On today's episode of the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash,” we look at the context behind Putin's catastrophic decision to invade Ukraine. What does the history of Russia's post-Soviet wars tell us about the current conflict? Is Putin really playing 3-dimensional chess? Or has he blundered into a disaster of his own making, victim of an increasingly small information bubble? Host, John Sorensen speaks with Mark Galeotti, a prolific longtime observer of Russian history, defense, and security issues. He is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague, a Senior Assoc Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and the principle director at Mayak Intelligence, a consultancy firm specializing in Russia. And most recently he is the author of a new book, “Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine.”