'Putin didn't want the war' John Mearsheimer on Ukraine & Gaza conflicts | SpectatorTV

Freddy Gray speaks to Professor John Mearsheimer, an American foreign policy expert at the Hoover Institute. On the show, Professor Mearsheimer talks about what could happen if Ukraine loses support from the West; why Israeli retaliation towards Gaza has shown evidence of war crimes and what Israel is prepared to do in order to protect the Jewish state.
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[@searock3024]

I love how the Spectator repeatedly argue against “strong language”. Weak language only, please. Let’s keep things watery and meaningless, folks! It’s only a massacre…let’s not get too strong with our language here!

[@nikosantikythera2422]

Well, you know, John Mearsheimer is just another white supremacist and Putin puppet. The Spectator sucks. As do most of the mainstream media outlets. They lie without a trace of compunction. John Mearsheimer is "controversial". Good grief. Puke. smh... #FreePalestine and #FreeUkraine from the vicious grip of the collective West.

[@herrgolf]

I think Mearsheimer doesn’t want to be accused sacrificing accuracy in favor of using breathless or dramatic language.

[@searock3024]

@@herrgolf I agree. I was criticising the idiot host.

[@seanmccuen6970]

@@herrgolf 'strong' language around this bloodbath and malevolence is accuracy.

[@herrgolf]

Massacre or Holocaust or ethnic cleansing are all accurate but genocide might not be. I don’t criticize the use of the word genocide, mind you; I prefer people take this as seriously as possible. I’m just explaining why he might not use the term. And someone in his position needs to be exact with his language for the sake of credibility, especially with so many other people doing the work of calling this a genocide already.

[@omerdoganci1802]

His article was a short piece and written in plain language. However the interviewer achieved to misquote him. Embarrassing

[@pelvicthrustful]

yes. embarrassing and so unprofessional. 'Tabloid-ish'

[@lanija19]

Fortunately, the author had the opportunity to correct this. And now imagine how distorted everything Putin says is. And he has practically no way to prevent it.

[@ad5792]

A very British phenomenon

[@gmw3083]

​@lanija19 Putin realizes by now that western propwash is actually as effective as anything at keeping the she pull and their marionette leaders lost in the narrative labyrinths they created themselves. The combined west is walking itself off the plank and Putin is already ambivalent about it....

[@user-xo1ov2bb9z]

All people who want to blame Russia always misquote Putin.

[@annel.bo.briggs]

It's dangerous to grant any ideological group impunity or the right to break the rules.

[@mateuszmazurek7991]

or a country, like Russia you can't just invade countries

[@oliveryt7168]

@@mateuszmazurek7991 Ukraine's main supporter and "master" (Ukraine is already sold to the US) is the biggest invader of your times... Strange, how "the good guys" arent so good... Wouldnt Ukraine, a country, that cares about its souvereignty (like you're implying), oppose help from a country like the US, that has been known for violating the souvereignty of other countries for decades..??? Ukraine (Ukrainian people, to be more specific.. I dont care about Zelenskyi and his junta) is being played like a broken, cheap violin... and sooner or later the US and Brussels will drop Ukraine like a hot potato. Greetings from Germany.

[@gregwang8628]

But the NATO and US are allowed to push eastward to Russia’s doorstep 😂from 1991 to 2021 😂​@@mateuszmazurek7991

[@dbbrainer]

As a matter of facr you can. Under International Law, a state may invade a sovereign country if that sovereing country 1) posits a threat to its existence and 2) If that state has disenfranchised a part of its populations based on ethnic differences and persecutes that part of the population based on its ethnicity, which is what Western Ukranians under US interventionism by the hand of Viktoria Fuck the EU Nuland.@@mateuszmazurek7991

[@annel.bo.briggs]

The United States knows better, too. We used to be a good country. So sad.

[@sean3148]

John: 'Israel are committing war crimes'. Freddie: 'But what do you expect them to do?' 🤦

[@dirtydawg448]

Watch it again and this time either listen to it properly or else don’t misrepresent what was actually said - there really is no need whatever your views are

[@gmw3083]

​@dirtydawg448 it's called, reading between the lines

[@harrymills2770]

I echo the sentiment. Israel's a nation locked in never-ending existential crisis. I don't blame Israel for behaving badly. I blame the UK and U$A for creating this whole situation in 1948 and doubling down on the bad decision ever since.

[@gmw3083]

​​​@@harrymills2770Israel is the Anglo-American superempires spear in the side of Arabian territory. It's there for a reason. Grand plans go wrong more often than they go well. Remember Vietnam. Remember Afghanistan. Remember all the losses in between. Israel is a long-running exploit. Ukraine was much shorter. They both made the mistake of trusting America. Never do that....

[@jacquelineloaring2438]

Anyone who supports Ukraine, just because it will upset Russia, is a fool, the west and nato should have kept their noses OUT right at the beginning, I’m from the UK and I totally support Russia, and Mr Putin, we should all have kept our noses out, chances are the war would not have started.

[@Zidana123]

12:11 "You would not expect this from the Israelis, given the holocaust. Given the horrors that were inflicted on Jews in Europe..." Why would you not expect this? This isn't a very 'realistic' framing of human nature Rather, consider the phenomenon where children who grow up in abusive households disproportionately display abusive behavior toward others in adulthood Then you see, when people experience suffering, it doesn't necessarily transform them into paragons of virtue. Sometimes, it scars and ruins them, damages their ability to relate to other people

[@trickyric67]

do smoke rock?

[@tb8865]

Indeed. It's not *in spite of* but rather *because of* the Holocaust that Israel became what it did. Other critics of Israel frequently bring up this issue and they never seem to get it, perhaps because they are sensitive to the feelings of Jews.

[@peterbennet7145]

This is *exactly* the reaction you would expect from Israel. And almost certainly what the Hamas leadership actually wanted and plannned for. Show me a single example where the Israelis do not go in hard. The only surprise this time was the long initial delay in the military action on the ground. Whether it's wise or not (it may well not be) is another matter. But Hamas have truly brought this on themselves and there is no one else to blame.

[@calicocat8213]

A rather shallow explanation, in fact justification of the very cynical and sadistic cruelty. Let us not forget that Israel was born out of Jewish terrorism, and that Jewish terror organisation were waging campaigns of terror attack on the British (including efforts to assassinate Winston Churchill) even BEFORE the Holocaust. Then, we have many examples of cruelty, sadism, sexual violence WITHIN, like the infamous Zvi Migdal, the chronic abuse Amos Oz's daughter had been exposed to, the ZAKA brothers' misdeeds, and in fact sadistic, cruel, cynical, vile, and frankly psychopathic examples throughout the Jewish Bible, or Torah.

[@libertasdemocratiam887]

​@@calicocat8213how sad you had to reach so far back for Jewish terrorism...which was tiny tiny group btw if extremists...while we've had how many islamic terror groups?

