Putin and the Presidents: Timothy Snyder (interview) | FRONTLINE

[@truthbud]

As a Ukrainian I couldn't agree more with prof. Snyder. His free online course on Ukraine's history is just brilliant. Thank you for your interest and support of my country.

[@jameskonzek6730]

I'm a proud American volunteer now serving in Ukraine. I love your country! I know for a fact Ukraine will win. Gram Slava Ukraine! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

[@truthbud]

@@jameskonzek6730 Heroyam Slava! Thank you, James!

[@marycroghan9533]

​@@jameskonzek6730 ddmddddddddfddmdmddmddddddddmdmdmdddmdddmdmddmdddmmdddmddmdddddmdmddddddmdmdmdmdmdmddddmdddmdmddmddmdddmddfdmdddmdmddmdmddddddddmdddmdmdmdmmmdmdddddmdmdmdmdmdmddmddmdmdddmdddmdmddddmmddmddmdmfdmmddmdmdmdmdmdmdddddddfffdddddd

[@cookiecola5852]

Couldnt agree more Respect from Norway❤

[@HungryGhost999]

We stand united with you 🇬🇧❤️🇺🇦🇺🇦🙏

[@creativeandaliveat65]

I was born in Finland in 1958. In my childhood, we were taught what a great friend we have in the USSR. We had a friendship and co-operation agreement with them. We paraded all our prospective Presidents and Prime Ministers for their approval. I was raised to see the best in our eastern neighbour, explain away the occupation of the Baltic countries - our Finnic brothers and sisters there. I represented the amnesia generation after WW2, whereas my parents had seen the deeply traumatizing Russian invasion, brutal war, the loss of our young men and our ancestral land to them. The war payments, the ever-working absent parents, the burden of horrors affected deeply the way I turned out. It has been heart breaking to follow the Russian destruction of Ukraine. Thank you, Professor Snyder, for your thoughtful analysis and your steadfast support of democratic values and the survival of nations previously considered someone else's "buffer zone".

[@wtf_is_going_off]

I'm from Ukraine. Thanks a lot to everyone who supports Ukraine, thanks to everyone who believed that we won't be afraid or give up facing the rushits aggression. And yes, thanks to prof. Snyder for doing so much for my country with his publicist and scientific work!

[@makevet6531]

Warm regards from Israel

[@christopherpugmire2969]

вам дякую )

[@nacholibreri]

You Ukrainians are So Brave!!! Your commitment and sacrifice are so impressive! Even the Ukrainian grandmas are brave - based upon social media reports. Slava Ukraine!

[@eastwoofer]

Lies. America caused this war, and your country helped by courting the idea of joining NATO, accepting America's armaments, and provoking Russia into a war. You got what you deserved, stop whining.

[@gnw1264]

Slava Ukraini!

[@notthis888]

His book, ON TYRANNY, is a must read. At 76, I’m still learning. THANK YOU.

[@MrFahrenheit9]

I became a very involved fan of Prof. Snyder, because he brings the conversation back to Ukraine and Ukrainians, when most of journalists just want to speak about Putin

[@brianbelgard5988]

His online lecture series was so helpful for understanding even a little bit about the history of the Ukrainian people and what this war means to them.

[@MrFahrenheit9]

@@brianbelgard5988 yes! Once again, it's the first time when we were spoken of as main characters, and not just some country people teared apart by empires. It's so important to realise how imperialistic is the method of teaching history has been so far

[@vaibhavsajith4267]

Liberal propagandist and nothing more

[@vaibhavsajith4267]

@Dee Seejay of course it's kinda sad how much Synder gets away with by lying about the history of Russia.

[@vaibhavsajith4267]

@Dee Seejay good joke bro thanks for that i was having boring until it saw your comment 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Melania815]

Thank you Timothy for everything you are doing to spread the truth about that war

[@Maclabhruinn]

I highly recommend Prof Snyder's series of 23 lectures "The Making of Modern Ukraine", also on KZbin. This are the actual lectures he delivered to his history class at Yale. You'd think listening to 23 hour just on Ukraine would be overkill, but he makes it so exciting, so interesting, and draws in so many fascinating connections to the rest of European history over 2,000 years that it's effortless; like reading a really engrossing novel. A wise and intelligent man and a great teacher.

[@artmusic2]

Those lectures are on KZbin? FANTASTIC! Will definitely listen and many thank yous , Andrew! 💛💙

[@marshuswp3325]

Let me second that sentiment. Absolutely gobbled up those lectures!

[@jakebredthauer5100]

@@marshuswp3325 You should be skeptical.

[@jakebredthauer5100]

Did it ever occur to you that the professor may be preaching a false narrative?

[@lashlarue7924]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@remiplourde1867]

Mr Snyder, i have learned more on world geopolitics in your one hour interview than in the last 25 years. Brilliant. If i was an elected politician, i would love to have you as one of my adviser. And kudos to the interviewer who asked very good questions.

[@showard4300]

I agree, it's stunning how clearly Tim Snyder communicates and how much insight he shares in so few words. He's a global treasure.

[@sempressfi]

​@@showard4300 Prof Snyder, Dr Heather Richardson, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Jon Meacham have all been getting me through the last few years. While my favorite period of history to study is Europe and the Middle East between around 1000 until the 1600s, having historians to shed light on current events is not only incredibly helpful when it comes to processing and understanding but also has been a balm for the soul. Just listened to Snyder talking to Bill Kristol while catching up on podcasts and highly recommend that convo if y'all haven't heard it yet

[@AnthonyGTrees]

You did not learn factual information.

[@harmenbreedeveld8026]

I discovered Professor Snyder gradually over the years. He strikes me as a really deep thinker, especially in the field of the history of ideas. In his history, ideas matter, worldview matters, domestic policy matters, fear matters, self-interest matters, dreams matter, ideologies matter. His approach, coupled with a huge knowledge and deep understanding of Eastern Europe and its history, makes for fascinating, well-thought-out ideas and views of what is happening. He is one of those rare people who help me understand things a little bit better, whenever I listen to him. Another person who has that when it comes to the Ukraine war is Lawrence Freedman, a professor of war and conflict from the UK. His substack articles on the war - like those of Timothy Snyder - are always a worthwhile read that helps me understand things just a little bit deeper, a little bit better. Worth your time.

[@justinemot2282]

Thanks for the lead - off to search for Lawrence Freedman

[@Missusri]

I believe that not only Tim Snyder's information is highly valuable, he is on the right side of history .

[@KaritKtana]

I can listen to prof Snyder for HOURS. Always clear and insightful. THANK YOU

[@rosemarieholt2261]

Me too!

[@Venus18188]

He's a fantasist...if that is the intellect level of your Ivy league academics, can you just imagine quality of your education...pathetic!

[@BlueWizardsII]

I agree. Sounds like a nice conversation to have in a little bit more of a relaxed setting with a few other opinions among a small group of academics and friends. Capitalism != Democracy, BUT I still love Democracy, unrestrained Capitalism, not so much.

[@didoralidoronshoev8342]

Nothing is true. Don’t be like a sheep 🐑 have your mind go and make your own research

[@lauraly2712]

Snyder does Americans a great disservice in his obsession on making Trump, in the eyes of as many people he can, into a villain who's just about cut from the same stock and just about as dangerous for democracy as Putin. Such a demonization makes Americans seem for the rest of the world like fools that half of them voted for him to be U.S. president. It's this portrayal of things that actually serves Putin the best in that it goes along with the idea which he's been pushing that the selection of leaders and especially the top leader should be reserved to some elite group ("managed democracy'). As a historian Snyder can't have such a huge memory lapse as to portray Trump as attacking and trying to destroy American institutions just because he called out certain groups within them for trying to use our institutions for devious totalitarian designs when so many of the liberals with whom Snyder associates himself with weren't that long ago themselves attacking American institutions like the FBI, CIA, Supreme Court etc. as tools of some powerful monied cliques using America for their own enrichment and perpetuation of power. Snyder has a talent in getting a narrative to line up with his personal ideological positions. While Trump says that Putin waited with his invasion of Ukraine until we got a weak president, Snyder insists that it was the "January 6th insurrection" that was the weakness which Putin was waiting for and took advantage of. The problem with that interpretation is that the protesters who breached the Capitol weren't really insurrectionists because at no point did they proclaim an overthrow of the government even though they had the building in their hands at some point. What they wanted was a postment of the final Electoral College vote which shows that they were not intent on destroying any democratic institution. What they questioned was something which Democratic congressmen had done in preceding elections. By having them be arrested and kept in jail for 2 years now and forced to plead guilty for very minor things in order not to be locked up for ages plays into the hands of Putin who does just that to those that protest his manipulations of the elections. This is not to say that those who turned the protest into a riot should not be penalized for disrupting the workings of government, but to have hundreds of thousands of people giving tips on relatives and acquaintances if they suspect they were at the Capitol on that day is exactly what governments get their "citizens" to do into totalitarian communist states (spying on one another). All this makes it seem as if Snyder began studying the methods that totalitarian governments use to control the people only recently and was not aware that well of how communist states functioned. Snyder, for example, has no problem with the government and social media conglomerates engaging in censorship and deciding what the public can know and what information must be kept away from them. So, even though Snyder is very helpful in getting Americans more aware of the authoritarian, imperialist tradition that is part and parcel of the Russian mindset and political aspirations, he does a poor job in not recognizing how the various social divisions and conflicts that our American neoMarxist left keeps coming up with and their how their constant maligning of America's image through our history serves Putin's propaganda narrative far better than some so-called "insurrection" that was not as bloody as "historian" Snyder says it was having ended rather quietly after just 3 hours. It's actually alarming that Snyder has nothing at all to say about how Putin's crazy depiction in his 7000-word speech of America as being the pernicious culprit behind most of the world's problems and evils is just about the same thing that many professors are teaching in our universities and colleges. Snyder ignores the one certain thing that came from the Mueller report about Russian Interference was that the Russians primarily aim at creating as much conflict in our country as they can getting one group to view the other as their greatest enemy. This is exactly what Biden did in his recent speech calling the half of the country that voted for Trump fascist and a danger to our democracy. Not calling Biden out on that really undermines Snyder's value as a historian of how dictatorships come into being.

