Our member and past president Bill Center interviewed former CNN Foreign Affairs correspondent and Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty about Ukraine.  

Bill asked her specifically about Putin and how Russians are viewing the war.  She said Putin is presenting the war in Ukraine as a country that “is controlled by the West” and that Russia is being attacked/threatened which is why he uses terminology like “Nazis and regime.” Older Russians tend to be the ones that watch the state news broadcasts and remember WWII and are fearful of “Nazis.”  While younger people receive news from other outlets, but even their news is now limited and most are fearful of speaking out when they see protestors arrested and Putin using phrases like “scum and traitors” to describe anyone who questions what is happening in Ukraine.

She referenced two of Putin’s recent speeches that she called “historic” and examples of why he will “not be turning back; he is on a mission.”  She said he views himself as a “religious leader” and now views the conflict as more than “Ukraine joining NATO” and about “punishing Ukraine and destroying their government.”  Bill thanked Jill for sharing “these special insights from a former Seattle 4 member” as it was a great opportunity to hear from someone who has spent so much time over her career covering Moscow and Putin.