[@elroz1675]

1. Moscow's concerns about NATO expansion go back to mid and late 1990s, under Yeltsin - statements by military officials, diplomats, and a few times by Yeltsin himself. And it is not just Mearsheimer. For example, George Kennan ("Fateful Error" article), Ambassador Jack Mattlock, K. Waltz ("Structural realism After the Cold War"), historian Stephen Cohen, Georg Gysi speech in Bundestag in March 2014. I'm not saying that they GOT THE TRUTH DOWN, but just that there are other former diplomats, politicians, and current professors who hold similar views. 2. Moscow was saying in the Fall of 2021 that they are seeing US-UK move Ukraine into interoperability with NATO without membership, sort of "under the radar". UK and Poland were in the process of working out and signing a security agreement with Ukraine in late 2021. NATO officers were working in Ukraine and US would send B-52s to fly over central Ukraine, NATO had wargames in the Black Sea, and UK was building two naval bases for Ukraine and sent a warship to sail right up to Crimea's waters that year. 3. I'm not of the view that all Moscow wants is just pure defense. There is a desire to expand influence and rebuild the economic and geopolitical space, but it is stimulated by EU-NATO expansion, which has seen 3 stages prior to 2014. Of course Moscow wants a sphere of influence right near its border where it will be the political center, not Washington and the EU. There is no purely defensive strategy possible on the eastern European plain - this isn't Australia or N.America. But keep in mind that Washington considers Middle East, Eastern Europe, and East Asia as zones that affect its security. So is it not possible for Russia to have its zone next to its borders? Of course it is! When countries exert influence over their weaker neighbors, inc. eventually by force when all else fails, it is a form of imperialism. I think this was stimulated by NATO-EU getting closer and closer, inc. agreements to build US military bases in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria prior 2014. And after the nationalists took power in Ukraine their posture was that together with the West they don't have to listen to Moscow's wishes and can resist its pressure. And so this is where we are today. 4. Eventually the US will need to deal with expanding Chinese influence in the Caribbean, inc. military installations. And it will try to exert pressure through various policies on China's partners in the region. These states will speak of US imperialism. In fact some states in the Caribbean already speak of this. 5. braveneweurope.com/michael-von-der-schulenburg-hajo-funke-harald-kujat-peace-for-ukraine

[@herrgolf]

The relationship russia has w Ukraine is quite different from US relations w states to its south. I wouldn’t argue what Russia is doing in Ukraine qualifies as imperialism. I sympathize with Ukrainians’ desire to join the west, but the identity of Ukrainian nationality being imposed on Ukraine the state is an artificial construct. Furthermore Ukraine as it exists was a creation of the Soviet Union and was never meant to be independent. To me, this is more a continuation of Soviet collapse and I’d almost call it a war civil war or war of secession.

[@merocaine]

Nailed it, this should be pinned in the description, thank you.

[@2Uahoj]

You keep repeating "Moscow" as if the Russian government were somehow a solid block fully united in the invasion of Ukraine. Rather it was a single person, Vladimir Putin, who "chose" to see a security threat that did not exist and cowed and threatened Russian opposition politicians into either sharing his distorted vision - or facing imprisonment or murder. Structural explanations do not work in this case. Personal explanations do.

[@gregoryplaszewski6125]

garbage and nonsense.

[@mysecretpleasure]

Moscow was laughed upon when it offered to join Nato Moscow was ignored when it pointed that the promise of "not an in inch further tibtge east" was broken Moscow summoned for the promises to be kept and actually Putin has always beeb verry pro western. He did his best, but i guess after 2007 he gave up

[@arbenrashiti68]

Why is he talking like ukraine was was going into NATO....ukraine was not even in sight of Joining Nato!...old guy has no idea whats going on....just from media....Go to Ukraine and you will see

[@wintercook2]

NATO membership for Ukraine has been pushed by the US government for decades.

[@clarkmacgowan5114]

That guy is the right-wing paid professional liar. Absolutely nothing he says is to be believed. That's why normal media won't interview him. The American spectator is a lie Factory.

[@Leo-ie3eb]

You are right de jure, you are not right de facto. It was obvious by the treaty of September 2021 signed in Washington between Biden and Zelensky. You may look it up, this treaty is openly accessible on the website of the state department. You may also let it be if it does not fit into your narrative that makes you feel comfortable.

[@jimbrown4456]

Lol no idea what he's talking about 😂

[@natiaandguladze]

Pro-Russian audience must be happy to hear him. But I don't understand how his analysis is any more expert than my average taxi driver's. They both seem to be using the same sources and data analysis methods, both very superficial and unscientific. The man's ego is so inflated that he'd be ecstatic if Russians used nukes just because he predicted it.

[@Worldgonemad99]

Yes, and Hitler didn't want WW2 either. Thank goodness for Mearsheimer's enlightened thinking...Putin didn't want the war. Hmmmmm. Naivity in extremis.

[@WTF2BlueTiger]

To put it into context, compare taking Kiyv, a city of 3+ million with a force of some 10000-15000 troops. To Israels current invasion, mass bombardment and airstrikes on Gaza, a city of 2 million with a vastly larger and arguably more advanced force, a city only protected by small arms and IEDs, 0 heavy equipment, artillery support or armored vehicles/tanks, compared to Ukraine, which, albeit modernizing, but still had access to real military tools.

[@zenonelealainen3750]

And also the fact that Russia now has 700 000 troops in Ukraine, but then Mearsheimer thinks that Russia can still win the war with those 700 000 troops despite the fact that Ukraine now has mobilized several hundreds of thousands of troops after the start of the war and gained lots of western weapons. Pretty stupit Putins dog for a professor.

[@blacklion8208]

This so called prof. is a pro-Putin Nazbol and anti republican and anti Democrat. Listen to him carefully.

[@fifikusz]

@@zenonelealainen3750 I guess you are a more educated great-power expert than prof. Mearsheimer, are you?

[@zenonelealainen3750]

​@@fifikusz I guess, I am not working for the KGP like Dr. Mearsheimer.

[@evernight.]

What are you babbling about? What's even the point of what you wrote? "Compare taking Kyiv (*not Kiyv) to taking Gaza." So what?

[@danielbtwd]

What fool believes that Ukraine can defeat Russia in a military contest? It's like saying Mexico could beat the US.

[@tomeyckmans9389]

With the help they were promised, they could

[@mnemonicpie]

Here's one: @@tomeyckmans9389

[@godhallelujahgaming7947]

​@@tomeyckmans9389what help is that?😂

[@5Cd2]

It's even more ludicrous, as Ukraine iherited from the Soviet Union some excelent military industry, like tank factories (in Kharkiv, for example), airplane engine factories, military shipyards like the one in the port of Nikolaev. Ukraine had dozens if not hundreds of air defense units, self-propelled artillery, heavy mortars, armored personnel carriers, etc. Furthermore, several military academies from the Soviet era remained on Ukrainian territory (as is apparently the case with a very good artillery academy, as Russian military personnel have admitted: some Russian commanders speak with respect of the work of the Ukrainians who graduated from that academy). Finally, since at least 2016 (if not earlier) Ukraine has had hundreds of US and NATO instructors training its military. Ukraine has participated in military exercises with NATO since 2014. Mexico is much weaker against the United States than Ukraine is against Russia.

[@tomeyckmans9389]

​@@godhallelujahgaming7947don't be like a joke buddy. You know what i mean

[@consonaadversapars]

'Putin didn't want the war'... Yeah, he just wanted the ENTIRE Ukrainian land without any trouble.

[@BJack1983]

A bully when they're punching you down: "YOU made me do it"!

[@jjcustard6378]

Whatever has changed? The spectator actually talking to someone who knows what hes talking about

[@andrewnorris5415]

Spot on. The MSM in the UK totally ignore him. Inc. the "fact checkers" (I can see why). To most fellow Brits I know his arguments and common sense does not even exist.

