The EI Podcast Stephen Kotkin on a new age of warfare
Sep 25, 2025
In this engaging conversation, historian Stephen Kotkin, renowned for his work on Stalin, discusses the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and its historical roots. He argues that Ukraine's destruction could be seen as a Russian victory strategy. Kotkin emphasizes the limits of sanctions and the importance of targeting Putin's elite to destabilize his regime. He also proposes a Nordic-Baltic alliance to enhance military cooperation in Europe and cautions about the risks of major powers navigating their rivalries without escalating violence.
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Russia's Enduring Military-State Strategy
- Russia treats long-term overinvestment in military and repression as a durable state strategy across centuries.
- That system allows Moscow to inflict prolonged damage without needing outright victory.
Victory Through Devastation
- Russia can 'win' by wrecking Ukraine even without achieving maximal political aims.
- Moscow values degrading Ukraine more than controlling it when full victory is unattainable.
Use Political Leverage On Russian Elites
- Apply political pressure aimed at undermining Putin's regime, not just sanctions and battlefield aid.
- Offer incentives to split dissatisfied Russian elites to change Putin's stability calculus.