City of the Mind

    When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, I understood immediately what the larger ramifications were for geopolitics and international law.  Unfortunately, I did not understand Ukraine very much because I, like most of us, had bought into the Russian narratives which portrayed Ukraine as a lesser version of Russia, or as a “missing piece” of Russia.  I went back to what history I  had  learned about eastern Europe and saw many things anew, understanding previous developments in new ways, and coming to appreciate the unique reality of Ukraine.   I also understood that the rest of Europe was in danger—the continent where I have many friends and relatives, where I spent a large chunk of my growing up years, the place that is, in effect, my spiritual and intellectual home base.  I had been “studying” Putin (a bit of an overstatement, but let’s call it that) since 2014 and the “little green men” i...