[@andyjay5903]

Mershheimer is NOT at the Hoover institute.

[@dazknight9326]

Then do not attack Ukraine. We do not do excuses. No more than with Hitler which you would think people would have learned from. End the war. Archangel Michael

[@johnnygreen1376]

Almost everything Mr Mearsheimer says is testament to his complete lack of grasp on the Russia / Ukraine situation. This war is about regime security and imperialism for Putin. To say he didn't want it is an absurdity. To quote Vlad Vexler: "John Mearsheimer is reviewing a Vietnamese restaurant from 20,000 feet."

[@bramblebop1904]

Right on. Still, he's at least thought provoking.

[@johnnygreen1376]

@@bramblebop1904 yep! He's definitely part of the debate.

[@sustareugenia8271]

Aber, im Gegenteil zum Herrn Mearsheimer, wissen Sie jonnygreen1376@ ganz genau, was Putin mit dieser Militäroffensive erreichen will. Und er hat Ihnen persönlich mitgeteilt, dass es im dabei um die "Sichercheit des Regimes und den Imperialismus" geht. Wieder ein Fall von angelsächsischer Arroganz

[@lasisy]

He has been correct, not controversial.

[@joemerino3243]

Mearsheimer said Russia would never invade Ukraine.

[@SectionSixteen]

​@@joemerino3243 John's message, for years, has been that Russia was not interested in conquering and annexing Ukraine. He keeps saying that Russia is "wrecking Ukraine," so it will be useless to NATO. He says Russia will hold on to those parts of Ukraine that are ethnically Russian and open to being under Russian control, as was the case with Crimea. Putin had supported the Minsk Accords, which would have given the Donbas area some autonomy, but the U.S. undermined the Minsk framework. 8 years ago, J.M. saw exactly where events were trending.

[@NightOwlinNewOrleans]

He’s delusional

[@Rafael-xt1nm]

Ignore the comment@@joemerino3243, it's clearly a Russian bot. The Kremlin has whole teams commenting on KZbin videos like this.

[@greatman5836]

​@@SectionSixteenyou are referring to yourself

[@PatCash-sr9pt]

All due respect, Mearsheimer is mistaken when he says Russia had no interest in taking Kyiv. The leaked Russian plan, that the US broadcast publicly for months before the war, included taking Kyiv, on paper an easy task, only 60 miles from the Belarus border. And Russia tried, they got to Kyivs northern suburbs before being beaten back. Russia tried to secure Hostomel airport near Kyiv and had thousands of troops prepared to land there, to go into Kyiv & overthrow Zelensky, but Ukraine made Hostomel untenable. So I have no idea why any historia would claim Russia had no interest in taking Kyiv, when their 40 mile convoy was most of the way to (drumroll please) KYIV, before being annihilated. Did Putin just want to sacrifice thousands of troops and hundreds of armored vehicles just for show by reaching Kyiv's suburbs? What an absurd analysis from someone claiming to be an expert on Russia.

[@brightonboka3013]

Do you think if Russia want to take Kiev now Ukraine can stop them?

[@wbafc1231]

As the occupying power does Israel legally have a right of "self-defence"?

[@misha1144]

Yes, it does.

[@LisaD-yy4gq]

​@@misha1144No it does not according to international law.

[@josipag2185]

@@LisaD-yy4gq 😂😂😂 You don't even know that international law is, what ocuppier means in legal sense. You are obviously not ...bright

[@LisaD-yy4gq]

@@josipag2185 You're making no sense. Try again.

[@misha1144]

@@LisaD-yy4gq Will California USA have a "legal right" to defend itself from Mexican military seeking to liberate its ancestral terretories taken away by war action of 1848?

[@trogdortpennypacker6160]

It's odd that Mearsheimer gets a lot of criticism, but he just has a model of how the world works and tells people this is what will occur based on the model. It's like getting upset at trigonometry because you don't like the numbers it returns. He held these views on Ukraine/Russia relations and the dangers of NATO expansion for decades. Realism, it's blunt and a bit dark for some but that is the way it is.

[@jorgeandrade783]

The problem is he’s incorrect though. Nato isn’t the issue has never been and Russia didn’t attack because of Nato. There’s a lot of Russian scripture in regards to this war, and events prior such as Putin invading crimea and donbass 2014 that wasn’t Nato related it was Yanukovich ousting and Putin not wanting Ukraine to align itself with European Union so went forth and invaded Crimea then Donbass. Then 2021 Putin writes an essay Historical Unity between Ukraine and Russia where the thesis of the essay, is Ukraine is essentially a fake country and artificially created by the Soviet Union, Ukraine is historical Russian Lands and belongs to Russia, and Ukranians are one people with Russia, meaning that Ukranian isn’t a real identity and that Ukranians are actually Russians in denial. This is what Putin was saying in his essay. A year later he invades in 2022. And during the war, Putin literally showed his true colours with this “Peter the Great didn’t take anything. He returned what is ours. This is what we are doing in Ukraine” So if this war was really about Nato then why is he invoking Peter the Great a Russian tzar, and saying that it’s about “Returning land to Russia” so Meirsheimer has a very one dimensional view on this he ignores a lot of what Putin himself has said about Ukraine, such as it being a fake country, historical Russian land. “new idea for Ukraine has emerged from the North Atlantic Alliance office: Ukraine will be able to join NATO if it gives up the disputed territories. It does look like an interesting idea. The only problem is that all of - supposedly - their territories are highly disputable. And to enter the bloc, the Kiev authorities will have to give up even Kiev itself, the capital of Ancient Rus” “The NATO-Ukraine Council has been created. By way of reminder, in 2002 the NATO-Russia Council was established. How it all ended is well known. Now the Alliance and our country are on (or rather, beyond) the brink of war. This time, it’s going to end differently. The Council will cease to exist because one of the parties will disappear.” This right here. Dmitri Medvedev. Former Russia Prime minister, current deputy council second in Command, top ally to Putin. This is what’s coming out of the Kremlin. Denying Ukraine as a country, saying their territories are disputable and that Ukraine, Kyiv belongs to Russia and that “Ukraine will dissapear” So how can anyone deny this is not russian Imperialism at the core? Nato poses zero threat to Russia at all and never was going to attack Russia a country with thousands of Nukes. Blaming Nato is just lazy, and shows a lack of deep digging on this issue which is disappointing from such a smart man like Meirsheimer. Just because someone is a professor doesn’t mean they’re particularly knowledgeable on an issue or correct. Appeal to authority is a real thing. On this issue this guy is totally wrong

[@user-gy1pu3gq3d]

@@jorgeandrade783 What was the precipitating cause for taking Crimea in 2014 and invading the Donbass in 2022? You are reading wartime propaganda as if people are telling the full truth. Russia is a great power, and great powers want a sphere of influence and to secure themselves with respect to other great powers. Mearsheimer told us exactly what would happen in Ukraine (primrose path lecture) and then it happened. Why is his model capable of telling us what Russia is going to do?