[@KamraMahl]

He has an excellent grasp on the subject and articulates his thoughts very well. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@victoriameyers5870]

One has to wonder. When we have such clear thinkers in the US, why wouldn't Obama have spoken to Snyder about Russia? Why did he send HRC to do that idiotic 'ReSet' thing? What other major F-ups did Obama/. HRC oversee?

[@aoeu256]

Snyder seems to attribute all problems in Russia with it not being democratic enough, what about Russia being landlocked with no warm water ports, what about demographic decline? …. How can you have factories when you cant buy supplies or else your products when you don’t have access to the sea? India also would like to buy huge amounts of resources from Russia but it can’t because of how hard it is to get things there. Oil pipelines that would go through Syria or Pakistan or Iraq would they survive?

[@davidsmith3rd]

"articulates his thoughts very well" Agreed, he lies very well !!

[@alex.velasco]

@@davidsmith3rd Nice try, Russian troll.

[@yvelaine]

@@aoeu256 Land locked ? Are you kidding !!!

[@weshenry7208]

An assessment of Russian psychology I've never read or heard before. Mr. Snyder is the real deal. Thank you so much for educating us.

[@ianrutherford2331]

Mr snyder is a stone-cold sadistic neo-con who never said one word of truth in his entire parasitic life. For strictly factual details, try: How the West Brought War to Ukraine Understanding How U.S. and NATO Policies Led to Crisis, War, and the Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe by Benjamin Abelow.

[@momchilyordanov8190]

As an Eastern European I can definitely say - this guy gets it. It's really refreshing. Thanks for publishing and well done.

[@Sunluvr1]

This is the most powerful analysis of the situation I have ever encountered . It has dramatically increased my understanding . Thank you Frontline and PBS

[@ditrower8104]

Professor Snyder is a wonderful source of knowledge and thinking on this subject. Thank you!

[@jackiebang4717]

I learned so much from reading his books and lectures. He just completed Modern Ukraine which streamed on Yale Course channel. I not only have much better understanding of Ukrainian history, but also about the world order and European history.

[@blargvlarg1390]

@@ditrower8104 That separates him from other "experts". He's been talking about Ukraine long before it was fashionable. Meanwhile, latecomer "experts" severely underestimate Ukraine, want the victim to "negotiate", and, for some bizarre reason, believe anyone but Russia is to blame for this war.

[@Puzsek]

Serious? He said Putin doesnt know any foreign languages? Basic information and he is wrong. Putin knows German for sure and i dont what other languages he knows. This guy doesnt know that putin was a kgb agent and was working in germany? This guy is totaly misleading.

[@kennethjohnson676]

This is a very hard war to understand. I have read several of his books and he has as good a grasp of the situation as I believe can be found.

[@theresadoll5374]

This speaker has voiced everything I’ve been “guessing” for about 30 years now. Nice to know that similar minds have an actual voice, heard, and hopefully heeded.

[@leonfogel4721]

Snyder is the classic example of of Marxist indoctrination using socialist ideology doctrines He is brainwashed or ignorant and he hasn’t figured it out what’s this all about Al the events are premeditated and planned decades ago as covid-19 scam second biggest scam in history of humanity after fake moon landing in 1969 We live in the world of lunacy and deception including landed snd provoked Ukrainian conflict Yes the neo - Nazis exist in Ukraine and Azov battalion the ancestors of Nazi collaborators during WW 2

[@HungryGhost999]

Absolutely agree.

[@DeanJuvenal]

A brief explanation might help you distance yourself from the neofascist groups running Ukraine at the moment. But I doubt you’d be able to do that, would you?

[@alifarah9]

Your guesses are as bs as Snyder. This guy doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about. Example, at 3:55: “Putin is someone who doesn’t know the outside world…doesn’t know any foreign languages…” What? He was a KGB officer in West Germany and speaks very fluent German. Knowing his familiarity with German language and relationship with Merkel is Putinology 101. This is just one example of a litany of questionable and suspect comments and I’m only 4 minutes in.

[@aoeu256]

You guys are both Westerners who tend to gravitate to people who share your opinions (no one not even me can resist confirmation bias) so of course you would come to similar conclusions... Snyder seems to attribute all problems in Russia with it not being democratic enough, what about Russia being landlocked with no warm water ports, what about demographic decline? …. How can you have factories when you cant buy supplies or else your products when you don’t have access to the sea? India also would like to buy huge amounts of resources from Russia but it can’t because of how hard it is to get things there. Oil pipelines that would go through Syria or Pakistan or Iraq would they survive?

[@slavimo]

It is a pity that we don't have enough people like Prof. Snyder in the academia of the Free World. Such a bright and easy-to-congest interview.

[@Stethacanthus]

We'll never have enough, but we have many. Most of them don't talk to the news much.

[@n91312]

This so called professor claims Putin doesn't know any other languages yet you can see him speak german or english on multiple occasions. He also claims Putin doesn't know anything about Ukraine when he just gave a 30min presentation on the topic to Tucker Carlson.

[@Scaleyback317]

There are others with logic, common sense and knowledge but rarely are they give a voice on the noise of pro-Russian propaganda.

[@charak100able]

This interview is pure gold. At first I was intimidated by the length but now I want to hear even more from him.

[@dray7579]

Same here, man, that was so refreshing.

[@laughceter]

check out his making of modern ukraine lectures, even more golden

[@Anna-tj7mp]

He is lucid, well informed, humane... I have been reading and listening to him for years. There is quite a lot online. Also, recommend 'Black Earth' and 'Bloodlands'.

[@johney3734]

what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer ,.

[@jeffbeck8993]

@@johney3734 Who is this "We" you're referring to when you say "we" should socialise the private sector. And what is the existing $25 in taxes being used for? Better plan would be for some of those "we" people to open a new brewery, make good beer, pay employees fairly, sell product at a lower price than competitors, especially if they are colluding on price fixing. The competition will either market itself as a premium product justifying a higher price, fall in line with the new, lower price benchmark, or slowly become irrelevant and go out of business.

[@theminer49erz]

This is the guy to talk to!!! Not that the other ones have been bad, but Dr Snyder is the person to discuss this situation especially since he called it all. Thanks!

[@_c_y_p_3]

Snyder’s Yale course on the entire history or the entire region is the one , its long and oh you gotta pay attention cuz its packed with a backstory but you won’t get better even if you moved there and married into the area. I speak vaguely because there is a large diverse group of cultures involved, not just Ukraine, Russia and USA.

[@brettzimmermann5286]

@@_c_y_p_3 I’m so happy you found it useful for your work as it helps me get to work more 😊

[@Lakin3]

He was the first guy who wrote exactly the the things I thought in a newspaper (was the Neue Zurcher Zeitung that translated his papers). Before I have been to Russia and Ukraine many times, talked to people from there for nearly 20 years. Definitely is was possible to see the 24. February 2022 coming at least 15 years ago. But politicians especially in Europe tried their best ignoring it.

[@alexandervolt6074]

@@_c_y_p_3 It's good, but he missed huge chunks of important history stages out of it to support a couple of his points (especially regarding Habsburgs). He brushed through the Cossack state period in half an episode too, which is ridiculous.

[@umenhuman7573]

i bet he left out operation qrplumb, formerly aerodynamic, formerly beehive,,,

[@blockchaininmining1102]

just finished listening to the full series of lectures from prof. Snyder on the history of Ukraine. Such a gift to be able to learn from such great teachers, thank you to the Yale university for sharing their best teachers with us

[@sondrawatkins4976]

Where can I find this to hear these same lectures?

[@helenajaksic2009]

It is a shame, but the great professors have died out and what you get now are a mouthpiece of neocons, who miseducate their students. Money wasted on expensive miseducation.

