Analysis of Russia's War on Ukraine with Owen Matthews and Radek Sikorski

‘The future of European security is being decided now, here in Ukraine.’ These were the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before Vladimir Putin's Russia launched an all-out assault on Ukraine, sending tanks and fighter jets deep into the country and forcing thousands of Ukrainians to flee their homes. Intelligence Squared brought together journalist and Russia expert Owen Matthews and Radek Sikorski, former foreign minister of Poland, for a discussion on the biggest crisis Europe has faced since the Second World War.
Recorded on 1 March 2022.
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[@jblubit]

At 16:00 to 16:56, the man on the right explains the reality: rich people in Moscow are scared and ordinary farmers of Russia “don’t care.”

[@lAsteriosl]

I'd say more precise that sanctions mostly hurt pro-western Russians who are exposed to all these soft-power things.

[@jibbyjabs]

Adore radek. He's been saying this invasion would happen for Years. Very bright man and no nonsense.

[@user-vr6io5xb9e]

He’s as bright as Zelensky. I wonder where they got trained in? Maybe in Zionist youth camps?

[@edgilman361]

In my opinion the threat of Ukraine joining NATO was never a threat to Russian security. It was merely a threat to future expansion.

[@StrongbyLee]

Exactly. NATO kept Russia to only 21 bases in 10 countries so the US can have 750 in 80. Democracy wins!

[@whatupboy100]

you are not very bright or misinformed

[@edgilman361]

@@whatupboy100 It is my understanding that I intelligence is relative, so in comparison to many I am not be very bright. I am also misinformed because of available sources of information and personal biases. However, current events appear to support my fears of Russian corruption and imperialism. Feel free to share information for me to take into consideration when evolving my understanding of this situation.

[@davidsalcido383]

“Typical ZioNAZI opinion by Golly!” 🔯♒️♓️☢️☯️⚛️🕎☪️♈️💀☦️♎️⛎☢️♉️♍️♏️

[@StrongbyLee]

@@edgilman361 why do you say NATO was never a threat to Russian security? What evidence do you have that Russia would have been more aggressive had NATO not been around?

[@joeyfotofr]

Raded Sikorski MEP - "They've been telling us what they want to do and we've been telling ourselves 'This is so nuts they can't mean it' and they meant it in the 30s and they mean it now." --- SPOT ON...jt

[@Madmen604]

Impressed with Sikorski remarks. What a good professor he must be. Russia had a revolution but they cannot escape their autocratic traditions.

[@jerryb3838]

That's all the Russians know. British Intelligence, American Material, and Soviet Blood won World War 2 in Europe. More Russian blood will flow before Russians overthrow their Dictator.

[@ED-es2qv]

Hilarious when the Polish guy angrily objected to the idea that a country could have security interests in a country it doesn’t share a border with. How many countries around the world don’t share a border with Russia but have a security interest in her? I think all of them do. If not, why sanctions?

[@Aan_allein]

Because russia is a remnant of a failed empire.. still with imperial ambition

[@Addamo]

Like many Poles, the Polish guy clearly has a blind hatred of Russia and Putin.

[@Addamo]

@@Aan_allein Clealy you never heard of the Monroe Doctrine

[@RobBCactive]

No he wasn't angry, you mistake a robust challenging debate to get at the truth. So his point is that Kosovo was not part of the USSR empire as Tito broke from Stalin in 1948. Now Kosovo is a long way from Russia, yet Vladolf claims a security interest when Nato intervened to halt Serbia's genocide. If Putin had influence with the Serb nationalists he totally failed to rein in their ethnic cleansing genocidal wars. The true objection was he wanted instability and weakness in S.Europe. Now Vladolf is himself waging an illegal war of genocide against the Slavic people he called brothers because they choose freedom. You appear not to understand the meaning of "security interest" in a international relations discussion. Vladolf had no legitimate security interest, he wanted a pretext to stall a genocide. He erroneously views diplomacy as a zero sum game.

[@RobBCactive]

@@Addamo Ahhh, misrepresenting the Monroe doctrine now. How was the UK able to fight the Falklands war or even retain the Falklands if Monroe was enforced? Bermuda? Belize? Russians on the island of Cuba? Your grievance is that the US is the dominant world power and post-WW2 developed a rules based trade & international relations system. This lead to prosperity and reduced conflict in the world, despite being imperfect. Russia under Yeltsin/Putin chose a corrupt power patronage system, incompatible with law based EU or NATO membership so distanced himself. This is what the autocrats do, build palaces and exploit their captive populations. Eventually they launch mad wars and are cut down to size. With a small economy, Vladolf foolishly tried to become a dominant regional power. But he has faced the large soft power of 50% of world economy. This gives Ukraine the hard power backing which means his illegal war of genocide is failing.

[@willibrordutrecht2635]

Radek Sikorsky is pretty convincing on the fact that this is not total irrationality from Putin, more a question of seeing a unique opportunity of Western weakness, that - he does not say this but I think it - may well disappear after the 2022 midterms, and even more after the 2024 elections.

[@vdotme]

Are American citizens ready to go and die and spend money on another war? But this time one that'll really rack the bodybags up? The electoral change in fortunes is just party political partisanship propaganda. What would a GOP controlled Congress & Senate AND President do differently? The sanctions have been maxed out.

[@RobBCactive]

The weakness was perceived due to Trump's attempt to illegally deny Ukraine of aid already in Congress's appropriation. Then many right wing have linked themselves with Putin. They struggle to criticise Vladolf even in the face of an illegal war of genocide. Finally discrediting elections and attempting a coup via an insurrection after years sowing division and encouraging neo-fascists and militias. Despite the obvious backing of Russian troll bots, these useful idiots continue furthering the interests of Russia rather than those of the USA. Biden's team has experience, in fact directly of Vladolf's illegal annexation of the Crimea. Their contingency planning and professionalism is in stark contrast to the incompetent chaos of the previous administration, the one who's first National Security Advisor was proven to be an agent of a foreign power.

[@tibchy144]

Obviously anyone claiming that Putin is "irrational madman and manic" is not a serious geopolitical analyst. Current events have been long time in the making.

