Timothy Snyder on What He Saw in Kharkiv — and Why America Is to Blame

Timothy Snyder argues that life in northeastern Ukraine is defined by adaptation under constant threat, but not by collapse or despair. He says he was in Ukraine because it is his job as a historian, and describes cities and travel there as shaped by the risk of missiles, gas station attacks, and routine violence, while Ukrainians keep working and organizing anyway.

On the war itself, Snyder says the front remains relatively stable and a Russian breakthrough looks unlikely, but he argues that Russia is now doing its most damage deeper inside Ukraine by systematically destroying the economy. He blames American policy for creating that vulnerability, saying the U.S. has provided no direct economic support or direct weapon support, while the EU has done more than any individual state.

Snyder also argues that the war is producing the world’s two most modern armies. Ukraine is innovating, Russia is copying at scale, and that makes the conflict a long-term problem for NATO and the United States because it is effectively training the Russian military on Ukrainian methods. He adds that Russia’s shift toward mobilization could carry political costs for Vladimir Putin.