[@jorgeandrade783]

@@user-gy1pu3gq3d The precise reason of 2014 was because Putin’s crony Yanukovich got ousted and he wasn’t happy with that. So he invaded Crimea and Donbass and again 2022. Ukraine wasn’t even close to joining nato in 2022, if you actually look at it, it’s not possible for countries to join nato while having territorial disputes. So Ukraine had no way to join Nato in 2022, and wasn’t anywhere close to. Bottom line Russia invaded Ukraine because it wanted to, believes Ukraine is historical Russian land and they’re proving it now. They’re taking territory, declaring Ukranian regions as Russian land. This is not what you do if you’re scared of Nato. This is what you do if you’ve always wanted to attack Ukraine and believe you have a right to invade countries. You say Meirsheimer predicted but Ukraine wasn’t even close to joining Nato anyways. It literally was impossible for Ukraine to join Nato while Russia was occupying Crimea and Donbass. And Russia was never going to give up those two regions anyway so Ukraine was never going to join Nato while Russia occupied Ukranian land. Also, Ukraine made a deal with Kozak, Putin’s aide before the invasion. They agreed to not join Nato. Putin invaded anyway. This has been reported by Reuters. So it was never about Nato its just an excuse. The Nato thing is propaganda too. You accuse war time propaganda while using the Nato scapegoat which is propaganda in itself

[@acktionjackson666]

​​@@jorgeandrade783Nice speech you wrote out there. I have a little problem with it though. Here's a quote from the NATO secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in September of this year. “President Putin declared in the autumn of 2021, and actually sent a draft treaty that they wanted NATO to sign, to promise no more NATO enlargement,” Stoltenberg told a joint committee meeting of the European Parliament on September 7. “That was what he sent us. And [that] was a pre-condition for not invade [sic] Ukraine. Of course we didn't sign that." You're either an absolute tool or a CIA/Ukro troll and there's no 3 ways about it!

[@richiesd1]

Mearsheimer has another theory and that is the security dilemma. You may say that what you do is defensive only; but it’s what the other side believes that matters. Was Cuba ever an existential threat to the USA? I don’t think so. Russia is entitled to its own Monroe doctrine.

[@wbafc1231]

I don't think that the US thought they could win the war. They thought that they could cripple Russia with their sanctions and prolong the war, thereby severely weakening Russia. This shows an absolute disdain for all the Ukrainians that have died in this senseless war.

[@DarrenJamiesonJamieson]

I'm counting beans here mate!

[@b1lyb]

You are correct. Sanctions were a serious threat to Russia, but they ended up back firing on especially Europe.

[@bighappygomateshwara8794]

You are right. If Ukraine bordered on the US, it would be a different story. It's astounding that the EU would allow this to happen on its doorstep. Ukraine is of no consequence to Europe other than it's wheat, women and as a buffer state.

[@RicardoIv]

@@bighappygomateshwara8794 Europe paying back for their Marshall plan. Marshall plan 2.0 incoming...

[@janjasiewicz9851]

@@bighappygomateshwara8794 You talking bullshit

[@Alok-fg8dd]

It’s nice to see mainstream media finally finally beginning to catch up with reality instead of just ceaselessly parroting the neocon propaganda.

[@samb2052]

Long overdue.

[@obriets]

Nice try, Ivan

[@gintasvilkelis2544]

Mearsheimer's "reality" is the 19th century. He's said so himself.

[@Alok-fg8dd]

@@gintasvilkelis2544 Actually, it's what I would call realpolitik, and it was pursued fairly successfully by the US in the post war period. Putin and China continue to pursue it to this very day, whilst we decided to followed the path of an "ethical" foreign policy, whose consequence so far has been multiple wars in the name of regime change, and millions of lives lost . Now the chickens are coming home to roost. The only regimes that need to change now are our own!

[@gintasvilkelis2544]

​@@Alok-fg8dd While I'm not saying that realpolitik is _completely_ irrelevant, the problem with Mearsheimer is that he's a _purist_ of this ideology, including believing that a bully must _always_ be given everything he demands - simply because a bully will be _more willing_ to use violence to get what he wants. This logic would have made a lot of sense if each country in the world were standing entirely alone and on their own when facing a military invasion by another country. But things like NATO _change_ that equation dramatically, because while Russia _could_ defeat the vast majority of European countries _individually,_ it's nowhere near powerful enough to defeat an alliance like NATO - which is precisely why Russia dislikes the growth of NATO so much: because "it takes off the menu" many of the intended future invasion targets. It's basically like a bank robber getting upset when seeing banks, that they were planning to rob, dramatically beefing up their security measures.

[@rafaelbaere1707]

Mainstream media allowing someone who speaks the truth to be interviewed? What is happening to the world?

[@harrymills2770]

The $pectator isn't exactly mainstream.

[@DarrenJamiesonJamieson]

I'm not a fan of Mary (Queen of Scots), myself!

[@pplr1]

Mearsheimer claimed Putin would not attack Ukraine. That hardly turned out to be "truth".

[@rafaelbaere1707]

He also claimed Russia was losing, he also claimed Russia wanted to conquer Kiev last year and so on. But in this interview he is more or less accurate.@@pplr1

[@Grace17893]

No we need to help Ukraine and keep going; its a war against sin here guys we fight for truth and not anything else; keep fighting and we fight at a low price right now; keep fighting and rely on Jesus amen

[@MrFuncti0n]

Mearscheimer has interesting and unconventional perspectives on the conflict that I greatly appreciate. I've learned a lot from his interviews. However, what strikes me as odd is his apparent position that the US/NATO are completely at fault for the invasion. Nothing works this way. It is never "one side good, other bad", and I've never seen him critical of Russia/Putin. He also somewhat dodges the interviewer's question at 7:30 about the intentions for Kiev and instead answers a slightly different question (Russia's intention vs. capabilities). For those of us who have good memory and were paying close attention in the month or so before the invasion, we recall Russia lying continuously and claiming "hysteria" with regard to invasion plans. They clearly tried to take Kiev and kill Zelensky early on and failed (remember all the assassins that Ukraine "eliminated"?). Putin was banking on Zelensky being a coward and NATO failing to show up, which all obviously backfired. It's also evident from watching Russian State TV that the public were mislead into thinking this would be a quick operation to dismantle a "Nazi regime" (and implicitly instate one of its own).

[@WilkinsMichael]

What you explain about the start of the war is very obvious so Prof. M’s denial of this reality makes the rest of his arguments hard to take at face value. The more you look at his ideas the less sense they make.

[@peterruf1462]

They tried to pressure the government for negotiations. That's why they were near Kiev. When they thought that negotiations were moving forward, they withdrew from Kiev. That was when ukrainian and russian delegations were talking in Istanbul. The fight for Kiev was never a large scale battle. There were some skirmishes to encircle it, the rest is media misrepresentation

[@WilkinsMichael]

@@peterruf1462 This is hilariously delusional. It was a huge extended battle that involved a lot of loss of life and material on both sides. Encircling a large city like Kiev is no small thing. They withdrew because they took heavy losses and couldn't achieve their goal of a quick Ukrainian collapse. If they thought an attack on the capital was simply some sort of negotiating tactic that in itself is morally and logically bankrupt.

[@peterruf1462]

@WilkinsMichael The timeline supports my reading of the situation. Especially with the Istanbul negotiations. Obviously, a military presence near the capital is coercion, but a peace deal back then would have left Ukraine in a better situation. They would have lost 2 oblasts but now they lost 4 and by the end of the war possibly up to 8. And couldn't have annexed them as easily. It would have been like abchasia and south ossetia. As for the battle of kiev, there were never pictures similar to mariupol bakhmut or any other large battle that happened during the war. If this was a big battle, there should have been visual evidence for that.