[@KingMinosxxvi]

Yes I agree it is great gift to recieve a deeply biased and skewed narrative from an institutionalised intellectual with no connection to reality

[@1midnightfish]

@@sondrawatkins4976 If you search for "The Making of Modern Ukraine" you should get a playlist of all the lectures delivered in 2022. 💙💛

[@ennediend2865]

​@@KingMinosxxvi HAHAHA !!! 🤡🤣 STOP RUSSIAN SALAD MIX !!!💀

[@JohnnyFD]

I wish all the Pro-War-Pro-Russians or Anti-Ukraine crowd would have the intelligence and patience to listen to this.

[@Dezert_Fox]

Russia will win

[@JulieMoranNE111]

Timothy Snyder is an amazing, remarkable, insightful thinker. Thanks for the interview!

[@steveperreira5850]

Absolutely he is an insightful thinker, too bad his political bias towards democratic socialism causes him to make up stupid things like, “china and Russia are capitalist countries”. …. As if capitalism is bad and evil. He never clarifies that they are crony capitalist countries and that they are also dictatorships… it’s clear he hates capitalism. Very sad. Probably he never had a real job in his life and produce anything useful for other people. I’m not taking away from his great intellect, But his bias ruins everything.

[@jasonsmith1155]

No. No, he's not. He's just not.

[@JulieMoranNE111]

@@jasonsmith1155 Thanks for the reply. OK I'm listening. Why do you say that?

[@spudwesth]

He is a twit.

[@catc8927]

I’ve looked forward to all of these full length interviews, but I was especially excited for Timothy Snyder’s. Dr. Snyder’s free Yale history of Ukraine lectures on KZbin were appointment watching for me as soon as they came out. He’s a rare American expert who is fluent in multiple languages and thus has real time access to Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, German, etc media and primary sources.

[@jaimekuehner7363]

I loved his course!

[@friarnewborg9213]

YALE? That explains plenty. Second rate institution now, ruined be imbibing Progressive KoolAid

[@virginiatyree6705]

Thanks for the information! I'm going to checkout his posts. v

[@virginiatyree6705]

@@jaimekuehner7363 , I'm looking forward to seeing the posts. v

[@kalabetadesse1030]

Maybe you guys should listen to Professor Mearshimer. Get a little balance this guy simplifies how the Russia/Ukraine war really came about.

[@Tripptrapp100]

Wow, that hour just flew by, I wish it had been longer. What a brilliant man with a brilliant mind

[@syjiang]

You can see more of his stuff from the Yale course he taught on history of Ukraine. Yale posted it on Your tube.

[@Tripptrapp100]

@@syjiang I will do that, thanks for the tip 🙂

[@Venus18188]

I seriously question his level of intellect...not too bright for an "elite" institution 🤣

[@JoeMun]

@@Venus18188 well then, let’s hear your “thoughts” on the subject 💀 total clown

[@militantcapitalist4606]

@@Venus18188 ofc, not on the level of putin worshipping biomass talking schi; those are the smart ones, da?

[@angieclausen3130]

You are one of my favorite writers. I have learned so much from your books. Thank you And stay safe!

[@tolyamochin4066]

Ты ещё помолись на этого пройдоху Тимоти Снайдера, может этот недоучка Российской истории тебя услышит!

[@BrerRuthven]

Just a treat to hear incisive, informed and humble analysis, restores my faith in intelligence

[@DreamsofmyDreams]

16 minutes into this video and it’s definitely one of the best interviews I’ve seen in a long time. Please have Professor Snyder on for more

[@George-2115]

Wow. Same here. A few minutes in and I took a break to check the comments, wanted to make sure I wasn't alone. This is dense. It has intelligence, and wisdom, and it's already presented in a polished form. It's a goldmine.

[@B_Bodziak]

@@navamsinna8492 Do you think Ukraine should have made the deal to get rid of their nuclear weapons in exchange for Russia's promise not to invade?

[@herbertbuhlmann3679]

@@navamsinna8492 You hope comrade. My interpretation is that if we had persecuted the USSR state organs that had tortured and killed 30 to 60 million Russians the same way we had done the Nazis we would not be in this situation. When you speak blood and tears look a little closer to home

[@rileykilpatrick5638]

He has a series of lectures on Ukrainian history on the Yale university channel. Big time sink, but hugely insightful.

[@missskaala]

@@George-2115 a

[@swollenknees]

Absolutely tremendous. It’s people such as this that remind me that the people I normally get caught up listening to are pseudo intellectuals

[@TheIfifi]

Whats so wrong here? Snyder is verq qualified to speak of this.

[@swollenknees]

@@TheIfifi I was complementing him

[@TheIfifi]

@@swollenknees I reread, my bad. I was a bit confused too.

[@justinemot2282]

​@@TheIfifi my, my! somebody doing an honest mistake and then - BAM! Acknowledging it and apologizing. Is this some corner of intellectuals on the internet or something?

[@johney3734]

what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer '

[@weshenry7208]

Mr. Snyder proves that if the American people can just learn a little bit more from people like him we can begin to resolve our own issues internally. Outstanding.

[@tolyamochin4066]

Тимоти Снайдер не политик и не экономист, поэтому научить американцев как им процветать внутри своей страны не получится. Как говорится : болтать языком, это ещё не значит, что-то сделать. К тому же Снайдер весьма слабо разбирается в истории России, и абсолютно не понимает менталитет русского народа. Или он, общаясь с русскоязычными, что проживают в Америке решил для себя, что вполне стал понимать русскую душу. А вот тут Снайдер по глупому ошибся, ибо не живя в России среди русских, понять их американцу невозможно. А что же касается русскоязычных проживающих в США, так этнических русских среди них очень мало. В основном это люди других национальностей и вероисповеданий. Так что выскочке Тимоти Снайдеру лучше надо учить историю России. А то как-то нехорошо получается - преподаёт студентам историю России, а сам в ней дубина! Да ещё на своём сайте дурит головы своим подписчикам и слушателям.

[@DarlyaFaroeste]

Lol 😆 people like you are the ones who believed in the weapons of mass destruction lie in iraq 🇮🇶

[@erichodge567]

This guy is breaking it down so clean it's unbelievable. He really is explaining how we got to where we are.

[@helenajaksic2009]

Obviously, you never watch and listen to the opposite side, who tell the truth. America has provoked this war and they are scared of a strong Russia. They will do anything and fight "until the last Ukrainian" to try to break up Russia. But Russia is winning against the combined wealth of USA and EU. And they have not started yet.

[@erichodge567]

@@helenajaksic2009 , on 24 February 2022, Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine, a border established by international treaty in 1991 and ratified by a referendum of the Ukrainian people. Russia has as much right to invade Ukraine as I have to break into your house, which is to say, none. One more thing: on the day when the Chinese, hungry for resources, decide to drive their armies across the Russian border in search of plunder, I will support Russia in defense of her sovereignty.

[@helenajaksic2009]

@@erichodge567 you are cherry picking facts and events to suit your narrative. I wonder whether you would be so restrained and respect my house if I was killing your children in my house. We all know that primarily this conflict was started by USA and that it started way before 1991 with the aim to destroy Russia. Ukraine is just a convenient "host", because of the hatred of the Ukrainian fascists towards Russia. They are so easily manipulated, but of course lots of generals and Zelinsky enrich themselves in the process. The other very important point is that Ukraine applied to become a member of NATO. That is big NO-NO for Putin, but it would be for any president of Russia. Why didn't the West dismantle NATO like Gorbachev did with the Warsaw Pact? Do you think USA would tolerate Russian military bases in Mexico pointing nuclear weapons at them? Putin is on the right side of history. He clearly stated his objectives for the SMO. Read his statement. But now, I think he will have to take the whole Ukraine and de-nazifying will take decades, I am afraid. And where are the millions of young Ukrainian men that "bravely" chose to earn a fistful of dollars in the west rather that fight for their homeland? They all say that they will never go back.

[@farda8473]

??? you know very little right loool

[@DerDop]

@@helenajaksic2009 gtfo.

[@weston.weston]

Timothy Snyder's research and texts are invaluable for America and world history. His work is cited by most major world leaders who write about these topics. Snyder is so sharp, I appreciate his commentary so much.

[@DavidGrothsculpture]

Some people are brilliant but professor Snyder is also incredibly perceptive. Thanks so much for the insights on how we in the US failed to see what was happening when Russia exploited our weaknesses.

[@MidnaZ]

USA is the greatest threat to the world.

[@virginiatyree6705]

My thoughts exactly. Professor Synder gave a great synopsis of the situation. The USA messed up BIGLY. v

[@paulchulla5701]

Definition : "Shambolic " . EVIL. DEFINITION EVIL: Any person forcing males to migrate or any person preventing female migration. A good, simple definition to save the world and define who is evil. Now the catch? You are only good if you actively oppose evil.

[@paulchulla5701]

Hey Putin! It's actually democracy! But you know that. Need a ride?

[@gedjad]

Bullsh-t!!

[@dorasarun]

I really enjoy these interviews. The interviews are much higher quality than the finished product. These interviews are, imho, some of the highest quality content on KZbin. I would appreciate it if Frontline released more content like this.