[@__Andrew_]

Another KZbin comment count anomaly.. states 3 replies (not counting this) but only 1 displays.

[@user-vr6io5xb9e]

Maybe he should take up arms and run to front lines instead of talking from his comfy UN office

[@cavewebster5881]

Many thanks!

[@sabinegroe2006]

Thank you for the insight

[@bujuminodstrom2076]

too much owen, not enough radek

[@theoutlook55]

I'm so glad they're having this discussion.

[@Fish1701A]

Yes, and Manveen Rana is a very good host!

[@donnasherwood283]

this is entirely disingenuous in its entirety and it is s genuine disgrace that these two who should know better are talking past the real issues. If this is what they really think they are unqualified for positions they are in either in organisations or media. How is it these morons can say he is irrational and attempting to restore the empire ? he sat down for NATO infiltration into east europe up to direct border states asked bill clinton, the sexual pervert alleged murderer, to join NATO in '00 and was rebuffed. They are discussing nothing of any consequence parroting lies and misinformation for god knows what reason certainly not for any desire to see this resolved. Ask yourself how you would like it if your country had fauci bio weapon labs and tomahawk missiles aimed at your major cities and proceed from there in evaluating Putin. He did not move with trump because he understood his legitimate security concerns would be honored and that Pres Trump was trying, as he should, to disband NATO which has been taken over by the NWO globalists. George Kennan the most effective and consequential american diplomat of the past century said before his death in '05 that NATO expansion would end in catastrophe guess he was correct.

[@aaronsmith4940]

@@donnasherwood283 with a block of text like that I can tell your not thinking rationally

[@donnasherwood283]

@@aaronsmith4940 how so exactly ? all i said can be fact checked. what a ridiculous comment

[@aaronsmith4940]

@@donnasherwood283 your exposition was ridiculous

[@sunflowertomorrow6411]

Excellent Excellent Excellent 👏👍

[@erikm2937]

7:34 "But I think something switched in his head during the pandemic. [Putin] was in isolation and he must have been reading some very weird stuff that has made him less calculating than before." Like his darling philosopher Ivan Ilyin, perhaps?

[@skinscapetattoo]

I’m always left breathless by how narrow most western media guest’s views of this situation are

[@drpeterc12]

you may not fully appreciate how public discussion of the special military operation is self circumscribed in the west. If you try to say anything other than what is in the media you risk being socially excluded. There is no 'other side'. At this rate I am concerned that we will all slip into the nuclear option.

[@smufer8]

Their knowledge and insight of things don't go pass the walls of the office in which they work.

[@smufer8]

@@drpeterc12 The atrocity of world war 1 & 2 were the legacies if the west, while the use of atomic bombs was unforgettably that of the you know who. I'm certain that the annihilation of human race on planet earth will definitely be started by the west. As to which country prods the amber of of the nuclear fire shall remain unnamed.

[@aaronsmith4940]

@@drpeterc12 HA, look at the difference though, in the west you may be socially ostracised but in Russia you will be arrested or "disappeared"for not agreeing with the narrative.

[@aaronsmith4940]

@@smufer8 love how your arguing the semantics of who will end the world, who cares who started it if we're all dead.

[@MoonChild-vv6to]

Thank you Mr. Sikorski. I don't know why the concept of fighting fire with fire is a mystery to your fellow lecturer. I have never heard of any gangster who will pay his taxes willingly.

[@Sokrabiades]

Yes, no gangster pays other gangsters willingly. You should be on the panel.

[@Addamo]

You evidently have a blind spot for some gangsters. What the US has done to Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria is far worse trhan anything Russia has done.

[@jackfrosty4674]

Baby medical kidnap by hospital. USA is a video. see now. 2022. Yesterday Idaho Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin appeared on the Stew Peters show and said that she had reached out to Governor Brad Little to intervene in the Baby Cyrus medical kidnapping case, but that he refused. Due to parents not taking the clotshot they took him away from his breastfeeding mother and are trying to give baby to a foster family. Baby healthy and trying to give it away. The hospital in Boise, Idaho doing this. Child trafficking ring. Think for safety of own children.

[@simonargall5508]

Thank you

[@bigbear8645]

Thanks.

[@tdgarage4012]

Great discussion

[@anffyddiaeth]

""Recorded on 1 March 2022."" but ""4,255 views Mar 9, 2022"" This is TIME-SENSITIVE material, so prompt uploading would have been appreciated.

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

Indeed, utterly pointless as events are moving so quickly.

[@theoutlook55]

Agreed

[@troygreen7990]

Gratitude: Marveen, Radik, Owen.

[@TheDudeKicker]

Manveen's voice is like butter. I could listen to her read the phonebook for hours.

[@robertwysocki2073]

Regarding the image of body bags coming back to Russia, the more likely scenario is neither bodies nor ashes coming back and Russian mothers not even being told by their government whether their sons are alive or dead!

[@thomasjefferson8939]

I believe that is the case. It appears that the Russians have mobile crematoriums. Putin doesnt have to tell mothers anything right now and wont until long after the conflict, after which these unfortunate soldiers will be lauded as war heros.

[@jk5042]

Any proof of that, or is this your wishful thinking

[@noramachado]

Radek rocks!!! ❤

[@0ldb1ll]

Putin went into Ukraine after gas fields were discovered on land on West Ukraine. Had these gone online Russia would have been deprived of a great income source. In controlling most of the Georgian coast, the Crimea, the west coast of the Black Sea AND the Ukraine, Putin can secure control of all gas and oil fields in that region thus securing Russia's foreign income.

[@user-bd8gb2jp3t]

What the Ukrainian government is hiding from the world..... WAKE UP! Full Documentary kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3yXdp6vjqt4b6s

[@Addamo]

The claim of gas fields is unproven. Even assuming the mot optimistic estimates, Ukraine would be 14th in the world. Certainly nothing close to threatening Russia’s market share in Europe.

[@monsieurgrigny]

Who would have thought that an interview a year old would be so illuminating. High calibre guests. Well hosted.

