This book by renowned historians Yuri Felshtinsky (USA) and Mikhail Stanchev (Ukraine) examines the Russian-Ukrainian conflict—viewed by the authors as a prelude to a major global conflict, a Third World War instigated by Russia. Will the battle for Ukraine escalate into a world war, or will it become a "new Afghanistan" for Russia, precipitating the collapse of the Putin regime? This is the central question of a highly timely book that no publisher in Russia would currently dare to release. Guiding readers through the entire history of Ukraine—from ancient times to the present day—the authors focus on the era of independence that the country gained following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Particular attention is paid to Russia’s ongoing opposition to Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union and NATO; the economic and "gas" blackmail Russia employs against Ukraine and Europe as a whole; and Russia’s attempts to turn Ukraine into a staging ground for further expansion into Eastern European states—utilizing tactics and methods reminiscent of Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union.