it again!!

@nordantill5095 Рік тому

Snyder is always brilliant and worth listening to

@avant124 9 місяців тому

❤from Poland:)

@terryfox9344 Рік тому

Wow! Exceptionally insightful and powerful analysis of the war in Ukraine that really is about us all.

@marvinrosenau8491 11 місяців тому

I am absolutely besotted by Dr. Timothy Snyder and how he analyses and presents his subject(s), both on paper and in video. And as a classroom instructor myself (but in a completely unrelated field, and a tad older in age, and who is also very "field oriented"), I absolutely love his passion and teaching style towards undergraduates in the schoolroom. And how he (or how he doesn't) tuck(s) in his shirt when giving lectures (e.g., the recent Yale course series on Ukraine on UKposts). I can relate! (C'mon Marci, "dress your man!". LOL!) As a second-generation-born Canadian, who's "ancestors" on both sides of my family emigrated to North America from the "Bloodlands" during the inter-war period, Dr Snyder's work is profoundly resonant to me. For the relative's who did not emigrate in the 1920's, with my immediate family and stayed behind, their story is now being told by Timothy half-a-century, and more, later...

@stephenwinter5958 Рік тому

Snyder demonstrates effectively that Ukrainian victory is one of the biggest reasons for hope in the world today and that the democratic choices of the people are worth fighting for.

@Mr.barba97 Рік тому

Thanks very much ❤

@mas45890 11 місяців тому

So interesting!thank you so much!

@kentthorsted Рік тому

Great interview.

@royalukas8144 Рік тому

I don’t know what I can possibly add to the other wonderful comments other than to say I will listen to this brilliant interview again.

@WangAiHua Рік тому

Excellent video!

@gdbalck Рік тому

I still remember Romney saying Russia was a major geopolitical opponent during a debate with Obama in 2012. Obama’s response was incredulous and Romney was ridiculed for it till the election. It was a shock to me because it was a self evident fact to me back then. Georgia was alarming to say the least and Chechnya wasn’t that long ago at the time. Ten years later…. Party politics are sadly never principled. Trump made this crystal clear. Lost all respect for both parties because of their self serving attitude towards this issue. Leading back to Timothy’s warning of the degrading trust on western democratic institutions.

@Fu-orksGive.PEACE.achance. Рік тому

This guy is mesmerising, his analysis of Rooooshia is spot on. Slava ukraine

@moffig1 Рік тому

Very interesting interview

@here_we_go_again2571 Рік тому

Excellent!

@Europeista Рік тому

Very insightful content.

@liviadix1433 10 місяців тому

Great conversation. It goes without saying that I enjoyed tremendously. And learned from it. Thanks.

@Nicole.1828 Рік тому

Excellent interview thank you

@jordanaus75 11 місяців тому

I am so jealous I was not blessed with this level of intellect and cohesive astute expression

@brucevilla Рік тому

Thanks for Uploading.

@atomm3331 Рік тому

This was an incredibly astute conversation. Well reasoned and his breadth of knowledge on the topic shows with every response. As someone that follows the stories and topics of the war, I definitely learned quite a bit that deepen my understanding of the conflict. Grade A stuff.

@andriyandriychuk 10 місяців тому

I'm Ukrainian and I approve this message

@Gardengallivant 11 місяців тому

Dr Snyder's analysis of history leaves me with so many new views even after tracking down other talks, interviews and listening to his Yale class on how modern Ukraine came about. Democracy is dependent on accurate information of our history and what is currently happening in combination with active participation to keep it functional. Dr Shore and Dr Snyder are gifted teachers and historians.

@voloshyn 11 місяців тому

And that's why I dropped NY times and subscribed to Foreign Affairs

@foreignaffairs 11 місяців тому

Thank you for being a subscriber. We appreciate it.

@marisabenson1222 Рік тому

A hundred times yes.

@tomwaltermayer2702 Рік тому

Excellent. Hope 2 million people listen to this. At the least, this is great advertising for New Haven, and puts the lie to the contention that expertise is dead.

@bohdanlychacz363 Рік тому

As usual a brilliant methodical analysis of the conflict and its underlying causes. Thank you professor Snyder.

@iloveOxmo 11 місяців тому

Excellent interview and as always Mr Snyder delivers a very pertinent and articulate analysis on the origins and driving forces behind the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I’m also very surprised that with such an aggressive and clickbait like title this comment section remains calm and civilized. My take from this is that honest and humble discussions lead to honest and humble reactions.