[@PaulHowden]

I have a Ukrainian wife, I’m trying to learn the language and I’ve been actively following the war since it started. This guy Timothy Snyder has just spoken about Ukraine with so much coherence, and understanding. All the bullshit I’ve heard from so many other commentators is set straight here and this to me is the absolute truth. I hope more people can hear him speak.

[@Lousysalsero]

I haven't heard anybody talking that sensible about the situation in a long time! I didn't even realize that almost an hour had passed since I started listening: this is hugely interesting and relevant to the end. Many thanks.

[@spudwesth]

All lies. As per usual.

[@jamesmflynn]

​@@spudwesth Idiot troll.

[@stunningride6073]

@@spudwesth Oh thank you dear internet troll for this exhaustive explanation of your statement.

[@Larry26-f1w]

@@stunningride6073 you found some truth here genius? Share it with the class

[@hughjazz64]

6:12 - 6:53 Snyder got so many things right! I'm of Russian blood and I confirm that as a nation we are attention seekers and spreading fear gives us sense of importance. When I was little I watched lots of cringerowthy Steven Seagal movies (Russia loves him), and every time I heard the word "the Russians", I'd beam with pride that an American mentioned my country. This is how pathetic my russian mindset was back then. I've shifted since, but 99% of my friends and family haven't. I've come to realize that the imperialistic and frankly fascist mindset Russia exhibits stems from deep-rooted inferiority complexes.

[@fudgis2572]

Brilliantly insightful, Timothy Snyder's understanding of the situation and analysis of our journey towards it is one of the most thorough and intelligent I've heard yet. A fascinatingly revealing explanation of Putin's psyche!

[@victoriameyers5870]

If you loved Snyder's talk, you need to also check out talks by Stephen Kotkin, Prof. @ Princeton. They're both brilliant and understand the dictatorship mind. Kotkin wrote THE book on Stalin.

[@aoeu256]

Maybe Putin is a dictator, but if your country lacks ports and has tons of natural resources the common people need some sort of a strongman to redirect the oil profits to the bottom people. How can you build factories when you can't import or export anything (landlocked)?

[@raewyntasker8432]

Very insightful, with clarity.A lot of realistic information.

[@alex.velasco]

@@aoeu256 What???

[@johney3734]

what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer

[@risingdough8078]

I've always wondered how much Ukraine's joint hosting of the 2012 European Soccer Championship accelerated the changes in Ukraine. During my time there in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Kyiv, I witnessed a great celebratory connection between the visiting fans and local residents. I also saw a strong Russian affinity in eastern Ukraine, and appreciated the fundamental political divide that existed at the time. Regardless, the trip was fantastic; the Ukrainian people warm and welcoming, and it crushes me to see what is happening there today.

[@Puleczech]

It is amazing how Snyder can explain very complex issues in very understandable terms. What an important voice in today's world.

[@markusrose9667]

It’s understandable because it is incredibly simplistic and reductionistic. Good versus evil. “Democracy” versus tyranny.

[@Puleczech]

@@markusrose9667 Why do you put democracy in quotes?

[@markusrose9667]

@@Puleczech because it is a misleading word that implies a system were the people simply rule. In reality, like any other system, it is a system controlled by elites. In a democracy, those elites have very sophisticated ways of manufacturing consent or enforcing coercion. In other words, democracy is just a more sophisticated form of tyranny.

[@Puleczech]

@@markusrose9667 What better system do you suggest?

[@markusrose9667]

@@Puleczech I prefer living in a democracy where the elites don’t get their way all the time.

[@MrSpinozadp]

It's just an excellent interview! Prof. Snyder really has a good understanding of what's going on in our region. And I hope an interview like this can help other nations to hear us. Thank you from Ukraine.

[@jasonsmith1155]

LMAO

[@ileanaseagal6757]

A lot of the people that matter, that can help you survive and win, are hearing you. The problem is that propaganda machine of Russia is working overtime .and is very problematic, because it can minimize the support for your country. But I have hope.❤️🇺🇦

[@republicansthatdidntvotefo1605]

​​@@ileanaseagal6757 As an american.. born and raised in florida. And as a taxpayer I support ukraine 100% Joe biden send everything.. Drive those orks out of ukraine, Stop this pain and death from russia ASAP....

[@karenhughes9172]

Propaganda. Anerica needs to fk off outta other countries.

[@timoteochang3986]

P😊

[@Страничкадилетанта]

It's a pity it is not possible to put more than one like. The best interview about Russia I have heard. It needs to be louder.

[@spudwesth]

Ignorance displayed.

[@monkeeseemonkeedoo3745]

You can share the video, that is like a super like lol

[@monkeeseemonkeedoo3745]

@@spudwesth no u.

[@ioannistamvakis8571]

Thank you for the interview. As a Greek, watching Russia crumbiling the democracy of the US was making me despair. The US needs to defend its democracy and put malignant tumor Trump in jail, the same way we did with the fascist party leaders, who incited violence. This is a turning point of history, and democracy needs to win.

[@tanyaischenko421]

Where did you see democracy in the States? With full-scale media cencorship and prosecution of political opponets? Turn on your critical thinking instead of listening to deep state political establishment's mantras:) about democracy. Why there's no direct voting? Why no other parties- except for two being pretty much the same with slight differences- were able to establish themselves in 200++ years of the country existence? Being suppressed and suffocated, or what? US is a dictatorship of so-called oligarch 'families', corrupted lobbyists who would promote anything for a couple of bucks (lobbyism= corruption) and anarchists. Nothing more than that, the rest are just mantras to blind the ones like you..

[@tolyamochin4066]

Грек, ты что совсем дурак? Как Россия может разрушать демократию в Америке, если эта страна считает себя мировой сверхдержавой. Тут одно из двух : или Америка стала слабой, что на неё плюют кому не лень, или Америкой правят дебилы, которым место в дурдоме!

[@bonsummers2657]

the malignant tumor of the USA is the Democrat party platform, which has incited much violence over several months with billions in damages, insurrections on authorities, and at least 25 dead. January 6th was a collaborative 'let happen' substantially allowed by the Democrat party to villify Trump.

[@surana4746]

Thank you Timothy and thanks for your history of Ukraine lectures which everyone can listen to here on KZbin and Apple podcast. 💙💛🌎

[@Chris-ml3hw]

Excellent Interview. Thank you Timothy and Michael.

[@sshender3773]

Timothy is a true luminary. He gets Russia like very few foreigners do (saying that as a Russian myself). Been looking forward to this for a while. Thank you!

[@csgocase]

fr

[@kipincharge2833]

PROF JEFFERY SACHS ⚒️ THIS GUY IS A CORPORATE TOOL🙈🙉🙊

[@kipincharge2833]

HOW ABOUT THE USA KEEP THE PROMISE TO GORBACHEV AND NOT EXPAND NATO🙊🙉🙈

[@happyhappynuts]

​@@kipincharge2833 Sachs is an apologist dreamer

[@kipincharge2833]

@@happyhappynuts who wants to DREAM in a CORPORATE MILITARY POLICE STATE 🙊🙉🙈 what is SAD is the USA could have worked for real☮️ around the 🌎 after Gorbachev agreed to pull back from eastern Europe 💥 but the MIC had to be fed☠️☠️☠️☠️the PEOPLE of the USA live in BONDAGE to 🖕🏼Private🖕Corporate🖕🏾Power☠️and their will be a bill due💀☮️

[@daveyd0071]

These Frontline interviews are absolute gold.

[@zlatkokovach7862]

Don't be an idiot. They are (deep) state propaganda for gullible people in the West who don't know any better.

[@marianmaslak]

Professor Snyder's great insight. His 20 lectures about Ukraine's history from Yale university is obligatory for everyone to understand the issue.

[@MarkM001]

I think it's more than 20, one is done by his wife. I've watched it all once and plan to watch it again.

[@rileykilpatrick5638]

PREACH. This man has comprehensive insight, an example as to why academics are still so important. Also how important it is for them to be understandable by the general public.

[@shurikkupitman5407]

Какая нахуй история, может быть у Украины? Она просуществовала меньше 30 лет. Вот и вся история.

[@MarkM001]

@@shurikkupitman5407 Киев был городом, когда Москва была не чем иным, как местом для поения скота.

[@shurikkupitman5407]

@@MarkM001 Я тебе даже больше скажу. Киев, был городом, когда никакой Москвы и вовсе не было. Причём был он, не просто стольным, а великокняжеским. Беда украинского понадусерства в том, что Киев, был русским городом.

[@DanBerg64]

Excellent interview! Bravo ! from former soviet citizen - I was lucky to realize it in 1980s

[@WangAiHua]

Timothy Snyder has an excellent understanding that very few seem to have!

[@starstern1077]

This guy is the ultimate clairvoyant. Thank you.

[@aclearlight]

Dr. Snyder is a national treasure. His insights and his ability to express them are at such a high level that he makes it look easy. I wish he were in government where his gifts could help direct and elevate decision making. The world would benefit.

