Vladivostok, Ramstein: Putin’s and Zelensky’s Message: War or Peace?

In this video I discuss and interpret the meaning and implications of Putin’s speech at the East Economic Forum in Vladivostok and Zelensky’s speech in Ramstein. What is going on in Ukraine’s domestic politics? Who is for what? Is Putin’s offer for real? What are his priorities in foreign affairs and domestic audience? And finally what are the sources of tension between the US and Ukraine? is an American historian born in Leningrad USSR, now retired, he served as an Associate Professor of Soviet History at Harvard University, was an editor, consultant and teacher in several countries. He is the author of many books on Soviet history, the latest being: From Vladimir Lenin to Vladimir Putin. Russia in Search of Its Identity (London: Routledge 2024) available on Amazon and from Routledge. My Russian viewers can buy my one and only book published in Russia: Velikaya Oktiabrskaya Katastrofa, available from ; ; and