Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar, an expert on Putin, chronicles Ukraine’s journey. From 1996 to 2004, post-Soviet Ukraine maintained ties with the former empire, with the elite fearing its return. From 2004 to 2018, Ukraine was a state of states, each with its own rulers and interests, some linked to Russia. In 2018, a new generation of Ukrainians, considering themselves independent of Russia, emerged, triggering the war as Putin couldn’t bear losing Ukraine.