[@lauraly2712]

Snyder does Americans a great disservice in his obsession on making Trump, in the eyes of as many people he can, into a villain who's just about cut from the same stock and just about as dangerous for democracy as Putin. Such a demonization makes Americans seem for the rest of the world like fools that half of them voted for him to be U.S. president. It's this portrayal of things that actually serves Putin the best in that it goes along with the idea which he's been pushing that the selection of leaders and especially the top leader should be reserved to some elite group ("managed democracy'). As a historian Snyder can't have such a huge memory lapse as to portray Trump as attacking and trying to destroy American institutions just because he called out certain groups within them for trying to use our institutions for devious totalitarian designs when so many of the liberals with whom Snyder associates himself with weren't that long ago themselves attacking American institutions like the FBI, CIA, Supreme Court etc. as tools of some powerful monied cliques using America for their own enrichment and perpetuation of power. Snyder has a talent in getting a narrative to line up with his personal ideological positions. While Trump says that Putin waited with his invasion of Ukraine until we got a weak president, Snyder insists that it was the "January 6th insurrection" that was the weakness which Putin was waiting for and took advantage of. The problem with that interpretation is that the protesters who breached the Capitol weren't really insurrectionists because at no point did they proclaim an overthrow of the government even though they had the building in their hands at some point. What they wanted was a postment of the final Electoral College vote which shows that they were not intent on destroying any democratic institution. What they questioned was something which Democratic congressmen had done in preceding elections. By having them be arrested and kept in jail for 2 years now and forced to plead guilty for very minor things in order not to be locked up for ages plays into the hands of Putin who does just that to those that protest his manipulations of the elections. This is not to say that those who turned the protest into a riot should not be penalized for disrupting the workings of government, but to have hundreds of thousands of people giving tips on relatives and acquaintances if they suspect they were at the Capitol on that day is exactly what governments get their "citizens" to do into totalitarian communist states (spying on one another). All this makes it seem as if Snyder began studying the methods that totalitarian governments use to control the people only recently and was not aware that well of how communist states functioned. Snyder, for example, has no problem with the government and social media conglomerates engaging in censorship and deciding what the public can know and what information must be kept away from them. So, even though Snyder is very helpful in getting Americans more aware of the authoritarian, imperialist tradition that is part and parcel of the Russian mindset and political aspirations, he does a poor job in not recognizing how the various social divisions and conflicts that our American neoMarxist left keeps coming up with and their how their constant maligning of America's image through our history serves Putin's propaganda narrative far better than some so-called "insurrection" that was not as bloody as "historian" Snyder says it was having ended rather quietly after just 3 hours. It's actually alarming that Snyder has nothing at all to say about how Putin's crazy depiction in his 7000-word speech of America as being the pernicious culprit behind most of the world's problems and evils is just about the same thing that many professors are teaching in our universities and colleges. Snyder ignores the one certain thing that came from the Mueller report about Russian Interference was that the Russians primarily aim at creating as much conflict in our country as they can getting one group to view the other as their greatest enemy. This is exactly what Biden did in his recent speech calling the half of the country that voted for Trump fascist and a danger to our democracy. Not calling Biden out on that really undermines Snyder's value as a historian of how dictatorships come into being.

[@spudwesth]

He is a twit.

[@Lyphatma]

Snyder's mastery on display - he boils the whole thing down into one short interview so that a 7-year-old can understand it.

[@LuigiDiRende]

As always, a fantastic interview from Dr. Snyder. I definitely recommend his lecture series on Ukraine if anyone is interested to learn further.

[@jansix4287]

After you’ve seen all videos by Julia Ioffe and Stephen Kotkin.

[@adancdego6339]

Would like to learn more about Zelensky and his corruption.

[@timjones8837]

Phenomenal insight...what a brilliant guy...

[@litteliten4999]

There is so much I understand now about this subject through this interview, thanks for this, and so many thanks again. Timothy is a superstar.

[@opinion3742]

Understand? Or come to believe? Personally I stumbled at the first few sentences.

[@Venus18188]

You would gain better insight from Jeffrey Sachs...do yourself a favour

[@Venus18188]

No he's a Russophobic bigot

[@ginniemess]

@@Venus18188 oh yes, another kremlin's propaganda mouthpiece. Who are you kidding?

[@opinion3742]

@@Venus18188 I smell a rat

[@TETPochatok]

Thank you PBS for the interview with Dr Snyder. His wide understanding of history and its consequences are stunning. Wish more people would listen to him .

[@dan_taninecz_geopol]

He's undoubtedly an intellectual leader in the field and really shows the value of regional experts with deep historical knowledge in foreign policy.

[@taligordin-kaviani1569]

Brilliant! Thank you to Professor Snyder, and for PBS for this deeply knowledgeable interview and video.

[@shakiMiki]

This was fantastic & wonderfully informative. Thank you.

[@rstrakovsky]

Frontline has really knocked it out with these interviews. Good questions and then got our of the way of their expertise.

[@umenhuman7573]

leading questions to convey the narrative that is basically a character assasination, some extraordinary mind reading where he claims to know how everyone else thinks amd wants but isnt projecting , claims putin hypnoticed everyone when he invaded crimea, then gbasically says anyone whjo says otherwise is a putin propagandist

[@ruwaydastruwe8731]

I’m sorry 😐 but u a complete wash out who no s absolutely nothing of how Russia’s ways 🤔

[@auditoryproductions1831]

Yeah 23:10 is a really powerful point. I always found it curious why Russia treats U.S. like it's great foe when were clear on the other side of the world. China is right next door and has no interest in a Soviet Blocc forming on there doorstep at all.

[@normanvanrooy3113]

Are you blind and deaf? Do you read

[@KuroNekoExMachina]

@@auditoryproductions1831 You do realize you are not "on the other side of the world" vis a vis Russia? Russia is *literally* the next continent.

[@romanstorozhuk9612]

This guy is the best at explaining russia and russians

[@powerserge8172]

I am Ukrainian who lives 30+ years in US. IMO, Timothy (I have never heard of him) knows the subject 100%, the real expert, not just knowledgeable, but understanding person. Excellent interview.

[@tegrity-farms9842]

go back and help your people

[@markcampbell8158]

I am reading his book called , Bloodlands. He is painting a clear picture of the region.

[@Thezftw]

@@tegrity-farms9842 30+ years means Americans might be his people now. I don't know for sure tho.

[@tegrity-farms9842]

@@Thezftw right ..

[@annamarkova3508]

@@tegrity-farms9842 30+ years living in America means either naturalized citizen or, at least, lawful permanent resident. Youcomments IS just rude and simply uneducated.

[@MrEddy-bm3eo]

Thank you for this upload! May I correct one thing? Around 3:55 Synder says that Putin doesn't know foreing languages. This is not correct, Putin speaks German very well, in 2001 he even hold a speech in the German parliament in German. Putin was stationed in the GDR (in Dresden) from 1985 to 1990 as a KGB agent. This doesn't change anything about Synders basic statement, I just wanted to clarify that. I think that the impact his career as a KGB agent has had on Putin's thinking cannot be underestimated.

[@lenas6246]

germans view ukraine no better than russians, so not much inpact there

[@ОлександрКрестін]

Putin has only an elementary knowledge of German, he can mumble a German text in public with an assisting voice in headphones or ask for two bears in german pub and that's all his german-language competences.

[@George-2115]

This is a truly fantastic series of interviews. Great guests and great questions. Have been hoping for one with Prof. Snyder. Just a few minutes in, and I was already amazed. I'm convinced that in 100 years his work will be required reading. We are so fortunate that we don't need to wait, we can read them now.

[@coreyham3753]

outstanding

[@hubbsllc]

I’m not sure if there has been one single person whose published output has provided me with more comprehension and clarity than Timothy Snyder, especially since and about the war In Ukraine. If you only have time for one of his books, start with ON TYRANNY, which is very small but packs a lot of memorable information. I especially recommend the expanded audiobook version that adds a couple of hours of new material about Ukraine.

[@tamasgyorffy1]

agree very much from Hungary. BIG Thanks to T Snyder and Frontline!

[@George-2115]

@@tamasgyorffy1 Glad to hear that Snyder is resonating with some Hungarians.

[@dirdy-dollarz]

“Shambolic”😮 Mr Snyders examples of Russian meddling would be comparable to social media sh!t poster trolls at best. Without a credible example of Russian election meddling he is offering nothing here. His 100% cocksure confidence may be a cover to compensate for the current state of affairs he has a hand in creating while he beat the war drum Washington.

[@uzivatel56]

This man is a complete genius, I wish there were more people understanding the situation like him.

[@jasonsmith1155]

LMAO -A complete genius??????? really? okay. Sure.

[@uzivatel56]

@@jasonsmith1155 Glad you agree.

[@helenajaksic2009]

more like complete clown who promotes neocon values.

