The Daily - Why Ukraine Matters to Vladimir Putin

The Russian military is on the move toward the border with Ukraine, with American intelligence suggesting that Moscow is preparing for an offensive involving some 175,000 troops. Could the moves herald a full-scale invasion? And if so, what is driving President Vladimir V. Putin’s brinkmanship over Russia’s southwestern neighbor? Guest: Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times.

Duration: 30m
Broadcast on: 08 Dec 2021
Audio Format: other

The Russian military is on the move toward the border with Ukraine, with American intelligence suggesting that Moscow is preparing for an offensive involving some 175,000 troops.

Could the moves herald a full-scale invasion? And if so, what is driving President Vladimir V. Putin’s brinkmanship over Russia’s southwestern neighbor?

Guest: Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times.

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Background reading:

There are tactical reasons for Russia’s threatening an invasion of Ukraine, but the real cause may lie in the Kremlin’s fixation with righting what it sees as a historical injustice.
After eight years in the trenches, Ukrainian soldiers are resigned to the possibility that the Russian military, which dwarfs their own in power and wealth, will come sooner or later.
In a tense meeting with Mr. Putin, President Biden said that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would result in heavy economic penalties.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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This podcast is supported by TikTok. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the ones you weren't looking for. That happens every day on TikTok. A science experiment can spark a whole new interest. A recipe you stumble upon can become a meal you make for the people you love. And a restaurant you've never heard of might become your new favorite spot. That's the thing about TikTok. Follow your curiosity and see where it leads. Your next discovery is waiting on TikTok. From the New York Times, I'm Megha Bilbaro. This is The Daily. Today, Russia is making preparations for what many fear may be a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting warnings from the U.S. of serious consequences, if it does. I spoke to my colleague, Moscow Bureau Chief Anton Trianovski, about what Vladimir Putin wants from Ukraine and just how far he may go to get it. It's Wednesday, December 8th. Anton, describe the scene right now on the border between Ukraine and Russia. What does it look like, what exactly is happening there? Well, what you're seeing on the Russian side of the border within 100 to 200 miles away is that thousands of Russian troops are on the move. The top military official says intelligence shows nearly 100,000 Russian troops. Russian troops have massed on the border of Ukraine. It's on the border with Ukraine, and that's prompted fears of an invasion early next year.

We're seeing a lot of social media footage of tanks and other military equipment on the move, on trains. In some cases, heading west toward the Ukraine border area from as far away as Siberia. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been building for some time in the way- These satellite images that we're seeing show deployment areas around Ukraine that were empty as recently as June that are now full of military equipment, like tanks and armored personnel carriers. The US called it unusual activity. And obviously, Russia moves its forces all the time. It does big military exercises, snap military exercises all the time. But what we're being told is that these military movements are very unusual.

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