[@florianfritz3589]

@@peterruf1462 I believe Putin tought that Ukraine would simply surrender quickly and as such they tought they didnt need as large of a force

[@williamwyllie7072]

John Mearsheimer will never criticise Putin for war crimes.

[@robertoandreamadonna6025]

Crimes on the base of what law systems?

[@markrobinowitz8473]

@@robertoandreamadonna6025 Invading another country.

[@robertoandreamadonna6025]

@@markrobinowitz8473 what law systems? it was the ukranian army that invaded the people repubblic of doneskt

[@williamwyllie7072]

@@robertoandreamadonna6025 You have the democratic right to believe that both Hitler and Putin are perfect gentlemen if that is what you believe

[@williamwyllie7072]

@@robertoandreamadonna6025 Donetsk and Crimea are both legally and morally part of Ukraine not Russia.

[@Ruhel74]

Spectator featuring Mearsheimer is part of the slow conditioning of ppl to get used to a NATO defeat, tragically at expense of Ukraine.

[@timotheusvanesch3959]

playing the agenda of drumpty-dumpty in advance. you know, that loser that got indicted 4 times, with 91 charges. pretty appalling...

[@galahadthreepwood]

And with NATO discredited and humiliated, perhaps it can be disbanded as it serves no constructive purpose outside of serving the MIC

[@TheHighlanderprime]

Somewhere in your comment, the fact that Ukraine wants to remain independent from Putin’s Russia; and chose to fight to defend its autonomy. And the whole of Europe as in NATO didn’t force Ukraine to fight Russia; you also forgot that American offered Zelensky asylum and were willing to concede that Russia would take the whole of Ukraine. There are a lot of very ignorant and gullible people on this comment thread buying into the Mearsheimer BS.

[@Niall101a]

cool story bro

[@TheHighlanderprime]

FYI, NATO is not fighting Russia; Ukraine is … So what NATO defeat are you talking about?

[@pmays4]

Spectator needs to find someone better prepared than this poor interviewer, this was embarrassing for him.

[@barryyoung]

A bit harsh

[@waynegrow4141]

Yes, my sentiments too. Clueless.

[@joycejulep9115]

Aside from the misquote (which he immediately apologized for), I thought he did fine.

[@marclandreville6367]

I think that the questions he asks have to remain within the limits of keeping his job. Freedom of the press (editorial/publisher) does not equate journalistic freedom. He looks stupid sometimes, but that's what you have to do to earn a living.

[@ripplingeffect9339]

It wouldn't matter who's sent to represent the Spectator. The outcome will be the same. MSM got indoctrinated in their own narratives that they got to believe everything thrown at them by officialdom however absurd those narratives might be.

[@jeremyperala839]

This feller must have graduated from the Clown College of Journalism.

[@Coopersdad726]

This guy’s word games are quite transparent.

[@jamesmather7896]

How are they transparent?

[@WTF2BlueTiger]

@@jamesmather7896 If you had any sense in reading between the lines you can tell that he's just garbage at what he does. An obvious example is asking if mearsheimer would label his proponents as "hysterical", which would be such obvious clickbait which only an idiot would fall for (because if you could quote the great John Mearsheimer as calling people who label him as antisemitic as hysterical that would've been great at discrediting him). Another is the one many others caught up on, John Mearsheimer was literally discussing Israeli warcrimes, indiscrimininate targeting of civilians, forceful starvation and eviction of locals, and he goes "but what do you expect them to do?" Completely trying to move the goalpost and shift the discussion in a very uncharismatic way because he realized it was a dud.

[@laujack24]

surprise two years into this war they still giving him air time for his bullshit. lol

[@user-eh7qb7mk3p]

In many circumstances, some of, would say many, developed or some very big countries, especially those in the name of democracy and human rights, have done many bad things or don't do things as a very good example for others. A concrete example of this is the promotion of arms trade or defence industrial complex. Whenever the world is still overwhelmed too much with deadly weapons, the world will continue to face security threats, conflicts, war, etc. Establishing and expanding military allies/alliances is also a real threat to the world's peace and stability. NATO for example is dangerous. For other countries in other regions, they don't have such a kind of military establishment becoz they do know it doesn't bring any benefits for ALL, it only benefits for just only some big-headed, selfish people. Some of these people make money soaked with blood. Please stop making too many deadly weapons to kill people. Is this really for the sake of your own feeedom, democracy and human rights? I don't think so. War histories in the old days have taught us enough. Perhaps some of the developed should learn how to live together with some of the poor in order to help save the world's peace and the environment of this green planet. If we make too many deadly weapons, too many wars, not only people, but also our beautiful Earth will be destroyed bit by bit. Please don't do stupid things and please don't be selfish.

[@josipag2185]

Now, Russia have a NATO base and Ukraine doesn't. This liar knows it well. He also know that Latvia and Estonia are in NATO and that easiest was ti attack would be East Russia. But nobody in NATO ever wanted attack Russia. Now, he so brilliantly explained wjat Russians were doing in Kyiv, after he was deliberetly lying back that that Russia wouldn't attack (like it didn't Syria worse then Israel Gaza, for instance, or they are in Moldova and Georgia in waraphobic peace and hippie missions), they just wanted to taste contaminated woods ti find the cure for terminal radiation disease? Pathetic, amoral. O, and Israel is powerful I agrer hence can destroy Gaza in a day. And the West Bank and Hezbollah. Now if it is on genocidal mission (insult to any genocide survuvor as calling Israel apartheid too, where an Arab judge packed Israel president to jail, or for any WW2 partisan call the terrorist group like Hamas resistence movement) why then just isn't doing it and actually the population every year is growing?

[@phantomlord2550]

"Putin didn't want the war"... seriously? what are you talking about?!?

[@jaroslavzaruba2765]

RU has been trying to talk some sense into NATO for 2 decades. (Most recently 2 months before the invasion.) They got laughed at. Meanwhile USA has been funneling weapons to Ukraine for years, they boasted about it.

[@WTF2BlueTiger]

Seriously What are you talking about? He literally explained it in the freaking video? For years Russia tried and failed with the Minsk agreements that Ukraine kept breaking as it kept increasing its anti Russian laws, banning of political parties and increasing arms spending because it wanted to conquer back the breakaway regions? Russia showed back in like literally 2008 that NATO encroachment was unacceptable, you dont have to like it, no one really supports it, but why poke the bear? China isnt trying to build military bases in Mexico or Canada because it knows the US would sanction, disrupt and eventually invade those countries if it came down to it (And china and mexico are not so stupid as to let china build bases there either, Ukraine evidently was NOT so smart).

[@Tubeinnit]

Is he really that stupid or just a RuZZian propagandist??

[@Tubeinnit]

@@jaroslavzaruba2765 ok Vladdy 🤖 🤣🤣🤣

[@consonaadversapars]

@@jaroslavzaruba2765 Putin has no right to say what Ukraine should or shouldn't do. If Ukraine wants into NATO, it's their decision.

[@Toto8opus]

Now, let's be clear, for Justice, there is not much difference between someone who has committed a genocide or war crimes such as the ones in Gaza, for both are crimes against humanity, the worst of the worst.

