Jade McGlynn: Putin 100% believes Russia’s distorted history

The Kyiv Independent’s host Masha Lavrova sat down with Dr. Jade McGlynn, a Russia specialist, researcher, and author, to discuss how Vladimir Putin twists historical narratives in an attempt to legitimize Russia’s war against Ukraine. Timecodes: 00:00 - Historian reacts to Putin’s interview with Carlson 03:18 - When has the history of Russia actually begun? 07:23 - One of Putin’s main messages was that Ukraine as a state was created artificially. Are there any “non-artificial states”? 10:20 - Do Ukrainian people, or even Russian people, ever play any significant role in Putin’s reading of history? 13:14 - Does Putin believe in the version of history he speaks about? 16:26 - Why do dictators always seem to be obsessed with history? 18:20 - What, if anything, is different, unique, about Russia’s distortion of history? 19:50 - Inconsistency in Putin’s propaganda narratives. 22:50 - Do you think Putin is succeeding with this distortion of history? 24:35 - How did Russia take this turn from national myth to extreme violence? 29:10 - What do you think is more dangerous, getting trapped in this or leaving distorted historical claims unanswered? 30:23 - How can the world resist propaganda? How should history be taught?