[@tengizpimpashvili1311]

This started 8 years ago, thanks for joining us

[@dvt6778]

Would be good if they can set up another debate. A lot has happened since then.

[@quikdraw5203]

Interesting

[@newdawnrising8110]

Brilliant discussion. Thanks guys.

[@francescaviceconti3770]

my critical comments about Radek S have been banned...after that the Russians moved to the eastern Ukraina e Putin hasn't threatened use atomic bombing BUT NATO is shouting about this ever since

[@sgjoni]

Before two weeks ago I would have agreed with Owen but now after having dug the translation files for the cold-war era rhetoric it's clear to me that Radek is correct, he was an old school imperialist all along the west was just using the wrong rhetoric translator.

[@DrMorpheus]

I'm not disagreeing, just speculating on why now. It's clear Putin and his closest friends share a Russian imperialist ideology that says Ukraine is the disobedient little brother who must be disciplined.

[@ronnynoneofyourbusinessgoo7892]

I do find it a bit disconcerting how Owen Matthews just maintains his naivity at this point.

[@amber40494]

Except that Putin has always been a psychopath and out to have his way no matter what angle you use with him.

[@afterthesmash]

@@amber40494 How is that different than George W. Bush as viewed from the Middle East, back when he sold the world a dubious invasion to topple a statue on TV, with little clue and less preparation about what to do next?

[@dougwedel9484]

I like the idea of riding a bicycle as a way to bring Russia down. Stop driving, get healthy, cut local pollution, and end the Ukraine conflict. That and add another layer of insulation to European homes.

[@tedzehnder961]

Before the break up of the Soviet Union, Russian gas wasn`t on the market.By buying their gas you could have helped Russia improved the lives of their people and get them out of poverty. Instead, Putin and his gang, used this money for war.It was a chance the West was willing to take to invite Russia to join the world. But they decided an evil path instead.

[@js4266]

Thank you for your input, very insightful

[@phillipaclemons7261]

“Gangsters in suits” great way to describe Putin and his goons

[@richardloach610]

It's cliche, all gangsters wore suits till recently

[@rabigarafikova5758]

If to continue you logical idea, you will havt to agree that the GANGSTERS in suits are: Harry Truman that invaded Korea in 1950, Eisenhower that invaded Cuba in 1959, Lyndon Johnson that invaded Vietnam in 1961, Richard Nixon that invaded Laos in 1964, George H W Bush that invaded Afghanistan in 2001, George W Bush that invaded Iraq in 2003.

[@henrykkaufman1488]

@@richardloach610 all men who could afford it wore suits back then, I think the saying is quite spot on.

[@havansabid326]

I get a feeling that Radek does not like to acknowledge that other people might, just might, have a different outlook from his.

[@rob_one4511]

80% of civilian casualties since 2014 have been in the east.. how is that last minute and cooked up?

[@mawmiernyalewierny1770]

Your information is incorrect.

[@rob_one4511]

@@mawmiernyalewierny1770 how so?

[@harryflashman4542]

@@mawmiernyalewierny1770 all over the net since 2014. BBC, the Guardian, Al Jazeera. A ton of independent journalists. Ukraine are not the good guys. They're the equivalent of Serbia in the Kosovo war.

[@rexsceleratorum1632]

@@harryflashman4542 What nonsense. According to the UN, 13,000 deaths in eastern Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2014, and only 3,393 deaths are civilians. There is no genocide. It is a Russian lie. Just another dictator projecting his own plans onto those who resist.

[@RobBCactive]

I looked this up to check and around civilian 2,000 casualties 2014-21, 300 of which were on the MH17 airliner shot down by the Russian backed insurgency. In 2021 the figure was 25, which considering a state of trench warfare and lack of a ceasefire is low. It appears that Russian smears are active here. The pseudo-justifications the constant victim hood status, despite being the dominant military power with active aggressive intelligence services who conduct poisonings and chemical weapons attacks. Russian strategy was provocation and destabilisation, with Putin using ethnic based pretexts reminiscent of Hitler along with slurs. There's clearly no justification for genocide but Russian agents and dupes are highly active pushing narratives.

[@msmaryna961]

I admit I found it very hard to take Owen's view seriously after he stated that after 20-years in Moscow he was shocked Putin invaded Ukraine. How is it possible to be a journalist without critical thinking skills? Something happened to this fellow after spending 20-years in Russia. Not good. I prefer Radek's intellectual and moral clarity.

[@drpeterc12]

Try living 20 years in Palestine and see if any of your ideas change. Having a disinterested and effective UN is the best way forward.

[@tedzehnder961]

England thinks Socialism is the answer to Nirvana. This only works when there is moral character in that society.A thing that is in limited supply in the world.

[@jkstewartcreative]

By happenstance on February 28, 2022 I stumbled upon a presentation by J. Mearsheimer. I was enthralled with his expertise. Coupled with these two, its not the time frame for an up-to-date assessment on the war ONLY that matters, its the education on the history one should place his value.

[@jonhelmer8591]

Hi Kevin, I think you'll find your version of happenstance is really called the KZbin algorithm. Also, have a listen to Peter Hitchins. I don't like or respect Hitchins or Mearsheimer much, I prefer Stephen Kotkin but they all have relevant things to say. It's a great shame that there has been so much disinformation on both sides, we can but try to understand.

[@RobBCactive]

Mearsheimer says himself he is a maverick, he appears to ascribe to spheres of influence and have no regard for sovereignty or wishes of the people of small countries. Putin has clearly been running a disinformation war against the democracies, he meddled and interfered in Ukraine and the population roundly rejected that. You should have heard Mearsheimer patronisingly say, "some people say Russia will invade Ukraine, no! Putin is far too smart for that .. an invasion would be a catastrophe for Russia". So Mearsheimer is deeply flawed and tends to hit confirmation biases. Reading the history of Ukraine explains better why Putin felt threatened, the rejection of interference. Only an expansionist feels threatened by a defensive pact.

[@Diongreco]

@@RobBCactive Which country is democratic in your opinion?

[@LynxSouth]

@@RobBCactive Any nation with sense would feel threatened by a neighbor with nuclear weapons aimed at it. Not all defensive pacts are equal.

