Kadri Liik explains ‘Putin’s archaic war’ and the Russia we lost

Meduza welcomes European Council on Foreign Relations Senior Policy Fellow Kadri Liik for a discussion about her recent article, “Putin’s Archaic War: Russia’s Newly Outlawed Professional Class – And How It Could One Day Return,” where she argues that the invasion of Ukraine is “effectively de-modernizing Russia” and derailing processes that could have put the country on a less aggressive, more professional path. A specialist in Russian domestic and foreign policy and in relations between Russia and the West, Liik joined The Naked Pravda to address the issues she raised in her essay. Timestamps for this episode: (2:07) How does the invasion of Ukraine trigger the “de-modernization” of Russian society and foreign policy? (4:36) How does Soviet foreign policy compare to the diplomacy Moscow practiced before and since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine? (5:58) What are the “modern” aspects of Russia’s recent and current foreign policy in Syria and Africa? (9:14) How long will the war’s de-modernization plague Russian society and policymaking? (11:23) To what degree is Russia now “de-modernized” and ostracized globally (not just in the West)? (15:00) What will it take for the West to come to a consensus with the Global South about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? (16:47) How does the “decolonization” debate in Western academia and activism fit into all this? Does this perspective have traction inside Russia? (21:46) What are the “needs” that fueled Russia’s “homegrown” democratization potential before the February invasion? Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно