What is driving Russia’s foreign policy under President Vladimir Putin, and what are the implications for Canada, the US, and Europe? Kimberly Marten argues that two factors are crucial in explaining Putin’s choices: a deep Russian sense of historical betrayal and humiliation at the hands of western powers, dating back centuries; and the snake-pit of informal political patronage networks that seethes below the Kremlin’s surface. She will discuss what these mean for the future of Ukraine, among other current issues.
Kimberly Marten is the Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, and a faculty member of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Her most recent book is Warlords: Strong-Arm Brokers in Weak States (Cornell University Press, 2014). She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a frequent media commentator on Russia.