[@RobBCactive]

@@LynxSouth Well then, when Russia conducts exercises in border areas with medium range missiles capable of reaching Berlin, they should understand why Poland is reinforced then ... but no, they call that "a provocation". Russia is the largest country in the world with plenty of room to conduct exercises without harrassing neighbours. It is not "any nation" but a heavily armed aggressive one that uses hard military power to coerce independent countries. Everyone remembers recent exercises in Belarus, the list of countries invaded by Russia in my lifetime has become extremely long. Russia has a sense of entitlement, it had the opportunity to choose a different path but has reverted to past patterns under yet another tyrant. Russians have more to fear from their own exploitative government than an attack by say Latvia. This is why young Russians leave, why wealthy Russians secure safe haven in the very countries their government slander & libel. Understand Putin screwed up badly, he has turned Russia into China's dependent and reduced security by choosing the path taken by Hitler.

[@petergiessinger9617]

Funny. Nobody mentioned that essay of Putin in the German press.

[@sabinegroe2006]

Ukraine will prevail !

[@usergiodmsilva1983PT]

Radek Sikorski is correct. The security issues pointed by Russia were a ruse. The objective of Russia is to take Ukraine's vast gas reserves in the black sea and northeastern regions. This would permit a huge power advantage over the rest of Europe, by denying Ukraine the possibility of it becoming an energy supplier in itself. One of the objectives was also unblocking the waterways to Crimea. This was always going to happen.

[@TooBadToBeAway1]

I agree. I don't think Owen is on the same level, even though he is very talkative.

[@markpovell]

Always dangerous to claim copyright on any 'truth'.

[@bloodorange6713]

Owen Matthews needs some speaking classes

[@natbirchall1580]

He has new friends now and I suspect they are laughing at his teeny weeny economy

[@elbarca223]

There is a fine line between deterrence vs. escalation. The US and the West must be careful whether their actions deter Putin or escalate war.

[@seantynan1]

And, perceptions matter. What seems an appropriate measure to the West, carries the danger of being perceived as an escalation by Putin.

[@climbeverest]

@@seantynan1 yes let us stop breathing lest Putin thinks we are starting a war.

[@freedomofpress5605]

@@climbeverest The war was started by the west but your western propaganda isn't going to say it. I hope you realize that there has been war in Ukraine for the last 8 years. It started when the US orchestrated the coup by employing the nazi groups in Ukraine, who now basically have control over Ukraine and are employed by the west. Don't believe me, do some research please. You may want to start with the top geopolitical analysts from the US, the ones that aren't employed by the pentagon and mainstream media.

[@drpeterc12]

The nukies WILL fly, but perhaps not this time. Something for our kids to look forward to.

[@AncoraImparoPiper]

Excellent discussion. I would like to hear more from Radek because he knows his stuff.

[@janpek3093]

He is selfish, arogant & corupt (look for tape gate)

[@mantonesei9097]

@@janpek3093 Radosław (Radek) Sikorski is a distinguished statesman with the Brzezinski Institute on Geostrategy at CSIS. The people that made 911 happen. Wrecking Ukraine trying to bring Russia back to Yeltsin years, when we all worried about terrorists getting their hands on nukes

[@speedy_gunzalez]

He doesn't actually

[@Addamo]

Radek is a proaghandist and cheery picks his facts while omitting those that are iconvenient.

[@cueball7428]

I like Princeton Professor Kotkin's vision of Putin's objective. Landlock Ukraine. East of Mariupol to Odessa and from Odessa West. Professor Kotkin sees a Neutralized, broken remainder of Ukraine which NATO will now not even talk to about admissio n . In the first battle of kiev in 1941 the Germans destroyed a Russian army and captured etc 600,000 Russian soldiers. When the Generals opened the caviar and champagne in the Grand Hotels of Kiev they got blown up by pipe bombs all over town. It is said that Hitler decided to starve and surround Stalingrad rather than attempt to enter and administer because of what happened in Kiev. Putin knows that.

[@cueball7428]

What " ...exact opposite happened "? If you want to criticize please elaborate, show your facts and explain your analysis, rather than just a vague hit.

[@jeffreybongos4837]

Very interesting to see this after it was recorded on 1 March. It is 9 March as I write this, the day this video was published. Seemingly logistics of the Russian military are now at the forefront of discussions (along with their war crimes). What will this look like in a week from now?

[@kaizen5023]

March 11 now, war crimes have increased greatly and convoy has broken up. Reports of Russians creating their own fuel supply pipelines to get off of reliance on trucks.

[@jackfrosty4674]

Baby medical kidnap by hospital. USA is a video. see now. 2022. Yesterday Idaho Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin appeared on the Stew Peters show and said that she had reached out to Governor Brad Little to intervene in the Baby Cyrus medical kidnapping case, but that he refused. Due to parents not taking the clotshot they took him away from his breastfeeding mother and are trying to give baby to a foster family. Baby healthy and trying to give it away. The hospital in Boise, Idaho doing this. Child trafficking ring. Think for safety of own children.

[@jackfrosty4674]

@P. A Akhtar hiliary left the troops in Benghazi and Biden left the troops in Afghanistan. Guess that might be war crimes. IS a crime against your own protectors.

[@MrChooChoo]

We are winning

[@fredlee4250]

Ukraine should have played different game, being squeezed by two superpowers. Choosing one side over the other was done without security guarantee and with increased security threat.

[@fredlee4250]

At the end, Ukraine is the victim from this calamity. Ukraine should have focused on standing on its own feet, trying to work with Putin and the West.

[@user-bd8gb2jp3t]

@@fredlee4250 What the Ukrainian government is hiding from the world..... WAKE UP! Full Documentary kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3yXdp6vjqt4b6s

[@erandeser5830]

On Intelligence 2, should you not invite people who saw it coming and can prove it ?

