Conversations With Coleman

The War in Ukraine with Cathy Young (S3 Ep.9)

Apr 2, 2022

Cathy Young, a journalist and writer, discusses the war in Ukraine. They talk about the modern history of Russia, the recent history of Ukraine, NATO expansion, Kremlin propaganda, American foreign policy, and the prospect of NATO intervention in Ukraine.

01:43:38

Creator website

Episode guests

Cathy Young

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Russia's ambivalence toward integration into Western security structures and its desire for its own sphere of influence contribute to the tensions in Ukraine.

Drawing parallels between the Iraq war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine is misleading, as Russia did not pursue legal channels and had different intentions in annexing Ukraine.

Deep dives

The Complexity of Russia's Perception of NATO

The argument that we need to consider Putin's perspective and the historical insults from the West falls short in fully justifying Russia's actions. While mistakes may have been made, Russia's ambivalence toward integration into the security structures led by the West and its desire to be the leader of its own sphere of influence play significant roles in the current tensions. Moreover, Russia's portrayal of Ukraine as a Nazi regime is baseless and a part of its propaganda efforts. There are complexities in Ukraine's history and the commemoration of certain figures, but it doesn't justify Russia's aggression and violation of international norms.

Introduction

2min

Shared Interests and Appreciating Past Work

3min

Growing up in Soviet Russia

15min

The Complexities of the Russian-American Relationship

3min

Putin's Claim and Soviet Hostility

20min

Putin's Perspective on the War in Ukraine

23min

Comparing the War in Ukraine and the War in Iraq

20min

The Question of Intervention in Ukraine

14min

The Revival of the Cold War and Concerns about Tactical Nukes in Ukraine

3min

My guest today is Cathy Young. Cathy is one of my favorite journalists around today. She is a writer at The Bulwark and also a cultural studies fellow at the Cato Institute, a columnist for Newsday, and a contributing editor to Reason. Cathy, who was born in Moscow and came to the United States with her family in 1980, is also the author of the books; Growing Up in Moscow: Memories of a Soviet Girlhood, Ceasefire!: Why Women and Men Must Join Forces to Achieve True Equality.

This episode is all about the war in Ukraine. Now, it's an unusually dense episode but I really recommend you pay attention to this episode because Cathy is just a wealth of information. We spend the first half-hour discussing the modern history of Russia, from the dissolution of the Soviet Union, where Cathy spent her childhood and her young adulthood to the Yeltsin era and the rise of Putin. We spend the next half-hour discussing the recent history of Ukraine, from the Orange Revolution in 2004-2005 to the Euromaidan protests and the Revolution of Dignity.

We go on to discuss the alleged role of NATO expansion and creating this crisis, the role of Kremlin propaganda, the alleged presence of Nazis in Ukrainian leadership, American hypocrisy and foreign policy. We also talk about the DIS analogy between the war in Iraq and the war in Ukraine, the cancellation of everything Russian, the prospect of NATO intervention in Ukraine, the concept of nuclear blackmail, and more.

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Conversations With Coleman

The War in Ukraine with Cathy Young (S3 Ep.9)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Complexity of Russia's Perception of NATO

Misleading Comparisons: Iraq and Russia's Actions

The war in Iraq and Russian invasion of Ukraine compared

Challenges in responding to the conflict

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts