Putin's Wars; From Chechnya to Ukraine

<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hotwashrcd">Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd</a></p><p>Email comments and story suggestions to <a href="mailto:editors@realcleardefense.com">editors@realcleardefense.com</a></p><p><a href="https://realclear-defense-presents-hot-wash.simplecast.com/" target="_blank">Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash"</a></p><p><a href="https://www.realcleardefense.com/daily_newsletters/" target="_blank">Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletter</a>for a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.</p><p>On today's episode of the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash,” we look at the context behind Putin's catastrophic decision to invade Ukraine. What does the history of Russia's post-Soviet wars tell us about the current conflict? Is Putin really playing 3-dimensional chess? Or has he blundered into a disaster of his own making, victim of an increasingly small information bubble?</p><p>Host, John Sorensen speaks with Mark Galeotti, a prolific longtime observer of Russian history, defense and security issues. He is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague, a Senior Assoc Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and the principle director at Mayak Intelligence, a consultancy firm specializing in Russia. And most recently he is the author of a new book, “Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine.” </p>