@amandadonaghey7540 11 місяців тому

Thank you 🙏 very informative 👍

@antonomaseapophasis5142 Рік тому

My change in understanding Ukraine came from three points: A store in NYC “A la Vielle Russie” had its origin in Kiev, not Moscow or St. Petersburg. While reading about the Black Sea I discovered the story of the Viking presence in Ukraine & the origin controversy about this A taxi driver who took me from Beirut to Baalbek explained that the best times for him had been in Ukraine.

@July41776DedicatedtoTheProposi Рік тому

I fervently do hope that Dr. Snyder sees the future correctly for a Ukrainian victory.

@W.Khairi 9 місяців тому

Loved the insights, Thanks alot for sharing.

@juniorsve 11 місяців тому

Another grrat interview by dr snyder. Thanks for the video, real pleasure.

@tarask8611 Рік тому

That's was an enjoyable conversation but it wouldn't hurt uploading it a little bit faster after it had actually happened.

@Lappland67.92 10 місяців тому

Ukraine was NOT russia in 988 NOT in 2023! Ukrainians have Never been russian NOR do they EVER want to be. Ukrainians are VERY different from russians. Slava Ukraini 💙💛❇️

@joshuap9580 11 місяців тому

I love listening to professor synder

@TheMrCougarful Рік тому

This was a really interesting analysis.

@peterellway7608 Рік тому

wonderfully sensitive and expert analysis, thankyou

@stageprophet Рік тому

Well done😊

@dantarradellas7351 11 місяців тому

Fantastic perspective. !

@arianhrodkeltoi8104 11 місяців тому

Very good questions, and very good answers 👏

@armiesep8710 8 місяців тому

Love & Prayers to the Ukrainian people. I live in America. This war is one i justify. Sorry, our Government, didn't move on it much sooner, to help Ukraine. ❤

@QuixEnd 11 місяців тому

This was one of the best interviews out of the hundreds I've heard so far

@joels5150 Рік тому

Astute observations from Mr. Snyder, giving historical and geopolitical context as to why this terrible situation has come to be.

@seanmellows1348 Рік тому

Excellent stuff here

@DiStitt 11 місяців тому

A healthy level of scepticism in 'the larger forces', a deep understanding of history and that notion that change takes effort, a democratic way takes effort. Malaise and decadence (getting too comfortable) is not inevitable, but it is possible. Grateful for Snyder's convictions and knowledge.

@MsMsmak 11 місяців тому

Excellent. Subscribed.

@Bernard-fo2qo 11 місяців тому

Anyone who thinks Ukraine can't win probably would have thought North Vietnam couldn't defeat America in the 1960s.

@gonejegory3345 11 місяців тому

Can you do a video on participatory democracy?

@user-mc6ft8fx5z Рік тому

if he only had spoken somewhat slower, I could understand apr 80%. But really really informative! Sound was ok!

@AndyT-np8mm Рік тому

In settings, you can change the playback speed to 0.75x.

@user-kk4sj4ih3e 10 місяців тому

It's peculiar how he mentions Republic as a thing of Ukrainian history and not the Russian one all while there were two republics in Russia in the middle ages (Pskov and Novgorod ones)

@log85on71 9 місяців тому

👏

@FirstLast-gx7fj 11 місяців тому

20022 was a huge year

@jim2376 10 місяців тому

As Simon Montefiore observed in his bestselling book, "The Romanovs", there was a time when 93% of Russians were serfs, essentially slaves. That social fact developed a Russian mentality. "Nobility would be defined by the privilege of owning other human beings, setting a Russian pattern of behavior: servility to those above, tyranny to those below." Montefiore, "The Romanovs", Vintage Books, 2016, page 48. The serf mentality still exists in Putin's Stalinistic dictatorship.

@blechtic 11 місяців тому

"20 thousand 22"? Is he a time traveler?

@afriedrich1452 9 місяців тому

@ 15:18 "On the contrary, in 2014, the Russian speakers in Ukraine were free to say what they wanted to say, whereas Russian speakers in Russia were not, and one of the reasons why Ukraine was a problem for Russia was precisely that - you had free exchange of views in Russian, right? So, it was never, "Russia's going to invade to protect Russian speakers," and it was always, "Russia's going to invade to suppress Russian speakers," because Russian speakers in Ukraine are a problem for Russia.

