The most important piece of history of the ongoing war in Ukraine was perhaps written by Barry Posen in February 2025, exactly three years from the start of the conflict. In “Putin’s Preventive War: The 2022 Invasion of Ukraine”, Posen articulates the structural causes of the conflict and cautions against undue optimism. It is worthy advice, and one that I second. In the recent podcast episode, I mentioned why I am not very optimistic about the ongoing peace process, and why I think this might only lead to disappointment.