[@scottbuchanan9426]

"An inveterate imperialist" (Owen Matthews summarising the views of certain Polish and other East European elites). I'm no Putin fan, but prior to the current war in Ukraine he'd annexed precisely one parcel of territory -- Crimea (in 2014), which is a region about the size of the U.S. state of Maryland. In the first 14 years of Putin's rule (including his four-year stint as PM), Russia did not expand at all (the 2008 war in Georgia does not count, as Russia did not actually conquer territory). Moreover, Putin has settled several border disputes with other states in the past decade or so, including China, Norway, and Estonia. I believe he even offered to hand back a couple of islands in the Kuril Island chain to Japan. These are hardly the actions of an "inveterate imperialist".

[@elizabethramos8572]

How did Putin’s deep and secretive interactions with Donald J. Trump influence his determination toward NATO, Ukraine, and others?

[@jlb74a]

putin confirmed; though the orange man can be convinced to agree with putin's side, he is still an alpha male and crazy, thus any russian move than would make Trump look bad, would have been matched. putin waited for a weak, dumb, coward US president... democrats stole the US elections, and the American people is paying for it.

[@user-bd8gb2jp3t]

What the Ukrainian government is hiding from the world..... WAKE UP! Full Documentary kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3yXdp6vjqt4b6s

[@arturmekarski2581]

I am not sure but our Minister seems to be sipping a beer (piwko sobie skubaniec pociąga)

[@patriciaa.5571]

Espresso.

[@georgepaul5843]

Radar Sekorski you have an accurate historical assessment and good understanding of the present situation in post WW2 Soviet Union an U.S. intrusion into European reassembly of devastated countries and development of NATO, U.S.. military Cold War proxy, hodge-podge European Union for economic and military security.

[@user-ky4qv4kd6s]

Hes the guy you push up to the front when you need a filibuster last min.

[@stardust5397]

I would like to know the evidence that leads Owen Mathews to state that Russians without savings (presumably the vast majority of Russians) & therefore not in the market for foreign travel & goods “ just don’t care” ….about the invasion. Really? If Owen feels able to speak on behalf of the majority of Rusians he should surely justify his logic.

[@fabulouslife4646]

He is probably correct. However, I would phrase it as "Russians with lower incomes" as imported goods were always expensive. Thinking that closing LV, Gucci, and other luxury stores will affect regular Russians is laughable. Starbucks and Mcdonald's are also small luxuries for ordinary Russians, and there are much better alternatives available.

[@Sokrabiades]

If he lives there and speaks fluent Russian, I don't quite know on what basis you're especially skeptical. Would you like him to produce an academic study? They asked him precisely because of the three of them, he is in the best position to know.

[@harryflashman4542]

it's not Merkel's watch though is it. She is not the Chancellor of Germany. That probably had a bearing. you cannot deny that Ukraine has been trying to join NATO for a long time and there were calls to allow Ukraine in immediately the conflict occurred. It has been on the table for a long time.

[@ED-es2qv]

It wasn’t Merkel who said not on my watch. Of course they asked to join nato as soon as they were being murdered. Is your point that Russia had a right to attack if she even asked other countries to defend her? Maybe burglars only break in because we lock our doors. Don’t buy windows that lock or they’ll break in now because you’re making it hard to break in later. Not my philosophy. Joining NATO doesn’t help anyone in a war of aggression, so you’re literally justifying attacking people because they might make it harder to attack them later.

[@BlackWolf6420]

Sikorski is spot on here! 💯

[@feorh1919]

yeah, wet one

[@aaronsmith4940]

I saw a peice about how ukraine just recently found large amounts of oil and gas, so putin could have seen this as making Russian oil less valuable to the west.

[@celloswiss]

🙄

[@rickgoranowski9428]

You put Nikkil Lauda in a Ferarri he'l drive it as good as a Porschre.

[@markacohen1]

The imperialist idea is correct; all nations who run empires operate with brutal force when they want to. Athens, Rome, the Mongols, and in the modern era Britain, the US, Japan pre-world war 1 Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium are all capable of it, but as some have written about it, it is the logic of authoritarianism that differentiates Putin from some of those Empires. Constitutional regimes like the UK or US, often but not always real democracies, have considerable hindrances that can arise when following through with their imperial plans. They also do have genuine commitment to material and cultural improvement for their own populations if not for their imperial ones and sufficient competing and independent centers and varieties of legal structures, powers and untrammeled opinions to make the very worst degeneration of civilized norms impossible. This means they cannot suffer too much degradation of their own countries and cannot stifle opponents in the public sphere who stand against pursuing imperial ambitions once they go wrong. This is not true for authoritarian regimes. Once their small clique of controllers takes a war path there is very little to stop them other than external force. The large-scale Russian demonstrations against Putin's return in 2012 might have given him a further push where he was already going. The free public sphere that up till then had existed to some degree in Russia was progressively suppressed until no opposition can meaningfully exist and it assumed its usual government form, Tsarism, Bolshevism and now a return to Tsarism. A Democratic Ukraine that had shown fitful progress towards political stability and began catching up with Russian (or Belarusian) per capita income (10 000, 6 000 compared to Ukraine 4,700 dollars respectively), precisely because Ukraine is so close to Russia in fundamental ways (unlike Poland or Finland or any of the -stans) would be perceived as a genuine threat to an authoritarian. Better Ukraine bombed and occupied, cowed and ruined, than that. That surely must have driven him too. (Though as Radek mentioned the recent pact with China, perceived weakness of Biden after the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, the US's ravages with authoritarian, isolationist even Putin friendly Republicans and COVID, and in Germany traditionally more Russian-friendly SPD's victory in the elections must have affected the timing). That means we have to find both a big enough stick, but much tougher, a big enough carrot (at the Ukrainians' expense unfortunately) to get him to withdraw. And we have to do it in the next couple of weeks or else everyone will lose badly.

[@lesselp]

Ever heard of paragraphs?

[@tedzehnder961]

Obama, Democrat, Crimea Syria .Biden, Democrat, Ukraine. Putin thinks Democrats are weak and indecisive. He miscalculated on Europe realizing the danger and coming together. Biden is reacting to which way the wind is blowing politically. Hopefully, he stands with Ukraine and freedom.

