March 4 - Is Putin Delusional, Cynical or Both?; The Prospects of a New Cold War; How a Victory or Defeat of Putin in Ukraine Effects the Middle Class

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the volatile standoff between Russia and Ukraine, made even more unsettling by Vladimir Putin’s press conference which was so full of contradictions and fabrications that many wonder what kind of advice and information the Russian president is getting. Kathryn Stoner, the Deputy Director of the Center for Democratic Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University and author of “Resisting the State: Reform and Retrenchment in Post-Soviet Russia” joins us to discuss the extent to which Putin is delusional or cynical, or both.  

Part 2

Then we look into the prospect of a new Cold War with Russia, in particular if the crisis in Ukraine goes from bad to worse, with Putin becoming more isolated and defiant. Roger Morris, who served in the United States Foreign Service and on the senior staff of the National Security Council under both Presidents Johnson and Nixon, who is completing a book on a comparative history of the United States and Soviet Russia, joins us to discuss how much the unraveling events in Ukraine could turn back the clock.

Part 3

Then finally, following Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, we examine the likely impact of worsening relations between the U.S. and Russia on the faltering efforts to end the murderous and destructive war in Syria. Aaron David Miller, who has been an adviser to six Secretaries of State, and has an article at CNN “Putin’s move could be costly to U.S., Middle East”, joins us to discuss the consequences for the Middle East of both a Putin victory and a Putin defeat in Ukraine.