The Daily

Putin’s Endgame: A Conversation With Fiona Hill

Mar 11, 2022

Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a veteran adviser to three U.S. presidents, shares her insights on Vladimir Putin and the ongoing Ukraine conflict. She discusses how Putin’s perceptions of the West impact his decisions. Hill highlights the tragic humanitarian situation in cities like Mariupol and the influence of rising inflation in the U.S. She also examines President Zelensky's evolving leadership and the complexities of negotiating peace, while stressing the need for a deeper understanding of Ukrainian identity in these turbulent times.

34:59

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Episode guests

Fiona Hill

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Episode notes

Intro

4min

Putin's Perceptions and Ukrainian Identity

18min

Navigating Geopolitical Tensions and Energy Production

2min

Zelensky's Evolving Leadership

6min

Navigating the Complexities of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

3min

Escalating Conflict and Rising Inflation

4min

Ending the war in Ukraine very much depends on how and when President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia allows it to end.

In an interview for his podcast “The Ezra Klein Show,” the opinion columnist Ezra Klein spoke with one of the world’s leading experts on Mr. Putin, Fiona Hill, a foreign policy adviser for three United States presidents.

Today, we run the discussion between Ms. Hill and Ezra Klein about how Mr. Putin is approaching this moment, and the right and wrong ways for the West to engage him.

Guest: Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.

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Background reading:

Here’s a guide to the roots of the Ukraine war.
About two-thirds of Ukraine’s population of 44 million people lived in cities before Russia’s invasion began. Now, many urban areas are in the cross hairs of war. What cities is Russia targeting?

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