Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shocked and perplexed the world. This special two-part episode of Then & Now features two outstanding historical observers: Benjamin Nathans, Alan Charles Kors Endowed Term Associate Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, and J. Arch Getty, Distinguished Research Professor of History at UCLA, offer much needed background and perspective on Russia's actions. Professors Nathans and Getty discuss the historical relationship between Russia and Ukraine, the roots of Ukrainian national identity, and Vladimir Putin’s historical pretext for the invasion.