[@tomthebomb09]

@@jasonsmith1155 he wrote a book called road to unfreedom! Was amazing takes about brexit and us elections 2016 and how Russia tried to meddle in both! Timothy is a genius

[@k.k.8394]

@@tomthebomb09 Except for that he gets simple facts wrong like "Putin doesn't speak any foreign languages" (3:56) ... he speaks German and has spent some time there for the KGB. Just one example.

[@peterkohlmetzmoller]

What an enlightening interview. Well done everyone. Timothy Snyder is a star!

[@johney3734]

what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer

[@ianrutherford2331]

It is the EXACT opposite of enlightening. Further introductory reading: How the West Brought War to Ukraine Understanding How U.S. and NATO Policies Led to Crisis, War, and the Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe by Benjamin Abelow.

[@shawnshahpari8681]

In the same sense that Kim Kardashian is a star.

[@tocreatee3585]

this guy is as delusional; as putin

[@RalphBrooker-gn9iv]

Cannot think of a more important intellectual on the world stage at the moment. Outstanding historian. But he’s much more than that.

[@jpedrocp]

This man is a genius. His understanding of the cultural clash is extraordinary and it brings so much clarity to a lot of confusing arguments. Thank you for interviewing him. 👏👏👏

[@x-raymind7778]

This is what should be on the news not the crap we get fed now

[@MrKeyki07]

I absolutely agree. And Russia is the reason it isn’t

[@quantvminquizitor]

@@x-raymind7778 This is EXACTLY the same shit you are fed. Problem is that you are so full of it you don't know the difference. You didn't learn a single thing from this interview. It's right out of the same chapter of same ongoing story-book narrative you have followed along with your whole life, packaged up and served to you in a different wrapper delivered by a different person in a different setting. That's all anyone could possibly get from this interview. But the point wasn't to inform you of anything new. The point was to build upon and reinforce the preconceived views and biases that would be expected of you. And you come away from this with a sense of accomplishment as though you now know something more about the state of things in the world.

[@ewd31989]

He is a genius 😂😂 jesus

[@dezurniprovokator373]

To bad he is full of shit!

[@akeleven]

Out of the programs about Russia this is the most illuminating talk of all. Thank you PBS. Should be required watch in every high school class. Then maybe the next generation will be smarter than us.

[@ИльяКазарновский-д1й]

Ye! He knows how elluminate Lies!! Be sure...he get paid for this! And sleep well!

[@akeleven]

​@@ИльяКазарновский-д1й gotcha

[@vicenteperal609]

This is by far the best insight and analysis of Russia and Putin I have ever heared. Congratulations

[@JerjerB]

One of the great minds of our time.

[@Wargasm644]

😂

[@JerjerB]

@@Wargasm644 What's so funny? Timothy Snyder is probably one of the most important historians and philosophers of our time and I'm sure that our great grandchildren will be reading about him in class.

[@jakebredthauer5100]

@@JerjerB Why should I trust him?

[@Tuhajuhan]

@@jakebredthauer5100 Because he has spent decades on learning Eastern European history in their own languages and reading their history outside of simply Russian imperial history which composes of owning peoples due to chauvinism.

[@Zemlchka357]

His analysis is based on ignorance. 👎👎

[@irmap6264]

What a interview!!! Going to listen again.

[@theartfuldodger5326]

So grateful for these long-form interviews that you've released. Absolutely captivating, enlightening & thoroughly eye-opening. Way better than the 2 min segments we get on regular channels.

[@lamusic1996]

Great interview! Thank you, Sir.

[@bellygunnermusic]

awesome. I wish more leadership in this country was as smart as this fellow here.

[@kalinaralov9919]

that is absolutely the most precise, the best analysis of the whole situation and every minor and major part of it! absolutely to the point. more people must see this. all should share it!

[@justaplainspokengirl]

SO glad I watched this interview.

[@my-curiosity]

He has a good understanding of situation. Greetings from Ukrainian living in USA

[@deba540]

Amazing interview. Snyder is SO prescient. Worth rewatching. Also - great Qs by Michael Wiser. Thanks PBS.

[@michaelvonpalubicki8849]

He doesn't even know that Putin speaks fluent english and german and lived years abroad...come on.

[@davidrespectswho6557]

@@michaelvonpalubicki8849 yes he does and Timothy also speaks Russian. But as for Putin’s English, is is good enough but not fluent.

[@rmr3403]

​@@michaelvonpalubicki8849 oh ok. So the invasion of ukraine part is correct?

[@johney3734]

what about socialism as a new option? i worked in a brewery the big secret was that it cost them $1.20 to make a carton of beer .. there was $25 in tax and they sold it for $50.... $1.20 for wages. supplies. production and advertising... i propose we leave government alone and socialise the cooperate sector.. so in this case, we sell beer for $1.20 in profit pay the workers a true living wage.. after that give profits back to the community by selling the beer at cost.. all business should consider profit as a swear word to be avoided.. the model needs to be working for a better life for all.. not working to exploit the consumer

[@rmw3957]

@@michaelvonpalubicki8849 Putin lived in the Soviet occupied DDR, controlled completely by the USSR, as an operative of the regime; this is hardly ‘abroad’. His English and German are far from fluent. Fabulous interview by Prof Snyder.

[@IndelibleNihilist]

I love Dr. Snyder, the depth of his Eastern European knowledge is incredible! Thank you Frontline !

[@juha-petrijantunen5100]

He claims that Putin does not speaks foreign languages. Putin speaks fluent German and fully understands English

[@umenhuman7573]

@@juha-petrijantunen5100 he's a terrible propagandist, i suspect thats why he had the dry throat.. people should ask him about operation qrplumb.. notice how he set up the condition that anyone who dissagrees with his assettion that he knows how everyone thinks is a putin propagandist

[@shawngraylogan7819]

Yeah it's more in depth than putins that was born there and lived there all his life and worked in government all his life. Amazing.

[@jakebaba2149]

He knows his stuff and thinks in practical terms.

[@henriikkak2091]

@@juha-petrijantunen5100 He just doesn't speak them. He tends to use an interpreter or makes the other party speak their second language. It's a power thing, I guess.

[@thedownwardmachine]

I’ve watched a few hours of Ukraine related content daily for the past year, and this is vies for the very best of everything I’ve imbibed. So broad, so deep, so succinct.

[@Verntallat7]

to a neutral obvserver of the conflict his view comes as extremely biased bordering the fanatical, he seems to too emotionally involved in this war and these people to provide any sort of rational, moderate and realistic assesment

[@feynou]

@@Verntallat7 Nonsense. You are not neutral.

[@marcosvidal4940]

@@feynou "Cata-what" is actually one of the very few neutral and genuine comments in this propaganda comment section and video series

[@Verntallat7]

@@feynou why I'm not neutral? I want Russia to withdraw to the pre-invasion borders and then negotiate the status of Crimea and the Donbass and start reparations to the victims but at the same time I don't think this is a war "about democracy" or "david vs goliath", that would be China vs Taiwan, were actual democratic values would be put to the test

[@Denidrakes69]

​@@Verntallat7 He has dedicated his life to studying the region. He's extremely knowledgeable on the subject.

[@dalekallio4619]

It's wonderful to hear a well thought out Q and A response(s) that demonstrate logic and coherent assessment.

[@johnnyleopard2668]

Now I just hung on every one of this man's words lol. This was so insightful. Fantastic interview

[@mcnally211]

May i offer a counter to this? You obviously are interested in geo politics, so here are some independent, non government funded media, Kremlin/ Pentagon free channels? The Duran, Alexander Mercouris, The New atlas, Jeffrey Sacks, Chris Hedges. The Grayzone, The Jimmy Dore show. At the end of every frontline is says in the credits, brought to you by the national endowment for democracy. N.E.D. thats a CIA front organization used to over throw countries that dont fall in line, they arm & fund revolutions all over the world. You dont have to believe me, look it up. 💁‍♂️🤝

[@StellarFella]

Despite his moral weaknesses, JFK was a person who had the kind of intellectual capacity to understand these sophisticated points. He was too far ahead of his time and was killed accordingly. Please read 'Mary's Mosaic' by Peter Janney. 'JFK And The Unspeakable' by James P. Douglass. And 'The Brothers' by Stephen Kinzer. And listen to the interviews and perspectives by the late L. Fletcher Prouty. So much unique food for thought! Illuminate yourself!

[@dalehartley2821]

Probably the most clear eyed assessment of the situation I have heard so far.

[@umenhuman7573]

i think you mean "one eyed" wich is about how many neurons one would be restricted to using to guage it as credible

[@virginiatyree6705]

Agreed 💯. v

[@jasonhathhorn5857]

it's also about as one-sided as it gets. C'mon, they put a bunch of establishment talking point neocons on here to "educate" you. There are plenty of voices much more objective than the clowns PBS has put out in front of you. Why don't they interview John Mearshimer? Oh ya, that would defeat their purposes

[@BrisLS1]

Wake me up when Ukraine starts “winning”. This was 5 months ago. The situation is not improving. This was a brilliant explanation of the problem, with no solutions even proposed. Send in Kissinger or somebody. This can’t go like WW2 where we play Rocky and take punches for 14 rounds, and then fight back. This is a nuclear stand off and must de-escalate early.

