GZERO World Clips
Surprise, Vladimir Putin: Why Ukrainians resisted Russian "liberation"
Surprise, Vladimir Putin: Why Ukrainians Resisted Russian "Liberation" | Ivan Krastev | GZERO World
May 07, 2022
Vladimir Putin has made many mistakes in Ukraine, but for political scientist Ivan Krastev, the biggest one was thinking Ukrainians would welcome the Russian invasion.
Perhaps he expected it would be like when he annexed Crimea, but Ukraine clearly did not want to be "liberated," Krastev tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
Why? For one thing, he says that Ukrainian public opinion toward Russia has changed a lot since 2014. For another, Putin loves to talk about feeling humiliated but he cares little about humiliating others.
And then there's how Ukrainians and Russians feel differently about the state.
Russians, Krastev explains, believe in a strong state above a strong society, while Ukrainians want the people come before the state — which explains why Russians have traditionally misread Ukraine.
Watch the GZERO World episode: How Putin created Ukraine’s determination to resist
More For You
US Vice President JD Vance before boarding Air Force Two, after the US and Iran held high-level talks at the Lake Lucerne Summit, at Emmen Military Air Base, Emmen, Switzerland, on June 22, 2026.
REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
Two years ago, Donald Trump picked the then-Ohio senator to be his running mate, putting him in pole position to be the next Republican presidential nominee. Since entering office, though, Vance has stumbled, possibly opening the door to challengers.
Most Popular
Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte arrives before the start of her impeachment trial hearing at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 7, 2026.
REUTERS/Noel Celis/Pool
The Senate trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has turned a family feud into a fight over the Philippines’ political future — and its place between the US and China.
The day after announcing her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election, Marine Le Pen (National Rally – RN), accompanied by Jordan Bardella, made her first campaign appearance during a visit to the market in La Fleche, in the Sarthe department, on July 8, 2026.
Frederic Petry / Hans Lucas
After a French court shortened her ban on holding public office, Marine Le Pen announced that she will run for president again next year. But can she finally win?
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.