[@garythomas4936]

Yes, of course.

[@baldersn4474]

Hope your including Hamas in this ?

[@Fernando-ox5mo]

​@@baldersn4474 Of course, but remember that Hamas is not a State, while Israel is, and an ostensibly democratic one at that.

[@marttimattila9561]

U.S. gain from this conflight has been maximised. Weapon sales has gone up a 1000%. Political influence has cone up. Finland and soon Sweden are NATO members. You cant fail if you are with masterminds like these. I cant say who here must figure out by your self.

[@nunoportmore]

People will believe what they want to believe, doesn't matter if you're a political scientist or a fishmonger. Mr. Mearsheimer has a "special" vision of Putin, that blatantly ignores all the conflicts Putin caused/supported in the past 20 years.

[@Tubeinnit]

Well said!!

[@graememoir3545]

War crime vs genocide? Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki?

[@kg6itc]

Both are genocide in my world.

[@sean5768]

All or nothing and post-hoc thinking, the enemies of history.

[@galahadthreepwood]

And the US is also responsible for Gaza

[@sean5768]

@@galahadthreepwood Yes Hamas and Likud have no role whatsoever. Brilliant analysis.

[@kg6itc]

@@galahadthreepwood Confirmed.

[@TheArdildo]

Ukraine have a manpower of 11 million men in fighting age

[@scorpio9420]

Really? Men in Fighting age are considered to be young men. At the moment they are sending old men and women to fight as their young guys perished.

[@doesntmatter123]

"If Ukraine hadn't selfishly tried to make independent decisions as a sovereign nation, this war would never have started!"

[@tezzy5584]

What was independent or sovereign in the overthrow of Ukraine's democratically elected government in 2014, and subsequent mass murder of people who did not agree with that?

[@doesntmatter123]

You mean the Ukrainians didn't want to have a president installed by the Kremlin, and they fought back until their "president" escaped to Moscow?@@tezzy5584

[@romanahowe67]

exactly, as though the Ukrainians had to stay forever under the Russian yoke just because the West are cowards.

[@irinooka]

Exactly! He's saying to the Ukrainians 'You live next to a great power, suck it up, bend to their will. No need to be sentimental about it and worry about right and wrong.' It was a surprise to me to see his position on the Israel-Gaza issue where he is rooting for the "underdog". Very contradictory

[@sunnex474]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@tezzy5584mass murder of people? You mean elimination of enemy soldiers?

[@brigitteschauble6311]

Two questions occur to me: 1. What was the reason the Jews were treated that bad in all European countries throughout centuries? 2. The problem with the US-Americans seems to be that “making money” has become so much their God. Not the normal working people but all that want to be successful and prosperous . To bribe and be bribed seems to be that usual to them as breathing. Their wird means nothing if tomorrow someone new bribed them with more money. They did so many wars and none of them was covered by common law, they bombed allies, they are so selfish ( do we have to spare out Israel? Or is Israel or more precise the Zionists or more precise the Zionists that run the FED , the master of USA ? Because they can money as they like and so they bought whom ever they wanted to get what they want. Might it be that the collapsing banking system is only a synonym for a banking system that prints money for their bankers and associates in an amount that the finance economy isn’t viable anymore?)

[@sean5768]

Conspiracy much? You answer your own questions with us/them thinking.

[@harrymills2770]

For centuries, Jews couldn't own property or run an ordinary business. The only avenue left to them was lending money, and they were enormously successful at it. Also, their hard work and success made them targets of resentment by less prudent/prosperous neighbors. Feckless leaders always saw them as a target of opportunity, with their wealth and their "foreign-ness" since the diaspora. Can't balance your budget? Blame the Jews and take their stuff. Much of what we don't like or suspect about Jewry is the product of the extraordinary lengths to which they (rightly) believe they have been driven to resoet. It's a cycle of pain being played out over centuries. With the whole world against them or threatening to turn on them, they've become experts at survival, but the means employed in desperation become your nemesis in peacetime.

[@paulkillinger5915]

Because they had a different religion and were often successful merchants. That combination always made them ready targets for the usual incompetent and grasping politicians.

[@josipag2185]

2.😂😂😂

[@fnaust]

Freddy should be educated by the brilliant prof Mersheimer but not holding my breath.

[@Tubeinnit]

Is that you Vladdy?? 🤖 🤣🤣🤣

[@kounnides]

At least the presenter could have wished in his closing for the wars to end.

[@RunPJs]

Because he had serious things to say. Not making childish wishes.

[@josipag2185]

@@RunPJs 😂😂 And why he didn't mention that NATO basis is already in Russia, on Volga? Why didn't he mentioned Putin himself told he was fine with Ukraine joining NATO in 2000s? Why didn't he mentioned where is Kalinigrad already? Why didn't he mentioned wht genocide Putin did to Syrians? Why didn't he mentioned what Putin is doing in Moldova and Georgia? Why didn't he explained what exactly Russian were doing in Kyiv, wgat testing what severity of radiation disease one can get? O, and he can yell as much as he wants, but he is amoral. And whole world sees it. This is why nobody will take him seriously or anything other then foreign agent.

[@WTF2BlueTiger]

@@RunPJs The presenter clearly didn't have shit to say, guy was embarrassing and I think so much less of whatever the hell this youtube channel is because of it. Trying to make Mearsheimer label people who call him antisemitic as "hysterical", he could have made it less obvious at least? Good thing he didn't fall for such 8th grader debate level bait.

[@user-hx4ok5xk1j]

He did say stop at georgia. He was being nice I hope he gets a chance to speak at the un clearly i was listening. I remember... he said stop... Decades ago just wants a trade route to the water ways ...

[@josipag2185]

Funny how there is on Volga, Russia a NATO base and 0 in Ukraine. Funny how JM didn't cry when his wharphobe hippie pal Putin was genociding Syrians.

[@j7m7f]

Yeah, sure. Hitler albo did not want a war. He just wanted Austria, then Czechia, then Gdańsk and a higway through Poland to Prussia... So, when Poland didnt agree to these last he just had no choice, right? This is exactly the case of Putin in Ukraine - he just wanted Crimea that USSR agreed will belong to Ukraine if it gives away postsoviet nuclear weapons, then he just wanted Lugansk and Donetsk, so he attacked UKR and took additionally big parts of southern Ukraine. This guy just is not seriuos saying that Putin did not want a war!

[@jaxel45]

From 11/15/23: ‘According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), significant reservoirs of oil and natural gas have been found off the Gaza Strip and elsewhere under the occupied West Bank.’ 🤔

[@ilyapolishuk5126]

No, are not significant. And just gas, without oil.

[@JamesBond-bb7bm]

Seems like you are forgetting something, Israel was attacked, many Israeli civilians were gunned down in cold blood, Israel was not attacking before this

[@Veritas419]

Conspiracy theory has entered the chat

[@ilyapolishuk5126]

@@Veritas419 How without it?

[@arnabtalukder5895]

North Korea has nothing to lose. But USA has every thing to lose.

[@proselytizingorthodoxpente8304]

I think you'll find the North Koreans don't consider the existence of North Korea to be 'nothing'

[@dragonflydroneservices1021]

Gratitude

[@thePrahoable]

Is it thet simple? War because of allegations that Ukraine would ever join NATO? The joining would have met a lot of resistance by many countries before the war. I think this isn't a viable and logical reason for this war.

