This is John Batchel, conversation with Professor Eugene Finkel, his new book, Intent to Destroy,

200 years of Russia looking to dominate, acquire, bully, be cruel to Ukraine. Why? The professor asked

very ironic questions, turning on the fact that they speak the same language and that the Russians

regard Ukrainians as Russians. So how is it that they direct this overwhelming brutal violence

against Ukraine? Why? Professor has an explanation, what they want, and what they must have.

That's why the violence.

Here's Eugene Finkel.

The book is intent to destroy the history of Russia's bullying, brutality, violence against Ukraine.

200 years now.

More of this tonight.

All you are looking for control. The goal is the land. The goal is to control a piece of real

estate called Ukraine and its institutions, and it doesn't really matter how many people get

killed.

They need it from Putin's perspective for symbolic reasons.

They need it for security reasons, whatever it takes. So the type of violence that you mentioned, part of it is historical.

I mean, Ukraine is not unique, right? If you look at what the Russian military did in Chechnya,

what they did in Afghanistan, what they did to Aleppo in Syria, that's how Russians fight

for generations. They're not looking for survivors. What makes

Ukraine unique, though, is that it's done against people who Russians claim are the same as

them, and it's done to people who speak the same language, not for security reasons, but purely because Russians believe that this land should be theirs.