"Despite repeated warnings from the White House, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. Why did Putin start the war--and why has it unfolded in previously unimaginable ways? Ukrainians have resisted a superior military; the West has united, while Russia grows increasingly isolated. Serhii Plokhy, a leading historian of Ukraine and the Cold War, offers a definitive account of this conflict, its origins, course, and the already apparent and possible future consequences"-- Provided by publisher.

Maps : The Russian Empire and the USSR ; Europe divided (2022) ; The Russo-Ukrainian War (2022) ; The world divided (2022)

Imperial collapse --Democracy and autocracy -- Nuclear implosion -- The new Eastern Europe -- The Crimean gambit -- The rise and fall of the new Russia -- Putin’s war -- The gates of Kyiv -- Eastern Front -- The Black Sea -- The counteroffensive -- the Return of the West -- The Pivot to Asia.