Putin is obsessed with Ukraine. His life’s mission is to bring it back under Russia’s control | Lucian Kim

American journalist Lucian Kim has been working in journalism for over twenty years. Central and Eastern Europehave been one of the main focuses of his work. In the early 2000s, he moved to Moscow, where he reported for international outlets, covering topics such as Gazprom and the construction of Putin’s vertical of power.In 2005, he first traveled to Ukraine to observe the changes following the Orange Revolution, and since thenhe has regularly visited the country. Kim also covered the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in Donbas. He later returned to Russia as a correspondent and worked there until 2021. He admits he was shocked by how muchRussia had changed compared to the 2000s, witnessing its effective slide into dictatorship. At a certain point, his work became a constant chronicle of various forms of repression, and he left Russia.After the start of the full-scale invasion, Lucian Kim wrote the book Putin’s Revenge: Why Russia Invaded Ukraine. In it, he analyzes the causes of Russian aggression. The first isRussian imperialism, but this factor alone is not sufficient. In his book, he argues that another key component is Putin’s personality and his dictatorship.Journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk speaks with Lucian Kim about the Kremlin’s motives for launching the war, Putin’s paranoid mindset, what Joe Biden and Donald Trump have in common, whether Viktor Yanukovych planned to leave Ukraine after the Revolution of Dignity, and the new generation of Russians. Do you like our podcast? Support the Public Interest Journalism Lab with a Donationhttps://www.journlab.online/donations