[@cindyfinlayson4197]

So much disinfo: Russia only has one ally 😵‍💫

[@phillipaclemons7261]

Also the “NATO threat is a red herring” is true. I am tired of Putin apologists blaming NATO for the invasion of Ukraine.

[@TooBadToBeAway1]

Indeed. If Putin's fight was with Nato, why invade a country that is not part of Nato?

[@TooBadToBeAway1]

Also, apparently Putin was winning in the negotiations.

[@harryflashman4542]

@@TooBadToBeAway1 same as Syria. protecting Russian warm water naval ports.

[@silveriorebelo2920]

ooh yeah?? - are you dumb, or do you want a job at the CIA??

[@eliaskaram2325]

I disagree with Radek that this is a long term plan. Because if it was, it would be the worst plan in history and 5 kids can make better plan! I believe it was a decision made after Afghanistan

[@yokumato]

I think I should see more interviews with Mr.Sikorski

[@kaizen5023]

37:00 Russian army was undisciplined rabble with drunk officers... he says maybe that has changed but seeing how things have played out, I'm not so sure.

[@vdotme]

How have they played out? If the Russians (an artillery army) hadn't gone in softly and instead used the Shock & Awe approach as used in Bhagdad Ukraine would have been defeated in a couple of days. MSM are hyping up the resistance & Russian conduct and Losses. The most recent example is Syria style chemical attacks. It's all being fought in the press. The cauldron strategy has done it's job.

[@feorh1919]

this undisciplined rapist rabble exists only in ukrainian papers

[@otorishingen8600]

This is the 3. video where the words "rational / irrational" get mentioned repeatedly

[@USERNAMEfieldempty]

Radek was always a prickly hedgehog.

[@Frohicky1]

Manveen Rana sounds a lot like Anne McElvoy

[@feorh1919]

It's fun when you call the truth misconseption and lies truth. 1984 from the polish guy, bravo

[@judahbenisrael313]

I just hate to se people betrayed their country.smh

[@1000BASTE]

Radek Sikorski has the guts to really stare at the truth and say things as they are. He is a man that acts. The other two are representative for the world we are living in today, under the cover of civility and politeness they find all kind of reasons to actually do nothing. I know the two are journalist/writers and the Polish guy is a politician but still.....

[@tedzehnder961]

"Asking Putin to a tea party" then finding you are with a "Gangster" got me smiling. It reminds me of the phrase "I`ll give you an offer you can`t refuse"!

[@feorh1919]

this dude is as cuckoo as a mad hatter

[@catherinerobson5482]

Moldova, Georgia, Armenia?

[@alsterg]

Where is the debate? I thought IQ2 is about debates.

[@pimmfox]

Having got it wrong, is it possible that the entire perspective is not quite accurate. Any comment on Putin is based on either watching videos or reading news reports. Rather than trying to analyze what is in Putin’s mind, with such great experience can you compare and contrast your own experiences in Russia? Thanks. Great program.

[@jamesjarrett52]

Can you tease out for me why an analysis of Putin's mental state is not required when it may have played an important role in the unfolding catastrophe?

[@pimmfox]

@@jamesjarrett52 very interesting description of Putin by Julia Ioffe.

[@pimmfox]

@@jamesjarrett52 because his mental state has been consistent since he rose to power. A multiple part Frontline documentary that aired 4 years is pretty clear about this. It’s like debating how many Angeles are on the head of a pin. It’s not his mental state, but rather the mental state of the Russian - and other - troops that seem more relevant at the moment. Based on reading Julia Ioffe and Fiona Hill also corroborate the perspective of nursing a grudge forever. Even if he has to kill thousands and destroy a country in the process. Chechnya might be an example. Cheers P

[@robertholland8283]

hard pow·er  noun a coercive approach to international political relations, especially one that involves the use of military power.

[@ThePRCommander]

The worst part is that these people do not understand, that after the Zelinskis Munich speech, 20th Februrary 2022, where he stated that Ukraine should require nukes again, made Putin push the button four days after.

[@natbirchall1580]

A lot of Chinese themes popping up genecide bioweapons and a people that need to be reunited

[@karolienrobert8359]

French and British never bothered to understand Germany after WWI ….. Hence they got WWII ! Food for thought !

[@Blanka1100]

Russia is not a special need baby.

[@cindyfinlayson4197]

So why was the first thing Putin did when he became president ask to join NATO???

[@yamikaningongonda8442]

Against who is NATO expanding? Why did NATO deny Russia to join the military alliance?

[@johnm5670]

Mr. Matthews admits from the very beginning that he was wrong in his assessments about the situation, and yet he is permitted by the host to continue to present his further thoughts taking the lion's share in this conversation, while at the same time depriving us from hearing more of the clear and concise views of Mr. Sikorski.

[@jamesjarrett52]

Just because he was wrong at the beginning, doesn't mean he's wrong now, or that he was wrong about everything at the time, just some of it. Sikorski takes a confrontational attitude towards the discussion that does not necessarily advance the conversation in a positive direction.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

@@jamesjarrett52 - Well, if we’d heard more from Sikorski it might have given Matthews more to push back on. Generally though, Matthews backed down quite sheepishly whenever Sikorski got aggressive - probably a natural reaction if you spend all your time in Russia, and necessary for self-preservation.

[@afterthesmash]

@@sirrathersplendid4825 This is why few people take the risk of thinking out loud on TV. The person who rushes to judgement is perceived as concise, the person who engages with legitimate doubt and uncertainly is perceived as wallowing. Powerful leaders tend to surround themselves with concise subordinates. It's no accident that these same leaders are later construed-after their first major blunder-as out of touch and poorly informed. How did Putin screw up? Too much concision in the room. What's wrong with this analysis of how Putin screwed up? Not enough concision in the room. Yes, Owen is half Russian, which means he's probably had a lot of practice sharing the air with nuance-deprived hardliners. Radek took harder positions on some issues than others, so I rated him as a bit of both. In the American style, this kind of thing usually degenerates into non-constructive sniping between a pair of egotistical talking heads, so that no-one appears to play the sheep card. For my money, Americans should learn to play the sheep card far more often when wading into geopolitics at this level of difficulty and danger.