[@virginiatyree6705]

@@BrisLS1 , Kissinger is a war criminal. Keep that crock out of anything. Putin is taking orders from Xi; no nukes. It'd be helpful if Putin did a Hitler, just get it over, & do the Russian people a favor. v

[@ThePathOfEudaimonia]

One of the most intelligent, knowledgeable and wisest on this issue. Much appreciated!

[@balvinderbatth2950]

thank you. So much clarity.

[@speedmachine69]

Most enlightening piece. Thank you

[@marcosvidal4940]

how much do they pay for a comment like yours? I might be interested

[@saiyajedi]

@@marcosvidal4940 If you think PBS has the money to manufacture Internet clout, I have a trendy tote bag and coffee mug for you (as long as you pledge a recurring annual donation of $99…)

[@witherbossbros1157]

Excellent interview - Dr. Snyder recognized some things for me that had been going on. Very valuable.

[@spudwesth]

Ukraine is NAZI.

[@demokrative]

This guy knows his stuff. Listen to him and you will understand how we ended up here

[@marianmaslak]

He's got literally hundreds books in his head.

[@Wargasm644]

Maybe The Democrats should’ve listened to him. As Ukraine was invaded twice under their watch. Then he has the gall to say “the Trump administration was a feast for the Kremlin “. 😂

[@ssir5927]

He is smart but he is not honest. He is spinning a tale, a tale that has been very profitable for himself personally.

[@micnorton9487]

@@ssir5927 .. thank you,, this guy's just talking rehashed Ukraine propaganda passed on by his NATO CIA handler...books,, articles,, big deal,, they're trying to formulate the idea that Russian is under the control of a madman and it needs to be brought to heel to break it up so it will be hundreds of little countries each one of which can be dominated by American corporations... This has been the American idea promulgated by Wall Street ever since the twenties,, the 1920s that is,, I realize you probably know this however for the thread I'm just saying that even though Russia is a country of only 180 million people or so, it has six million square miles of territory under its sovereign control and it should keep that, because Wall Street would be a disaster for the Asian continent... NATO has always had as its goal the breakup of every single part of the Soviet Union, and that includes Russia itself... Otherwise it would have ended when the Soviet Union ended... That's why I always say the Nazis just became Republicans and Democrats in Germany, it didn't really matter because they always still wanted that liebensraum and if German as well as French and every other European nation joining NATO can suck resources out of mother Russia,, they would all be richer than their wildest dreams... So the corporate class figures to hell with the people, let's the corporate class start dissecting Russia... Let's just let NATO chip away at them and hopefully we'll get a small-scale nuclear war going and regime change in Russia... Of course NATO is such a short sighted and basically stupid organization that it thinks that Russia will go down without a fight,, and what else can Russia do when it sees the entire European stooge army set up against it backed by The Americans? They were brought into this melee by the United States corporate system that promised them all cheap energy from the Russians, and then Russia refused,, it was all kinds of sanctions and getting the ukrainians to basically challenge the Russians to a fight... And that wasn't hard by setting up a Nazi regime in Ukraine, which Russia has repeatedly said over decades that they will not tolerate... But Wall Street just has to push and push...

[@marilenaganea6578]

@@Wargasm644 actually the first attack of proper Russian army on proper Ukrainian army happened during trump time, the Kerch straight attack. Trump drowned the attack in a wave of 🐂💩 and closed his eyes... The democrats acted stupidly multiple times, obama especially, but your idol didn't do any better either

[@h1jen1x]

Your own biases do cloud your judgement on a couple things, but that is ok because you really brought a couple things to MY attention that were clouded by MY biases. I really appreciate this interview in the series, and the John Bolton one. As a former lukewarm Trump supporter, these 2 Frontline interviews have provided key details and information that I'd not been open to before.

[@janesmith506]

This man is so impressive that I watched it again with my husband. This series is good overall, but Timothy Snyder is the best part of it.

[@KMarik]

Fortunately you can read his books as well. He is very knowledgeable.

[@drcherepanov]

As a Russian who lives in the USA but keeps following Russian news I can say that it's a brilliant interview based on very deep understanding of what really happened or happening in Russia.

[@НатаИльина-ы2м]

Yeah, I am in the same situation. It's so refreshing to listen to Mr Snyder. He does understand Putin and Russia very well and articulates it brilliantly.

[@TihomirSikorsky]

@@НатаИльина-ы2м ну ок

[@jasonsmith1155]

LMAO

[@br0k3nman]

I grew up in California, a son of ashkenazi Jews that survived and escaped Muscovy prior to the Second World War. But my best friends were Russians and half Russian Azerbaijanis. My mother being a Dane, who had an inherited distrust of Slavs, treated them as my brothers. Their parents, were survivors, as was the rest of my family that survived and escaped to make themselves successful in America. My best Russian friends loved America and their freedom to make something of themselves without oppression. It’s a repeat of the brain drain currently occurring. I liked Obama, but he misunderstood these people, who were escaping a totalitarian state. Bush 2 was a doof being used by Putin. Trump was a useful idiot. But to view all of these people, my friends, in just the procurement of the current president being the view on all people who went to west as not without agency, is insulting. Snyder is so right on all this stuff.

[@Lolesio1820]

Stop pretending to be russian.

[@njaalsturlasson2351]

Wow! Clarity of thought embodied. Impressive.

[@jimdale6001]

Is anybody still watching this?

[@michaelburggraf2822]

"There's no such thing as having history on your side." This is a really important statement by Snyder. Politicians need to have good reasons, good understanding and good ideas. History will justify politics only in hindsight always - if at all. Additionally there seems to exist the idea that history might have a kind of "inertia" which would determine its direction as it moves on. That could allow for a wrong sense of predictability of events in the future.

[@rsr789]

Um, I'm pretty sure the Allies had history on their side vs Hitler.

[@Bisquick]

But...there absolutely _is_ an inertia...history necessarily cannot be driven by ideas alone as they do not spontaneously emerge from the ether but first from an experience with the _material_ world, "existence _precedes_ essence" as Sartre succinctly summarized such causality, which is to say that history is necessarily primarily driven _materially_ by the foundational context of bounds and constraints a society uses to organize material reality in terms of ownership/control. _"Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living."_ In our particular case, the "mode of production" of capitalism is at the root here of course by definition as it alone is what organizes material reality at its most foundational level in terms of ownership/control of property, out of which social relations (language, art, culture, law/government, etc.) emerges layered on top over time, shaping our entire ontology and thus directing the way we perceive both reality and each other. What a surprise that all of these specific (but arbitrary/subjective) cultural shibboleths/identities are consistent only in their inconsistency, but entirely unified in an overlapping consensus that emphasizes above all else a totalizing acquiescence to the _actual_ root of _all_ of these social antagonisms which has uncoincidentally become a third-rail to even mention in any context other than utter reverence...CAPITALISM. The US has positioned itself as the "consumer of last resort" at the end of the global supply chain to absorb inevitable overproduction of capitalism through cheap consumption or of course through our favorite activity of war/arms sales (military Keynesianism, the only button we can push at this point clearly). NATO is an arms distribution network for the military industrial complex and essentially the public face of a European sphere of US domination, covertly enforced by a "strategy of tension" template seen in things like Operation Gladio in Italy (see: "years of lead", Aldo Moro assassination, Bologna bombings, etc.) with parallel operations in every NATO country (and even the ostensibly "neutral" countries like Belgium, Sweden and Finland - Austria in fact having done an extensive internal investigation after discovering this if I recall) where the CIA directed fascist paramilitary insurgencies to stoke public fear toward particular goals favorable to US corporate/finance capital and continued US hegemony (gee, sounds familiar...). Its internally recognized geopolitical functionality as succinctly put by its first sec.gen was to, _"keep the Americans in, the Germans down, and the Russians out"_ and what a "coincidence", it continues to enforce this state of affairs. So in regards to Ukraine specifically, there's a leaked call of Victoria Nuland from 2014 that literally anyone can listen to (here, let me make this easy/direct: youtu [dot] be/WV9J6sxCs5k ), exploding/catalyzing the civil war in the Donbass (unsurprisingly entirely unmentioned by corporate press, despite catalyzing from this supposed "revolution of dignity"), where she tells the ambassador for Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, "fuck the EU" (only detail focused on in corporate press, salaciousness a useful rhetorical distraction from any wider implications of US empire) and "magically" picks the next Ukrainian president...this is the "freedom" and "sovereignty" of individual nation-states we pretend exists, so long as it falls under the "full spectrum domination" of the US empire; financially directing material flows via currency hegemony IMF/World Bank control and implicitly enforced via military omnipresence (also see: Chomsky/Herman's book Manufacturing Consent, describing various corporate media propaganda filters, Ukraine being a perfect example of a "worthy victim" described in that text). The immediate issue was whether to accept a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which was going to require a 40% increase in natural gas bills or to accept a loan from Russia with the inclusion of cheap oil and gas. The opposition wanted the Yanukovych government to take the EU/IMF loan. The opposition was comprised of different factions, undeniably including the neo-Nazi Svoboda Party and Right Sector. And there is where it all connects to financial empire of the US, as usual, Yanukovych's stance is characterized in western press as "pro-Russia", but it's merely an objectively better deal on energy, similar to the inevitable deindustrialization (hey, just like domestically!) we are *_demanding_* of Germany, blowing up Nord Stream to ensure prevention of mutually aligned regional development that could consolidate enough of a unified interest so as to throw off the yolk of US control, instead selling them 4x more expensive LNG shipped across the Atlantic, how "convenient"... _"keep the Americans in, the Germans down, the Russians out"_ Plenty of other standpoints to triangulate this further (eg '90 Baker-Gorbechev meeting where Baker promised NATO would not expand "one inch eastward", the only security concession even then, to reunify Germany ie make a massive geopolitical concession; how about examining the neoliberal "shock doctrine" sell-off of former USSR state assets throughout the 90s which made these regional oligarchs overnight and caused the largest drop in life expectancy ever recorded - an event Putin references _constantly_ god forbid anyone look at what the dude says; the fact that Clinton actively pursued Putin's ascension to begin with in order to fulfil being a "less drunk Yeltsin", lobotomized dipshit Thomas Friedman of The Times advised his readers to “keep rootin’ for Putin” in 2001, while Madeleine Albright called him a “can-do person,” my god, any way you slice it i.e. consistency is universally preserved regardless of which individual historical vantage point one chooses to look through, which only further supports all of this, is my point...) Does this not add _more_ explanation to our contemporary circumstance? Why are we so inclined to throw out such a, again, _materially anchored_ explanation of reality in favor of one where I guess "bad" people do "bad" things cuz..."bad"? This is inevitably what happens when "the market" becomes de facto god, social meaning and trust is hollowed out and sold for profit, consent for a largely ideologically concealed global imperialism manufactured and sublimated into a spectacle of kayfabe entertainment for folks arbitrarily born/located in the "consumer of last resort" US imperial core. Coupled with an inevitably cultivated 'business ontology' that conceives of "rationality" as a narrow tunnel-vision concerned with only one's own zero-sum material benefit, and unsurprisingly transient insatiable self-serving narcissism is prioritized above any other values as a result. Without an awareness of this class dynamic that generates and directs the tidal _material_ forces that shape our external reality and relations to one another, aka a _class_ consciousness, the trajectory of humanity, as everyone knows at some level regardless of their ability to articulate why, has its final destination firmly set toward civilizational collapse, a thanatos embrace toward the _"common ruin of the contending classes."_ _"The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered form, was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind."_ - some guy (Marx), a bit optimistic at the end we wouldn't just choose individual delusion while the planet literally burns around us...

