Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity. Even as Ukraine’s daring incursion into Russian territory brought the full-scale war back to the headlines around the world, Moscow’s forces keep grinding on the eastern front, with dire implications for the entire Donbas region. Though Kyiv’s operation achieved an undeniable tactical success, the strategic calculus behind it remains unclear. Russia not only keeps up its pressure on Ukrainian forces but also continues to occupy roughly a fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, with no clear pathway toward its liberation in sight. The K…
