Why Ukraine Matters to Vladimir Putin

<p>The Russian military is on the move toward the border with Ukraine, with American intelligence suggesting that Moscow is preparing for an offensive involving some 175,000 troops.</p><p>Could the moves herald a full-scale invasion? And if so, what is driving President Vladimir V. Putin’s brinkmanship over Russia’s southwestern neighbor?</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/anton-troianovski">Anton Troianovski</a>, the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/signup/NTTD?smid=pc-thedaily">Sign up here</a> to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>There are tactical reasons for Russia’s threatening an invasion of Ukraine, but the real cause may lie in the Kremlin’s fixation with<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/05/world/europe/putin-russia-ukraine-troops.html"> righting what it sees as a historical injustice</a>.</li><li>After eight years in the trenches, Ukrainian soldiers are resigned to the possibility that the Russian military,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-front.html"> which dwarfs their own in power and wealth</a>, will come sooner or later.</li><li>In a tense meeting with Mr. Putin, President Biden said that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/us/politics/biden-putin-ukraine-summit.html"> result in heavy economic penalties</a>.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>