The Freewheeling Diplomat
The Freewheeling Diplomat -- Colin Cleary -- served for over three decades in the U.S. Foreign Service. Free now to speak for himself, he offers a practitioner's perspective on key U.S. Foreign Policy challenges. Drawing on his years at U.S. Embassies in Ukraine, Russia and Poland -- as well as other postings -- he has been devoting particular attention to Russia's war on Ukraine. As the podcast moves forward, the Freewheeling Diplomat will be expanding to other topics. Colin Cleary is an Adjunct Professor of U.S. Foreign Policy at George Washington University.
The Freewheeling Diplomat
Ineptitude: Putin's History of Screwing Himself on Ukraine
Putin's history of getting Ukraine wrong did not begin will his brutal and bungled invasion in February 2022. In fact, Putin himself prompted the overthrow of the Russia-friendly, NATO-neutral, corrupt Ukrainian Administration of Victor Yanukovych in 2014. This episode explores Putin's repeated ineptitude in his dealings with Ukraine -- from the Orange Revolution of 2004 to the Maidan Revolution of 2014 to the present war.