[@Tonik-13]

At that time, there were already US and British military bases on the territory of Ukraine and new ones were being built. Military exercises of NATO countries with the participation of B 52 (nuclear weapon carrier) took place on the territory of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly threatened to use the so-called dirty bomb on Russian territory. Zelensky himself announced plans to create nuclear weapons at a security conference in Munich, and representatives of the countries that signed the agreement on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons applauded Zelensky's statement. But this is one of the reasons. Ukraine refused to fulfill its peace obligations and continued to terrorize and kill ethnic Russians...

[@user-wm5rt9pw5l]

@@Tonik-13 Oh hi, are you writing your nonsense here too? "Ukrainian officials have repeatedly threatened to use the so-called dirty bomb" this literally never happened. "elensky himself announced plans to create nuclear weapons" this literally never happened. "Ukraine refused to fulfill its peace obligations and continued to terrorize and kill ethnic Russians..." and this literally never happened either.

[@vassilok]

Let’s face it, Mearsheimer is considered controversial because he tells the truth.

[@ilnigromante666]

Go tell that to war crazed westerners who haven't learned fuck o from the last twenty three years of History.

[@dimashevchenkoua]

He doesn't tell the truth

[@djanitatiana]

His first sentence was a lie. Support for Ukraine amongst Americans increased in the last month, most notably in a Fox News poll, of all places, where it increased by 10%. Which Meirsheimer fully knows but chooses to disseminate disinformation instead, for obvious reasons.

[@pravak6745]

He is a liar and an apologist for genocide. Other than that he is a great person.

[@ekesandras1481]

Let’s face it, Mearsheimer is considered controversial because he is telling lies.

[@DajeilGelian]

BREAKING: Dec 18th 2023 WSJ named the Russian president “geopolitical winner of the year”

[@jandlouhy6914]

They learn from history ,like Hamburg,Dresden...

[@barrybarry5305]

True. Just like north Vietnam could never endure the US military

[@williamrappaport9203]

“Putin didn’t want the war.” Up is down.

[@Habik87_29]

Up is down in western propaganda. In 1962 USA almost started nuclear war because of cuba placed USSR missiles on it's territory. Did USA wanted nuclear war then?

[@yogig6271]

John's insight, knowledge of geopolitical affairs are the best on independent media, his lecture on Ukraine back in 2016 was prophetic... Level headed and precise....well done spectator for a great choice of informed discussion

[@bma1955alimarber]

He was not alone.. Zbegniew Brizinski also forecast the Ukrainian crisis

[@josipag2185]

He literally lied that Putin wouldn't attack Kyiv in 2022. Also, Russia invaded Ukraine 2 years prior 2016.

[@CbI4]

You're a bit mistaking. Besides Crimea Russia already recognised LNR and DNR republics in the East of Ukraine right before 24 feb. And furtermore, it did that in administrative borders of Lugansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, not by de facto demarcation line, referred to in Minsk agreements.

[@jaroslavzaruba2765]

And RU turned down the request of LNR+DNR to re-join RU back in 2015.

[@beehead5661]

Much better to be allowed to take what you want than have to fight a war for it.

[@jasondelvaux3036]

What Mearsheimer says is only "controversial" if you happen to not know any facts of the case. If you can grasp some basic objective truths surrounding the subject, Mearsheimer's words are simply informative & insightful. Controversy doesn't enter into it.

[@PyeHillFarm]

If you are going to post publicly, then please at least write full sentences in English and avoid splitting infinitives ! same goes for the third post here - very poor!

[@vespass225]

I fully agree. It is not controversial given entire hisorical context.

[@robbas_krk1510]

@@PyeHillFarm Russian trolls and bots are still not good enough at English.

[@PyeHillFarm]

lol @@robbas_krk1510

[@DarrenJamiesonJamieson]

I'm not a troll, and I started it, because of what creating The Ukraine did to my niece. What of it?

[@RK-fr4qf]

"You're quite right, I misquoted you" ? How does that even happen?

[@Kraterlandschaft]

The reporter mistook the words of someone else as his.

[@rhysellis928]

Yeah, I thought that. I suspect there is a little bit of journalistic underhandedness going on there. Trying maybe to get Mr Mearsheimer to admit through a slight of hand comment that the Israeli government are committing "genocide". He didn't fall for it thankfully.

[@sshender3773]

I am struggling to think of a public intellectual whose analysis is so astonishingly wrong yet is heralded as being gospel by so many clueless and ideologically motivated people.

[@henryterranauta9100]

12:45 israeli sabras is the ruling generation nowadays; the same way current US Jewish generation is against Israel. Moreover IDF faces Gazans who are its enemies and support jihadist Hamas in power.

[@BWong1234]

Is true that the US and UK really led Ukraine to its present disastrous state.

[@KremBananTV]

Yes

[@TimMountjoy-zy2fd]

Of course its not true. There was ZERO chance of peace in Turkey as if Putin would be giving up land. There are a whole bunch of Putin apologists here who blame anyone except the person who started the war which is Putin.

[@AlexCats]

Yup. Indian mainstream media covered it well at the time (negotiations in Istanbul). Both the U.S. and UK also backed the violent overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically elected government in 2014. Ukraine has always been a badly divided country (Google image election results before 2014), however, people tolerated each other up until the government was overthrown. It was the catalyst for this war. Crimea was annexed afterwards, there were talks about Sevastopol being a NATO base by U.S. military officials. This Naval base had been Russian since the 1700s. They had a leasing agreement with Ukraine after 1991.

[@georgewade4656]

@@AlexCats Not true, president was removed by a vote in parliament after ordering the shooting of protesters

[@jamesvalpuesta]

Yes & Double Yes. Seen it in person.

[@michaelremenyi9014]

Mearsheimer is a brilliant mind, with highly developed knowledge of history and huge experience in world affairs. Interviewers with simplistic viewpoints can try everything to disparage or cast doubts. It would be better to listen to him and learn.

[@lanadellhatestheclock3325]

To add: Mearsheimer is a graduate of West Point. He understands war history VERY well

[@JoeMisseri]

Really enjoying this jazzy tune to get me in the mood for the #QueersForPalestine and Ukraine wars discussion😂🤣

[@difference505]

Is someone still listening to Mearsheimer? It's like listening to Putin. Let's do something else.

[@wbiro]

Of course not, he wanted to conquer Ukraine without a fight.

[@robertoandreamadonna6025]

Russia is just defending herself against NATO criminal expansionism.

[@pavelrott311]

No, they wanted to a settlement. No one wants that dysfunctional corrupt territory. It would have fallen in 2015 but then Russia stayed as clear of it as it possibly could.

[@sukhmanicambridge]

Exactly ​@@pavelrott311

[@blankslate6393]

John Mearsheimer is admirably realistic, fair, calm and refined in his assertions. Virtues which are increasilgly rare in political discourse everywhere. That's what makes him a towering figure in IR academia. Always enjoy and learn listening to him.

[@WilkinsMichael]

Really? I find the more I listen to him the less he makes sense. His arguments often don't even have internal logic and also often contradict his own views on other conflicts. When confronted with contradictions in his own arguments he just dismisses them and if pressed gets pissy and never answers. Not sure why he is such a big deal, he seems to be a very poor thinker.

