On the 24th of February 2022 Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation to “demilitarise and denazify” Ukraine. 

A full-scale invasion and a major land war in Europe had begun. 

It was a scenario that seemed unimaginable for so long. Four years later, the geopolitical landscape seems utterly changed. 

But in 2022 there were experts warning that the invasion was coming. So why didn’t the people who mattered listen? 

On today’s podcast, Ciara Doherty speaks to Shaun Walker, eastern Europe correspondent for The Guardian.