Not saying I agree with all of his opinions. Just that I find his framework useful.
Regarding Ukraine my understanding is that he argues Russia has security interests that were ignored by the west, in particular the push for Ukraine to join NATO. Not sure I’ve heard him say Ukraine caused/deserved to be attacked?
There was a public lecture I watched shortly after the start of the war. Not sure which one maybe this one. https://youtu.be/JrMiSQAGOS4
But you can search Youtube for "Mearsheimer Ukraine" and find dozens of videos of him reiterating the same points.
He's a Lex Friedman one: https://youtu.be/on1RrmspFIQ
I’ve seen the Lex appearance. The first talk you cited says it’s the West’s fault (in particular US foreign policy).
Ukraine's NATO ambitions are ultimately down to Ukraine so the West can at most be an enabler.
Look, I hosted Ukrainian refugees in my home in Munich for a month in 2022. I have both Ukrainian and Russian friends. I hope the war stops asap.
But the US would also not allow a Russian expansion into Mexico. Such a move would be seen as an aggression and retaliated against.
NATO expansion into Ukraine is very different from American expansion into Ukraine.
If America pulls a Venezuela on Ukraine then Putin has a reason by all means but that hasn't happened.
I’d agree to disagree on this one
Do you live in America? I've lived in two NATO countries that were not America. It's a stark difference between NATO and America.
I’m German living in Portugal. I grew up in West Berlin and was four when the wall fell. I’ve lived as a nomad all over the world. Also in the US for 5 years. I loved it there and still feel very connected to Americans. I think Europeans have much to learn from Americans in terms of business and risk taking. So it’s nothing personal. I’m just a realist when it comes to foreign policy.
Btw Russia is only 55 miles away from America already just saying.
Yes it's basically that, Ukraine deserved to be invaded because they were aiming to join NATO, and, presumably is fearing an invasion of Russia by NATO. NATO doesn't have a track record of imperialist invasions so that's bullshit.
Security fears are legitimate at least and no one would hold it against Putin if he proclaimed them publicly but he's being cagey about his motives instead making up stories about Nazis and what have you.
In the Fridman video from 2 years ago he says Russia doesn't have an army nearly big enough to occupy Ukraine. Currently they have 20%, doing just fine and pushing for more.
He's making comparisons to the German occupation of Poland. That was very different, Ukraine was already somewhat Russia aligned. The 2014 revolution tipped the balance a bit towards the West so exchanging some people at the top will tip the balance back towards Russia or so he thought.
The Polish back in the day were controlled by Germans, but the Russian occupied territories aren't full of Ukrainians being controlled by a few Russians. Instead the Ukrainians have been displaced by Russians entirely.
Russia has huge internal problems with society ever having fully coped with the fall of communism. There a lots of young unemployed men with no prospects just like in America after deindustrialization. In America they take fentanyl in Russia they become mercenaries for Putin.
Nothing adds up with this guy and he's full of shit.
