Day 5

geopolitical adventurism may speak to some Asian leaders’ hidden hopes, but they keep those hopes close. Putin’s Russia is alone in its war against Ukraine and its conflict with the West.

Understanding his failure, Vladimir Putin has had recourse to the ultima ratio—the last hope— of terrified dictators: the threat of deploying nuclear weapons. Yet just as before, his means lead away from the desired end. They just hasten the end of his rule, which most probably will come about as a result not of external but of internal forces awakened by the autocrat’s mistake.

* The opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Kennan Institute.

Lviv railway station has become a hub from which people try to leave Ukraine by train. Millions of refugees are expected to flee the violence in Ukraine in the coming weeks.

Journalism

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Fulbright Graduate Student, 2017-2018 Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

* Photo taken on assignment for The New Republic