David Von Drehle, Vladimir Putin’s virus.

There are some inevitable half-truths (Von Drehle wasn’t writing a full Russian history of the past 30 years), some explanations that don’t explain (e.g., why Putin annexed Crimea), but it goes well beyond elaboration of atavistic fear of Russia.

If you read the post-Soviet history from Putin’s perspective, even without such background as the promises James Baker made that we’ve broken promiscuously, you’ll have a fuller appreciation of what’s going on — as do I.

Recommended.