[@luisnuche3156]

Evactly as you say

[@johnm5670]

@@jamesjarrett52 Yea, it's exactly like saying that because Putin invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014, he wouldn't do it again on Ukraine, which he nevertheless did. Some people, and particularly the barbarian dictators (as per B. Johnson) unfortunately never learn, sometimes commentators included. My point is however more about the orderliness of the conversation, i.e. that someone who is straight enough to admit a bunch of wrong assessments of his about Putin and B. Johnson, should at least have the courtesy to allow the other party to (time-wise) equally participate, and not to monopolize the conversation. On the other hand, being able to be concise in expressing one's opinions and views is a virtue which unfortunately is not possessed by most of the people. By allowing such persons to further elaborate, can bring most of the times valuable info into a conversation. Furthermore, being wrong in one's assumptions leads to false estimations and hence to faulty actions. And if the wrong assumptions are made by commentators, this at least leads to faulty info conveyed to the listeners, therefore misinforming them.

[@patricelauverjon3177]

A blurred psychology has been propagated for decades based for a part on qualified studies but possibly on outdated foundations. The School of Frankfurt composed of highly skilled professionals in Psychology and Social 'Science' were taking Freud as a reference: for timing reasons and affiliations Carl Jung and related followers and associates were not considered. We are at a crucial time where the global intellect appears to be shifting from: 'I think so I am to 'I feel so I am': nobody can predict the future of such a move! It is impossible to convince in a few words about what goes on with those who cannot associate what is mentioned here with experience or personalised research.

[@jozefdekan8253]

What did NATO have any things to do in Yugoslavia why did you bump it

[@AntPDC]

Matthews' repeated claims - here and elsewhere - as to Moscow being the greatest city in Europe in terms of technology and cultural development are absurd.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

It’s certainly the largest city in Europe, but in terms of tech and culture I suspect Matthews’ reference is the rest of Eastern and Central Europe. Not sure how much time he spends in Western Europe.

[@AntPDC]

@@sirrathersplendid4825 Istanbul is the largest city in Europe, but then metrics vary. Matthews is half-Russian I believe, which may account for his slight ambivalence.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

@@AntPDC - Crikey, didn’t realise Istanbul had grown so much in recent years. It’s nearly 15 million! Regrettably, I’ve never been to Moscow myself though from all accounts it’s truly huge and physically impressive and seems to dwarf even London and Paris. But life for most of its citizens is pretty grim by Western standards, though it has certainly caught up a lot in the past two decades.

[@drpeterc12]

The larger the city the easier it is for Nato missiles to hit it. This is the greatest fear, a nuclear exchange. Before russo ukraine war we all thought escalation would be a moral issues...how wrong we were, one incident and our politicians and generals will be pushing one another aside to press the button first.....for national honour...just as in defence of Belguim in 1914....nothing changes, war is terrible.

[@DE-xt7jv]

How many of the bexiteers are living in the former empirical past?..

[@jaixzz]

Keep an eye on all the labo'tory oligarchs with their grubby hands on wasteminger hall.

[@CandysFavorites]

When are you going back to your old audience format?

[@lesselp]

Old audience died

[@RJay121]

PLSE PUBLISH NAMES OF RUSSIAN SOLDIERS

[@cindyfinlayson4197]

😵‍💫

[@agawiemal56]

Radek dawaj na twoje wolne radio

[@szymix140209]

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where they is no river. Nikita Khrushchev.

[@billytheearthworm573]

Jonathan Marcus: The US says that it is working with all sides in the crisis to reach a peaceful solution, noting that "ultimately it is up to the Ukrainian people to decide their future". However this transcript suggests that the US has very clear ideas about what the outcome should be and is striving to achieve these goals. Russian spokesmen have insisted that the US is meddling in Ukraine's affairs - no more than Moscow, the cynic might say - but Washington clearly has its own game-plan. The clear purpose in leaking this conversation is to embarrass Washington and for audiences susceptible to Moscow's message to portray the US as interfering in Ukraine's domestic affairs.

[@RobBCactive]

Radek Sikorski is a brilliant guest, the clarity of thought and information that you sometimes hear from high level generals or a brilliant scientist. Something unclear was the term "bribe" he used on the offer to Yankukovich for Ukraine to join the Russian Eurasian Economic union. As I understand it, it wasn't in this case direct personal bribes but state inducements relieving debt.

[@user-jp7mb4ns7x]

Radek Sikorski is clearly biased. Calling Soviet Union Soviet Empire (why not Empire of Evil?), saying NATO intervention in Yugoslavia happened to privent genocide from Serbs (it was a civil war, more complicated than that), he just sounds clear cause he repeats Western (aka American) narrative in a nazi-julie andrews style.

[@oreganoregan5947]

​@@user-jp7mb4ns7x He is from Poland. The Poles have plenty of experience of the horrors and evil of the Soviet Empire. Remember that the Soviet Empire along with their ally, Nazi Germany both invaded Poland in 1939. And now Putin wants to reconstitute this brutal empire?

[@basiabaskabasienka]

@@user-jp7mb4ns7x His wife is Anne Applebaum - a well known russophobe.

[@user-jp7mb4ns7x]

@@oreganoregan5947 John Mearsheimer's analysis is much closer to the truth in my opinion.

[@RobBCactive]

@@user-jp7mb4ns7x Mearsheimer is a maverick, he said "People say Russia will invade Ukraine. No! Putin's too smart for that ... Invading Ukraine would be a catastrophe for Russia." So unreliable, accepts "spheres of influence" and appeasement of authoritarian dictators. Perhaps he's a useful idiot enjoying the online backing of the troll bots.

[@prashantyata9725]

What right does this guy in specs have the right to not let the other guy talk uninterrupted....

