Prof. Kotkin: "Russia: Back to the USSR or Back to the Tsarist Empire?"

Please join the inaugural event in our new speaker series "Russia: In Search of a New Paradigm — Conversations With Yevgenia Albats" to hear historian Stephen Kotkin and our eminent host discuss Russia's latest shift to aggressive militarism.

Why has Russia evolved into an aggressive militaristic power? Was this the inevitable result of its past imperialist history or an outcome of mistakes made after the Soviet collapse? Will Vladimir Putin pursue all-out war in Europe? What are the meaningful similarities and differences between today and the Cold War era? Is it time to think about averting a new Armageddon?

These and many other questions will lie at the heart of the conversation.

0:00 Welcoming Speech by Eve Blau
4:00 Introduction by Dmitry Gorenburg
7:53 Overview by Yevgenia Albats
9:13 What Was Putin's Rationale for the Invasion of Ukraine?
14:17 Stephen Kotkin's Analysis of the Beginning of the War
31:04 Yevgenia Albats Inquires about Putin's Mind
32:02 Stephen Kotkin Discusses Putin's Political Career
1:01:21 Yevgenia Albats and Stephen Kotkin Discuss Russia's Place in the World
1:04:31 Yevgenia Albats Presents Angela Merkel's Analysis
1:07:06 Stephen Kotkin Comments on Merkel's Analysis and the Russian Economy
1:19:03 Yevgenia Albats and Stephen Kotkin Address Trump's Policies
1:21:13 Yevgenia Albats on Russian Elites
1:24:26 Stephen Kotkin Explains the Behavior of Russian Elites
1:41:06 Yevgenia Albats and Stephen Kotkin Discuss Possibilities of War in Europe
1:47:30 Stephen Kotkin on the Use of Nuclear Weapons
1:54:09 Q&A with Audience Members