September 21, 2015 — Marvin Kalb, former Shorenstein Center director, has published a new book, Imperial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine, and the New Cold War. Kalb argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, Putin did not “suddenly” decide to invade Crimea. He had been waiting for the right moment ever since disgruntled Ukrainians rose in revolt against his pro-Russian regime in Kiev’s Maidan Square. These demonstrations led Putin to conclude that Ukraine’s opposition constituted an existential threat to Russia. Imperial Gamble examines how Putin reached that conclusion by taking a critical look at the recent political history of post-Soviet Russia, and journeying deep into Russian and Ukrainian history to explain what keeps them together and yet at the same time drives them apart.
Related articles:
The Washington Post: Putin Won his War in Ukraine
Newsweek: What is Putin’s Next Move in Ukraine—and the Baltics?
