Serhii Plokhy
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- Lex Fridman3h 20m
Serhii Plokhy: History of Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, KGB, Nazis & War | Lex Fridman Podcast #415
This analysis examines the collapse of the Soviet Union as a geopolitical process where the 1991 Ukrainian referendum, prompted by Russian economic insolvency and US preservation attempts, served as the decisive catalyst for dissolution. The narrative challenges Russian narratives of "denazification" and historical unity by highlighting Ukraine's marginal far-right presence and the state's multi-ethnic origins, contrasting these facts with the imperial ideology driving Putin's 2022 invasion. Ultimately, the conflict has solidified a return to bipolar global dynamics and entrenched Russia's legal inability to withdraw from annexed territories due to constitutional mandates established during its military aggression.