S8 Ep817: Misreading Russia and the Path to True Independence Finkel argues that Western administrations—from Obama to Trump and Biden—have consistently miscalculated Russia, treating it as a rational or transactional actor rather than a revanchist neo-imperial pow
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 3 May 2026
⏱️ 9 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Finkel argues that Western administrations—from Obama to Trump and Biden—have consistently miscalculated Russia, treating it as a rational or transactional actor rather than a revanchist neo-imperial power. While Eastern Europeans warned of the threat, they were often dismissed. The conflict is essentially an ideological war over history; therefore, simply joining NATO or the EU may not stop Russia's desire to dominate. Finally, Finkel highlights his grandfather's refusal to join the KGB after the war, illustrating a personal rejection of the state security apparatus that has long sought to oppress and control Ukraine. Guest: Professor Eugene Finkel. (8/8)
1890
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I'm John Batchew with Professor Eugene Finkel of Johns Hopkins. The book is intent to destroy, |
| 0:06.0 | highly recommended, before you form an opinion about what is to be done with Ukraine and the Ukraine |
| 0:13.0 | war. Russia's 200-year quest to dominate Ukraine. I recommend this to the European Union, to the European |
| 0:19.2 | Union Commission, now making decisions about |
| 0:22.6 | continuing to buy natural gas from Russia to the NATO forces who are not any longer |
| 0:29.7 | unanimous about the resistance to Russia. |
| 0:32.5 | I recommend the facts, but I turn to the professor also. |
| 0:36.0 | Professor, I know NATO is the explanation that Putin |
| 0:40.5 | offers the Russian people as to why he maintains the war with huge, huge casualties. And what |
| 0:48.1 | you'd have to say is a damage to a generation in Russia and the economy that will be many years in recovering. However, at the same time, |
| 0:58.0 | I want to know about the EU because the EU membership is not the same as NATO. It is the original |
| 1:06.2 | debate that was happening in Ukraine before the 2014 crisis. |
| 1:13.6 | Is the EU adequate for Ukraine now? |
| 1:17.6 | Is that imaginable? |
| 1:18.6 | Is that a way out for the European Commission to take charge of rebuilding NATO and providing |
| 1:24.6 | security? |
| 1:25.6 | Well, I would very much want, you know, Ukraine to join the EU and also NATO. |
| 1:32.3 | But I think, you know, if I'm right, then all those debates about which organization |
| 1:39.3 | Ukraine would or could not or should or should not join. |
| 1:42.3 | Just miss the core point. |
| 1:45.7 | If it's a war about history and about ideology and if Russians are really serious about, |
| 1:51.4 | you know, Ukraine not being a real state and them having to control Ukraine either directly |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Batchelor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of John Batchelor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.