Anatol Lieven, "Worse Than a Crime; It’s a Blunder" interview with Anatol Lieven, Prospect, February 25, 2022
“
My Russian interlocutors, some of whom I’ve known for many years, are by no means pro-Western anymore; they’re very angry with Western policy in recent years and they’re not pro-Ukrainian. But I have to say they’re horrified by what has happened. They really didn’t expect an invasion on this scale. They thought something would happen, but that it would be much more limited.
— Anatol Lieven on Russian invasion of Ukraine
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "My Russian interlocutors, some of whom I’ve known for many years, are by no means pro-Western anymore; they’re very angry with Western policy in recent years and they’re not pro-Ukrainian. But I have to say they’re horrified by what has happened. They really didn’t expect an invasion on this scale. They thought something would happen, but that it would be much more limited." in the context of "Anatol Lieven, "Worse Than a Crime; It’s a Blunder" interview with Anatol Lieven, Prospect, February 25, 2022" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Russian invasion of Ukraine" (2022, February 25, 2022)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Anatol Lieven
Anatol Lieven (born 28 June 1960) is a British author, journalist, and policy analyst. He is currently a visiting professor at King's College London and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
About Anatol Lieven
Anatol Lieven (born 28 June 1960) is a British author, journalist, and policy analyst. He is currently a visiting professor at King's College London and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
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