[@noneya313]

history is a kind of propaganda and truth can be distorted but surely that doesn't mean that there is not real history - the "what really happened" - you can talk about goblins and fairies or actually existing entities in the world (reality). if we presume that you are speaking in good faith and not insane we must stick then to talking about actual reality. you wouldn't say "truth is whatever we say it is" because then we know exactly what you're saying. but surely saying "there is no such thing as having history on your side" is equivalent to suggesting "there's no such thing as having truth on your side (because we can just keep on lying.)"

[@michaelburggraf2822]

@@Bisquick as much as I find Marx and Sartre inspiring I wish Marxists would move beyond worn out interpretation patterns of the 1970ties. Apart from that I assume Mrs Nuland's phone call to be much less relevant than secret operations of Russian intelligence services in Krimea and the Donbas. A couple of years ago I thought that Putin was just trying to find out which tactics are working and which don't. However in more recent years it became increasingly apparent that he's quite serious about his anti-democratic agenda. A kind of Marxism which ends up being just a justification of the actions of a war-mongering, human rights despising, totalitarian regime seems to me to be quite the opposite of the things Marx, Engels and Sartre were aiming for in the long run.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

@@Bisquick that you're believing in some kind of inertia in history isn't surprising. Historical materialism is based on a concept of deterministic evolution of history according to Marxism (which Marx himself saw quite critically).

[@HayaJi]

Thank you for arranging these interviews and posting them. Food for the brain.

[@spudwesth]

Biden s election is fake.

[@jeanjennings6357]

This should be mandatory viewing for any American that loves their country.

[@lesleyhowie1239]

One of my favourite people to achieve now that I've found you on KZbin. I'm enjoying your Yale class lectures very much and as a retired teacher I appreciate the work you put in to preparing your lectures. 😅 Thank you for challenging my intellect.

[@MalikaBourne]

Excellent; insightful; rational; fact-based...well worth hanging on every word.

[@spudwesth]

No.

[@Future_Senior_Kitizen]

It's the most insightful interview I've heard in my entire life.

[@markmallinder7618]

This was an absolutely fantastic interview. Timothy opened my eyes to many aspects that I hadn’t considered previously. I am very impressed with Timothy’s expertise on this subject. I hope the Biden administration and others are using his services as as a consultant? Everybody should watch this so maybe consider sharing the link with your friends?

[@lauraly2712]

Snyder does Americans a great disservice in his obsession on making Trump, in the eyes of as many people he can, into a villain who's just about cut from the same stock and just about as dangerous for democracy as Putin. Such a demonization makes Americans seem for the rest of the world like fools that half of them voted for him to be U.S. president. It's this portrayal of things that actually serves Putin the best in that it goes along with the idea which he's been pushing that the selection of leaders and especially the top leader should be reserved to some elite group ("managed democracy'). As a historian Snyder can't have such a huge memory lapse as to portray Trump as attacking and trying to destroy American institutions just because he called out certain groups within them for trying to use our institutions for devious totalitarian designs when so many of the liberals with whom Snyder associates himself with weren't that long ago themselves attacking American institutions like the FBI, CIA, Supreme Court etc. as tools of some powerful monied cliques using America for their own enrichment and perpetuation of power. Snyder has a talent in getting a narrative to line up with his personal ideological positions. While Trump says that Putin waited with his invasion of Ukraine until we got a weak president, Snyder insists that it was the "January 6th insurrection" that was the weakness which Putin was waiting for and took advantage of. The problem with that interpretation is that the protesters who breached the Capitol weren't really insurrectionists because at no point did they proclaim an overthrow of the government even though they had the building in their hands at some point. What they wanted was a postment of the final Electoral College vote which shows that they were not intent on destroying any democratic institution. What they questioned was something which Democratic congressmen had done in preceding elections. By having them be arrested and kept in jail for 2 years now and forced to plead guilty for very minor things in order not to be locked up for ages plays into the hands of Putin who does just that to those that protest his manipulations of the elections. This is not to say that those who turned the protest into a riot should not be penalized for disrupting the workings of government, but to have hundreds of thousands of people giving tips on relatives and acquaintances if they suspect they were at the Capitol on that day is exactly what governments get their "citizens" to do into totalitarian communist states (spying on one another). All this makes it seem as if Snyder began studying the methods that totalitarian governments use to control the people only recently and was not aware that well of how communist states functioned. Snyder, for example, has no problem with the government and social media conglomerates engaging in censorship and deciding what the public can know and what information must be kept away from them. So, even though Snyder is very helpful in getting Americans more aware of the authoritarian, imperialist tradition that is part and parcel of the Russian mindset and political aspirations, he does a poor job in not recognizing how the various social divisions and conflicts that our American neoMarxist left keeps coming up with and their how their constant maligning of America's image through our history serves Putin's propaganda narrative far better than some so-called "insurrection" that was not as bloody as "historian" Snyder says it was having ended rather quietly after just 3 hours. It's actually alarming that Snyder has nothing at all to say about how Putin's crazy depiction in his 7000-word speech of America as being the pernicious culprit behind most of the world's problems and evils is just about the same thing that many professors are teaching in our universities and colleges. Snyder ignores the one certain thing that came from the Mueller report about Russian Interference was that the Russians primarily aim at creating as much conflict in our country as they can getting one group to view the other as their greatest enemy. This is exactly what Biden did in his recent speech calling the half of the country that voted for Trump fascist and a danger to our democracy. Not calling Biden out on that really undermines Snyder's value as a historian of how dictatorships come into being.

[@hkchan1339]

Govt normally don't value academic opinions much, they think they (the bureaucrats) are the ones living in the real world instead of the academics who teach in Uni

[@davidsmith3rd]

"Timothy opened my eyes to many aspects that I hadn’t considered previously" Jeffrey Sachs will blow your mind then !!

[@alex.velasco]

@@davidsmith3rd Nice try, Russian troll.

[@aaronsmyth2026]

@@davidsmith3rd Sachs is a sad old crank. He needs help, a family intervention perhaps, who knows.

[@teddited9682]

Professor Snyder explains things so clearly!

[@wernertognetti5956]

An absolute excellent analysis of the recent times from Mr. Snyder. Thanks to PBS for covering this topic.