In her book, Gwendolyn Sasse answers fundamental questions about the war in Ukraine: How could it come to this? Why did Putin decide to take this step? Why and against what is Russia waging war in Ukraine? And what explains the strength of the Ukrainian resistance, which surprised not only the Russian president but also many Western observers?

Gwendolyn Sasse dissects the factors that led to Putin's fateful decision and shows how much Ukraine's independent development threatened the Russian system of power. In doing so, she clears up numerous misperceptions that have long distorted the image of Ukraine, especially in Germany. The result is an illuminating historical and political classification of the Russian invasion, which poses enormous challenges to the Western states and the international order.   

The book release will be the occasion for a discussion event as part of our series “Futuring the Liberal Script” on 17 October 2022, in cooperation with the publisher C.H. Beck. The event will take place live at silent green Berlin and in livestream. More information on this event will follow.