Teaching a university course on Ukrainian history last October, I felt a touch of the surreal. The war in Ukraine had been going on for half a year when I began. A nuclear power had attacked a state that had given up its nuclear weapons. An empire was trying to halt European integration. A tyranny was attempting to crush a neighbouring democracy. On occupied territories, Russia perpetrated atrocities with clear expressions of genocidal intent. And yet, Ukraine was fighting back. Ukrainians resisted the nuclear blackmail, scorned the invading empire, and took risks for their democracy. At Kyiv, Kharkiv and later...