Russian Discontent Made Visible
Opposition leader cites the strength of ordinary Russians—and sees hope for a post-Putin country.
September 25, 2026
Historian Stephen Kotkin became the Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution in 2022. He taught at Princeton for more than 30 years, and is the author of nine works of history, including the first two volumes of his biography of Joseph Stalin, Paradoxes of Power, 1878 to 1928 and Waiting for Hitler, 1929 to 1941. He is now completing the third and final volume. Since the war in Ukraine broke out a year ago, Kotkin has appeared regularly on Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to offer his unique perspective on the Russian aggression and answer five questions for us. This is the third installment.

Stephen Kotkin
Opposition leader cites the strength of ordinary Russians—and sees hope for a post-Putin country.
September 25, 2026
Crippling passivity will not help Ukraine survive this most dangerous of winters. Using our seized Russian money would show some steel.
September 26, 2026
H.R. McMaster and Vladimir Kara-Murza discuss the state of the war in Ukraine, the prospects and perils facing Russia's opposition, the shifting currents of Russian domestic politics, the effort to organize the Russian diaspora into a coherent political force, and prospects of a post-Putin Russia.
September 23, 2026