#1474 Invasion of Ukraine: Some Context
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 4 March 2022
⏱️ 83 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 3/4/2022
Today we take a look at the history of Ukraine as a Soviet state, war-torn state, famished state, westernizing state, energy-exploring state, annexed state, and invaded state. We also look at the role of the west and NATO as well as Putin's history and possible motivations.
Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content)
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The real and imagined history of Ukraine - Today Explained - Air Date 2-25-22
Vladimir Putin says Ukraine isn’t a country. He’s wrong.
Timothy Snyder is the Bird White Housum Professor of History at Yale University, specializing in the history of central and eastern Europe.
Ch. 3: From spy to president: The rise of Vladimir Putin - Vox - Air Date 3-23-17
Putin’s intent on pushing back against the Western world order... and it appears to be working.
Ch. 4: What Russia And Putin Actually Want With Ukraine - AJ+ - Air Date 2-17-22
Troops are being deployed, harsh words have been said, and there is potential for an all-out war.
Snyder says the focus on NATO ignores the agency of leaders in Ukraine and elsewhere who have the right to seek their own arrangements.
Ch. 6: Is the West to Blame for Russia's Invasion? (no) - TLDR News - Air Date 2-27-22
Some have suggested that the West is the blame for Russia's invasion into Ukraine, we'll explain that argument and why it's fundamentally wrong.
Ch. 7: Why Russia is Invading Ukraine - RealLifeLore - Air Date 2-26-22
Explaining the oil interests in Ukraine that may be a motivating factor to Russia.
Ch. 8: America, Russia, and Ukraine's Far-Right - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 2-18-22
This video is about American funding for the Azov Battalion. It explicitly condemns Russian propaganda that Ukraine is a "neo-Nazi country."
Ch. 9: Putin's Bogus Claim To "Denazify" Ukraine - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 2-25-22
Steven Pifer, the former ambassador to Ukraine under Bill Clinton, and Jason Stanley, author of “How Fascism Works,” join Mehdi Hasan to discuss the Russian propaganda narrative.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: A Young Country With An Old History - WorldAffairs - Air Date 1-31-22
Historians Katherine Younger and Emily Channell-Justice tell Ray Suarez the story of modern Ukraine, and why embracing Western values has made Ukraine a threat to Vladimir Putin.
Ch. 11: Ukraine: Questions for the Anti-War Movement - Empire Files - Air Date 2-27-22
An analysis of Putin's anti-communist speech
Ch. 12: The Crimean War, Putin, and the War Over Reality - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 3-1-22
Jared Yates Sexton traces how the New World Order conspiracy theory led to this mess.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on why you should probably listen to all that again
TAKE ACTION!
Ways to Help Ukrainians, Protest War, Etc. (*Please always do your own research before giving*):
CODEPINK Global Day of Action, Sunday, March 6th: "Stop the War in Ukraine. Russian Troops Out. No to NATO expansion." (CODEPINK)
Support Ukraine's Independent Media Organizations and Journalists (Campaign endorsed by The Kyiv Independent)
Here’s How You Can Help LGBTQ+ and Black Ukrainian Refugees (Self)
25 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine (GlobalCitizen)
Linkt.ree of Resources/Ways to Help Ukrainians Curated by the nonprofit @RazomforUkraine (Razom for Ukraine)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A blue and yellow Ukrainian flag is waved in the air in front of a cloudy sky above a protest to show solidarity with Ukrainians.
Credit: Amanda Hoffman, February 2022
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome or welcome back to this episode of the award-winning Best of Left podcast |
| 0:08.0 | in which we shall take a look at the history of Ukraine as a Soviet state, war-torn state, |
| 0:14.2 | famished state, independent state, westernizing state, energy-exploring state, revolutionary |
| 0:20.8 | state, annexed state, and invaded state. |
| 0:25.0 | And we also look at the role of the West and NATO as well as Putin's history and possible |
| 0:30.3 | motivations for invasion as well. |
| 0:32.8 | Clips today are from today explained, Timothy Snyder speaking at the Watson Institute |
| 0:38.0 | for International and Public Affairs, Vox, AJ Plus, Democracy Now, TLDR News, Real Life |
| 0:47.0 | Lore, the Gravel Institute, and the Medihesan Show with additional members only clips from |
| 0:53.8 | world affairs, the empire files, and the Muk-Rake podcast. |
| 1:04.9 | The propaganda you're referring to in part is Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim |
| 1:10.6 | that Ukraine is not a country, that it was entirely created by Russia. |
| 1:15.8 | What is the argument that he is making? |
| 1:18.1 | I'll address it, but I would first suggest that it's much more a framing device than it |
| 1:24.0 | is an argument. |
| 1:26.6 | If I say that Canada is not a country, it's just a creation of the United Kingdom, it's |
| 1:30.5 | going to sound ridiculous. |
| 1:32.4 | But the technical argument is that when the Soviet Union was created, this is Putin's |
| 1:36.0 | argument I'm going to make it for, when the Soviet Union was created, a Ukrainian republic |
| 1:40.2 | was established. |
| 1:41.4 | And as a result of Bolshevik's policy, the Soviet Ukraine was created. |
| 1:46.6 | In that sense, Ukraine was created by the Soviet Union. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jay Tomlinson, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jay Tomlinson and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.