| An eminent historian envisions a settlement among Russia, Ukraine, and the West.  Illustration by Tomasz Woźniakowski In the weeks after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, the historian Stephen Kotkin told David Remnick that “Ukraine is winning this war only on Twitter, not on the battlefield.” Now, nearly a year later—following a series of reversals, humiliations, and examples of military ineptitude on the part of the Russians—there appears to be more reason for optimism. But, in a new conversation, part of our Interviews Issue, Kotkin argues that his initial assessment still holds. He has been pleasantly surprised by the Ukrainians’ resolve, the solidarity among Western allies, and Putin’s own substantial failures, but the basic elements of the crisis have not changed: Russia is like a clumsy but ruthless home invader who is squatting in a corner of a house and wrecking the rest. “Putin’s strategy,” he explains, “could be described as ‘I can’t have it? Nobody can have it!’ Sadly, that’s where the tragedy is right now.” In a clear-eyed and wide-ranging discussion, Remnick and Kotkin consider what will be needed to move the conflict closer to a resolution—and what a better future for the Ukrainian and Russian people might look like. The 2023 Interviews Issue: This week, we’ve published interviews with Cate Blanchett, Will Shortz, Sandra Oh, and many others—with more to come. Read the issue » | 
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