[@dougwedel9484]

I have a hunch about Russia, that China gave Putin assurances they would not interfere with Ukraine and would continue to support Russia regardless, that Ukraine's leaders said and did things to provoke Putin, things like insisting there would be no peace unless they hand over Crimea as part of a ceasefire (this is more of an ultimatum to make if Ukraine conquered Russia, not the other way around, and if they wanted Crimea, it would have been easier to ask for it later, after a ceasefire). And America acted as if they were not particularly interested in showing brute force against Russia. So the idea that they could walk into Ukraine and eventually win looked promising. It might have even been set up to encourage him to make a try at this and do it now, right after covid, before countries recover economically and psychologically. It might have been set up like this to finally deal with Russia's expansionist interests and their interests in using force to expand. Let them try, so they can be relieved of the burden of continuing to entertain notions where forcible expansion was a good idea. The West has a chance to play a role in reshaping the Russian economy, to "drain the oligarchic swamp." That would help Russia's economy but it's not like propping up South Korea or Japan. Russia is massive at least by land and particularly America has reason to keep Russia down, so their role as world hegemon remains alive and Russia has no chance to grow to challenge them. Keeping them weak by allowing the oligarchs to continue after the aggression against Ukraine is over is a relatively safe way to keep them down, provided they ask them to remove their nukes. So it will take a lot of confidence and wise planning to allow Russia to rise economically later, if they decide to.

[@user-bd8gb2jp3t]

What the Ukrainian government is hiding from the world..... WAKE UP! Full Documentary kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3yXdp6vjqt4b6s

[@ChuckAmadi]

Russians are rolling up in pre Cold War Relics, and looking like a rag tag with communications, logistics and commanders being culled, while the Russian economy is on life support. During this period US/NATO/EU will upgrading and modernising their Military, F-35 are being bought up, in their droves and focusing on more Military Drill Cooperation. Remember Russia and Belrussia have been on Military Drills for Months and look at them. Pathetic... I see Ukrainians turning the table and if Putin decides to go for surround and pound, then the Western Aligned, will eventually supply aircraft in some way and another. Putin is not going to win.. this Special Operations Mission. US/NATO/EU it's the opportunity to send Russia back to 1900s.

[@tomjohn8733]

Nothing baffles rational people like the irrationality of someone they view as rational, just as a honest person, who everyone likes, can easily get away with being dishonest, even criminal, but a person who no one likes is always suspected of thing he had nothing to do with, the most successful serial killers are ultra conservative people, who may be religious, in a position of power, a family man, who no one would suspect…

[@RobBCactive]

Indeed it's a common fallacy to ascribe your motives to someone else. But Vladolf Putin's also use fear based on how he would abuse a position to further other agendas like removing rights, jailing and poisoning opponents. These so called "strongmen" need bogeymen to paint as threats.

[@tomjohn8733]

@@RobBCactive like a gangster, or mafia god father, when Trump was running in 2015/16, i remarked to a very religious neighbor, that electing Trump would be like alerting a mafia boss, to office, to which he smiled, yeh, but they make money, many authoritarian are religious conservative, and always nationalistic, during WWII, the mafia was instrumental in getting Italy to change side, which wasn’t hard, once they understood, What Hitler nazi was all about, people should always be discerning about someone motives and reasons for wanting power, especially if they are motivated by wealth and power, which is why every election need to be transparent, and no dark money…nothing is worse than giving a psychopathic power, all serial killers are psychopaths, but not all psychopaths are serial killers, they order others to do their dirty work…the more intelligent they are the more ruthless and paranoid they become, like Hitler etc, everyone has a side that disguises their true motives and nature…

[@RobBCactive]

@@tomjohn8733 I don't believe Mussolini fell for any reason but rampant incompetence and that Mussolini's African and European wars went badly. You see what's coming and try to spare your country. The mafia were recruited to aid admin in Sicily with tragic consequences for post-war Italy. But yes I agree with the gist of your post, the autocrat appeals to a desire for certainty and order. Much of it is resistance to social changes, hence the silly Culture Wars which appear ridiculous grievances to most people.

[@tomjohn8733]

@@RobBCactive ah yes rampant incompetence, there seems to be a lot of that going around theses days, like some pandemic disease, besides Covid etc, if it hadn’t been for Hitlers paranoid authoritarian incompetence, Germany might have succeeded, it’s hard to imaging what the world would be like it both Japan and Germany had won, just as if the confederates has won at Gettysburg, sometime everything’s hinges on incompetence or mistake, history is full of such example, if Napoleon had won at Waterloo, or Rome which was fighting am9nst themselves, the assignation of Cesar etc…a good movie to watch if you can find it, “Mediterrano”, about a Italian platoon becomes stranded on a Greek island, at the beginning of WWII, without any communication, a movie for those who want to escape…

[@RobBCactive]

@@tomjohn8733 it is characteristic of authoritarians, they prize loyalty over capability or honesty & competence. Everything is corrupt and about favour rather than being good at jobs.

[@bm8725]

Very interesting and informative discussion, but the host comes across as the quintessential British dinner party intellectual 🙄.

[@SynapseDriven]

Mr mathews doesnt want to see

[@nonaanon3805]

More of a threnody than an epiphany imo

[@DE-xt7jv]

Radek is brilliant

[@robrosea4373]

There are two ambitions in here, those are NATO ambition to expand and Putin’s ambition to revive Russian empire. I think we should consider geopolitic in this, US wouldn’t tolerate if any military power station an armada near its doorstep, if they can’t tolerate it why would anybody?

[@Blanka1100]

USA does not invade its neighbours to annex their land and this is exactly what Russia does to its neighbours. Nato is bs excuse for Putin. Putin wants Ukraine. He says Ukraine is not a real country and Ukrainians are just little Russians. Nato is at Russia's doorsteps for decades. Did Putin fake up yesreday? Ukraine is not even Nato member and has no chance to join. Ukraine has no nukes. Why didn't utin invade Poland, Lithuania which joined Nato more or less 20 years ago? Why didn't he invade Finland which has the biggest land border with Russia? Because it is not about Nato. It is about Ukraine. Putin wants Ukraine. Nato never invaded Russia and would never invade a country with nukes while Russia loves annexing its non Nato neighbours just because it can. Russia still ocuupies 20% of Georgia. It is not about Nato. It is about Putin's ego. Nato does not expand by force. Countries apply to join to be secured. Wasaw pact was the only alliance made by force and Eastern Europe did not ask for it.