Lawfare Archive: Mikhail Zygar on Putin, the Russia-Ukraine War, and Press Freedom
Summary
Former Lawfare associate editor Olivia Manis interviews Mikhail Zygar, a Russian journalist in exile, about the structural incentives driving Putin’s war in Ukraine and the "Putinization" of global politics. Zygar explains how the Kremlin uses historical myths to justify aggression and how the current US administration’s cynical, pragmatic approach aligns with Russian illiberalism. The discussion also covers the erosion of independent media in Russia through financial pressure and self-censorship, drawing parallels to recent White House press access restrictions in the US.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: AT&T Business
Introduction and guest background
Mikhail Zygar's career and founding TV Rain
Suppression of independent media in Russia
Putin's incentives for continuing the war
Putin's need for power and control
Putin's dual-track negotiation strategy
Kremlin's view of the US administration
Rise of cynicism and decline of liberal democracy
Realpolitik and the new world order
Paradox of Russia invoking international law
Munich speech and end of international norms
Russian imperial myths and Ukrainian identity
Sponsor: Upwork
Sponsor: Kohler
Sponsor: Perk
How Putin destroyed independent media
Comparison of media freedom in US and Russia
The phenomenon of self-censorship
White House press access and solidarity
Russian propaganda and US political figures
Cynical nature of Russian state narratives
Criminalization of LGBTQ+ identity in Russia
Disillusionment with democracy and hope
Outro and Lawfare Presents series
Sponsor: WeHare Health
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