Understanding Putin's War

On February 24th, Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Heavy artillery, missile strikes, and bombs have targeted civilian areas, destroying housing, hospitals, and orphanages. Many of these attacks are war crimes. There are already millions of refugees, and many thousands of casualties. This war is Putin’s war. Putin has wielded violence as the key tool in shaping a system that gives him unrivaled power and wealth, both within Russia and worldwide. Putin’s regime is one of today’s gravest threats to democracy and human rights worldwide. On this week's Dissidents & Dictators podcast, we have three guests. Garry Kasparov is Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation and an ardent critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Anne Applebaum is an American-Polish journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author who writes extensively on communism and the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. Yulia Marushevska is a Ukrainian civil activist, economic growth expert, and the former Head of the Odessa Customs.