@deborahferguson1163 9 місяців тому

Appreciate these interviews but the interviewer spends way too much time asking his questions.

@steveaustin5344 10 місяців тому

5 minute crafts is another fascinating part of the story.

@Jacob-df5hr 10 місяців тому

Mr. Snyder, I have consumed mountains of news about the Russia - Ukraine conflict, and you are only the second person I've heard talk about the existential political threat Russian autocracy faces from Russian speakers in a hypothetical western oriented Ukraine. The other was Vlad Vexler. I think you two have the right of it. I don't think the invasion is rational without this motivation, because the cost/benefit just doesn't work out otherwise.

@brentl4048 10 місяців тому

I wonder what Timothy Snyder thinks of the law that was passed in Ukraine after 2014 making it a criminal offence to publish historical writings that disagree with Ukraine's "official version of history." Not a particularly scholarly or democratic approach to history.

@vbcountryboy 10 місяців тому

Loved that someone else called out Russian pro Hamada in Ukraine in 2014. I saw those lies planted 2008-10 living in Kyiv. I wish more had listened.

@Vsebudedobre 10 місяців тому

Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦, glory to heroes of Ukraine 🇺🇦 ! I am Ukrainian living in Sweden. So happy to get the link to course “Making of Modern Ukraine” from my believe me or not friend from Russia, scientist and doctor, who had to flee from Moscow because of this terrible war and disaster atmosphere inside the country with all these lies and repressions agains those who are trying to protest. Started to listen to the course, I am in the middle and I think this is best course I ever heard!!!!! I knew most of the facts which are told, but it is important for me to understand how Russia twisted historical facts to mislead people inside the country and convinced them to believe into completely opposite to the truth things. My son who has Russian wife and was staying in Russia also left this insane country with his wife. We can’t meet and he is stuck in the third country. I have two relatives at front fighting for Ukraine and our future, two more are stitching wounds of those who happened to be lucky not to die in battles. I spent more than a year trying every day dry hard to convince many Russians that their government is war criminal, absolutely useless. I lost almost all friends from Russia, those who are normal are already outside of the country or trying to find a way to get out. I lost hope that it is possible to heal this people and their society, I do not see humanity left there.

@petergvanerp 11 місяців тому

Professor Snyder, in discussing the Crimea, implied it was the only place in Europe where control of land was wrested from the "Legal" owner. He seems to have forgotten the example of Kosovo.

@Gibbsian36 8 місяців тому

Timothy Snyder is always interesting to listen to, he's exceptionally knowledgeable about Ukraine, and he's very much on what I regard as the good side in this war. But he's also a weirdly undisciplined thinker. He insists that Ukraine must be approached as a nation in its own right, but he also repeatedly frames the discussion in terms of domestic US politics, where he obviously has a huge axe to grind. At 28:50 he even makes the bizarre statement that "the whole notion of 'winning' in some way has been captured by Trump". Really?

@medicuswashington9870 9 місяців тому

Might makes right. Russia now has enough might to be right. Madness made real is the strategy to lose. The Minsk agreement duplicity is a wrong. Successful Communist China will not allow Russia to lose the special military operation in Ukraine.

@ethanstein4821 Рік тому

With all due respect. This is a great discussion with some great insights. However early in the discussion Prof. Snyder named dropped Hegel. This is not the first time I have heard him do this, in an effort to quickly reference Hegel's theory of history. I would point out the Black Earth lecture at Brown six years ago. If you look at the comments, Prof Snyder is losing people with this way of explaining things. The comments section is full of confused people. To someone who is not familiar with these philosophers it sounds quite odd, and causes people to lose your theory. Thanks.

@webersteve1547 11 місяців тому

I'm always amazed how biased US opinion are. They live in their bubble and believe they are livibg in the best of all worlds

@MrMSalexanderMK 9 місяців тому

BS net

@Sabu113 10 місяців тому

Hrm. I found him relatively insufferable insofar as his analysis felt more like an activist than a dispassion social scientist

@nicholaselliott2484 11 місяців тому

Incredibly speculative “Trump would have just handed over Ukraine”. For how high brow this magazine is, would expect some research, evidence and objectivity instead of slanting everything politically.