The question of why Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale war in 2022 does not seem to be answered by many usual explanations, like economic interests or threats to security. Instead, Russia’s imperial ambitions and sense of Russian national identity heavily shaped Putin’s decision to launch the full-scale invasion. Yoshiko Herrera, professor of  political science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, will address how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinvigorated questions about the role of identities and in particular imperial and national identity in conflict and political violence.