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In this extended episode, we recap and reflect on the week that changed everything, for Europe and the world, after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. We also hear from scholar Dimitar Bechev on Turkey’s potential role in this crisis.
We begin with a review of the unprecedented flurry of dramatic measures taken by Europe in the past few days in response to Putin’s war. Then POLITICO’s Andrew Gray is joined by colleagues David M. Herszenhorn, Matthew Karnitschnig and Lili Bayer to reflect on a momentous week and examine potential repercussions yet to come.
David also gives us a personal account of his journey out of Ukraine as the war intensified and tells the story of a Ukrainian businessman risking his life to save both family members and strangers.
Our special guest is Dimitar Bechev, a lecturer at the Oxford School of Global & Area Studies and expert on Russia and Turkey. He discusses Turkey’s potential role as a peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine, and unpacks the themes of his new book, “Turkey Under Erdogan: How a Country Turned from Democracy and the West.”