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In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a bloody escalation of a conflict that had begun eight years earlier. What drove Vladimir Putin to launch Europe鈥檚 largest land war since World War II?

Lucian Kim鈥攁n on-the-ground reporter in the region for decades鈥攐ffers a gripping, definitive account of Russia鈥檚 path to war, from Ukraine鈥檚 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2014 Maidan uprising right up to the full-scale invasion. He examines the Kremlin鈥檚 motives, tracing Putin鈥檚 transformation from a seemingly pragmatic leader into an embittered tyrant who saw it as his historical mission to reconquer Ukraine. Kim places the war in the broader context of the Soviet Union鈥檚 collapse, arguing that it represents a clash between those who reject the Soviet past鈥攍ike Volodymyr Zelensky and Alexei Navalny鈥攁nd those who still identify with it. He debunks the Kremlin narrative that the West instigated the conflict, and he instead identifies the root causes of the war in the legacy of Russian imperialism and Putin鈥檚 dictatorial rule. At the same time, Kim is critical of the West鈥檚 empty promises to Ukraine, which made the country vulnerable to a revanchist Russia.

Putin鈥檚 Revenge features insight from Kim鈥檚 first-hand reporting on key moments, such as Russia鈥檚 occupation of Crimea and the beginning of the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine. This book tells the story of the lead-up to the invasion with revelatory detail and fresh analysis, shedding new light on a conflict that has roiled the post鈥揅old War order.