As Russian troops mass on the Ukrainian border and fears of an invasion grow, Haaretz’s Alon Pinkas talks to Allison Kaplan Sommer about Vladimir Putin’s motivations and the reaction of President Joe Biden to the crisis. “Anything having to do with America’s image, with America’s power and ability to project power has a direct impact on Israel’s national security,” Pinkas says. 

Also, Haaretz correspondent Liza Rozovsky joins the podcast from the ground in Ukraine. While Ukrainians in the border regions are not visibly panicking, she reports, “in order to really feel the anxiety, you need to meet the people and sit and talk to them in their homes.” 

Rozovsky discusses why even Russian-speaking Ukrainians want nothing to do with Putin, her visits with volunteers who spend their days supporting the Ukrainian military effort against Russian separatists, and whether or not Ukrainian Jews in the border region are considering a move to Israel if war breaks out.