Episode 682: Ukraine’s War of Independence

Putin had intended to conquer and annex Ukraine with a vicious blitzkrieg, redrawing the map of Europe in a few short weeks with seismic geopolitical consequences. But in the face of this existential threat, the Ukrainian people fought back, turning what looked like certain defeat into a great moral victory, even as the territorial conflict continues to this day. In his new book, Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine’s War of Independence, Yaroslav Trofimov traces the war’s decisive moments to show how Ukraine and its allies have turned the tide against Russia, one of the world’s great military powers, in a modern-day battle of David and Goliath. Newt’s guest is Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign-affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.