Timothy Snyder on the Myths That Blinded the West to Putin's Plans
About this episode
Yale historian Timothy Snyder argues the West was blinded to Putin's plans by comforting myths — above all the 'politics of inevitability,' the belief that history was steadily marching toward liberal democracy. Drawing on 'The Road to Unfreedom' and 'On Tyranny,' Snyder explains that Putin's regime instead embodies the 'politics of eternity,' a cyclical worldview in which Russia is a perpetual innocent victim of scheming enemies, a narrative borrowed from fascist philosopher Ivan Ilyin. He discusses why Ukraine's democratic turn posed an existential threat to Putin, how the invasion was preceded by an essay denying Ukrainian nationhood, and why defending Ukraine matters for democracy everywhere. The conversation also touches on Hannah Arendt, the defense of truth and facts, and what the war reveals about American and European complacency.