[@redwithblackstripes]

@@WilkinsMichaelthe best thinkers generally are to busy thinking writing or teaching to be on tv.

[@Leo-ie3eb]

Poor thinker? Mearsheimer predicted a Russian military reaction already 2016 if the West would continue to push Ukraine into NATO. Not only him. The US ambassador in Moscow at the time wrote a memorandum to Washington stating the same perception. Nobody cared about it, might makes right. I often wonder why good arguments do not reach the brains of listeners. What must not be, cannot be.

[@georgestkhoo7339]

Nobody wants a war but people get a war through various circumstances

[@bavros1998]

As for Germany, there is no way to ever openly criticize Israel without being immediately reminded of the holocaust.

[@11JTmc]

Finally, some reality bursting the British media bubble on foreign affairs

[@HectorGonzalez-fz6ws]

Mearshimer misses the point Ukraine gets to decide what it wants not Putin or any other Ruzzian leader.

[@fabsadami]

Does that apply to countries the West-US/UK bomb to hell? I’m just curious. I mean…do we really need to list the countries we’ve interfered in? Or is it just “our wars are good, theirs are bad?” Do you know what the Monroe Doctrine is?

[@jaroslavzaruba2765]

It is you who is missing the point.

[@consonaadversapars]

He's missing all the points.

[@pkh2201]

Top. Thank you

[@terencewinters2154]

Of course he wanted the war or he wouldn't have struck first.

[@herbertvanlynden6629]

That's exactly what I've been saying. Russia - not just Putin - wants economic development, which means good trade relations with the West, especially Germany, and no military threats at its borders.

[@michaelyeiser1565]

Russia has many military threats at its borders. Take the trouble to look at a map for yourself. What do you see?

[@Thanatos1982a]

Ukraine never threatened Russia in any way. Quite the opposite - it was Russia that invaded and annexed Crimea and started and fed "civil war at Donbas" with its money, weapons and troops. Shouldn't it be then Ukrainians who have right to feel threatened by Russia and not the other way around?

[@user-xo1ov2bb9z]

@@Thanatos1982a Ukraine never threatened Russia in first years after 1991. They working together in Crimea, having Black Sea fleet together. Ukraine start threating Russia only after USA start involved into that. It's have nothing about what Russia want, Ukraine just used as weapon against Russia and USA want to turn people in Russia and Ukraine as mortal enemies.

[@tufsoft1]

The first general secretary of NATO said the purpose of NATO was to keep American in, Russia out and Germany down.

[@bramblebop1904]

OK komrade.

[@roncarlin3209]

09:00 Maybe we have to return to the first genocide in history that occurred in concentration camps (an invention of the British). In the early 1900s, 27, 000 Boer women and children (out of 107,000) died of disease and starvation (25%). Let's hope that is not a portent of things to come.

[@Boba899]

Yeah, and the British puritans still live peacefully with the prosperous native tens of millions of people in North America that met them with turkeys.

[@henryt4695]

Oh, he definitely wanted it. Why is this realist so unrealistic?

[@user-fl7yz7ng4e]

God listening to them, it's like they are in the pays of Russia and dont't know what war is about.

[@whycantiremainanonymous8091]

12:12 - 12:40: I think Mearsheimer is not aware of how the Holocaust is being processed in the Israeli educational system and media discourse. The late Israeli journalist, politician, and activist Uri Avneri once made this point very clearly (in an article in his journal, HaOlam HaZe, published all the way back in May 1988): There are two lessons we, Jews, could have learned from the Holocaust. The first is universal: that such deeds as committed by the Nazis should be prevented, whoever perpetrates them, no matter against whom. The second is particularist: that we, Jews, have to be strong and ruthless, so that such crimes cannot be committed against _us_ (and, as a very natural extension of this, that we, Israelis, have the right and the duty to become the strongmen, to be like the Germans of yore). Avneri claimed, and, having lived in Israel since early childhood, I can confirm, that it is the latter, not the former, lesson that the Israeli education system is trying to inculcate into children's mind, and from _very_ early on. We have been taught, already in kindergarten, that our history is a story of endless persecution against Jews, in which the Holocaust is but one phase of many, and that "the Arabs" are the current instantiation of the same primordial anti-Semitic spirit that was embodied the Pharaoh of the Book of Exodus, the Persians of the Book of Esther, and, of course, the Germans of the mid-20th century. We are also taught that we are protected from this metaphysical evil by God and by the might of the IDF. So, with this in mind, it is not at all surprising that Israeli officials say what they are saying. They are merely stating what most of their compatriots think is obvious. I've heard neighbours say explicitly that they believe Israel should "do to them [Palestinians] what the Germans tried to do to us"; I've heard teenagers eagerly demand "a final solution for _all_ the Arabs". All that long preceded the current round of warfare. We, Israelis, have been brought up to view all Arabs, and Palestinians in particular, as anti-Semitic villains from birth, who deserve to die, and who should be forever thankful for our mercy if they can eke out any sort of existence under our boot. And if any doubts about this axiom creep into the Israeli mind, acts of resistance by Palestinians (especially if they're violent) can easily erase it, and reset the Israeli psyche to its default mode.

[@wiktorpoliszczuk1372]

Putin didn't want the war' 😂🤣😅😁

[@jaroslavzaruba2765]

In December 2021 Russia initiated talks with NATO about RU's security concerns. Then in January 2022 there was another round of talks. RU got laughed at. Meanwhile USA was funneling weapons to Ukraine.

[@Andy-pu1gx]

What is with my concern. I live close to Kaliningrad. In this small piece of land in middle of Europe is one of the biggest Russian military base with atomic weapons. All the people know from the past, to live under Russia control. What Russian security guarantees means you can ask Ukraine, if they give away their atomic weapons?

[@jaroslavzaruba2765]

@@Andy-pu1gx Yes, ignore the coup, ignore NATO pushing against Russia. You are an imb\ecile.

[@limestonecrafter9044]

This guy is so delusional 😂 "putin didn't want war" 🙄 sure, if Ukriane peacefully surrendered. Ukraine wanted to join NATO for same reason Finland and Sweden wanted join NATO. Long story short, Russia has 11 times zones , it didn't get this big by being peaceful country

[@wilhelmvonlaer5699]

"Nononononono, I'm not talking about genocide, just about ethnic cleansing" what a politician ffs

[@audronekeruliene9561]

💯👍👍👍✍

[@justgivemethetruth]

Israelis are not committing genocide - but with the never-ending utter hate from Palestinians - that has been there since the beginning - and even before - it would be hard to blame them since the Pals are dedicated to Israel genocide in their Constitution. I think the Israelis believe that the only way they can resolve this and live in peace is to push the Palestinians into Egypt, Jordan, and maybe Iraq - but the ideal place would be that panhandle of Jordan which is far removed from Israel. I don't blame them for thinking that way, if they do. I do think it would allow both groups to cool off and get along with their lives.

[@jimbocho660]

Lmao!

[@sircharlesnot]

12:02 yes that is precisely the argument!!!

[@dragonade85]

Where to start? First, Russia guaranteed Ukraine's border in the Budapest Agreement, and incidentally, agreed that it had every right to join NATO if it so wished. Yeltsin admitted Russia would not be happy, but acknowledged that Ukraine could do it. As it was, there was very little appetite within Ukraine to join NATO. The organisation Ukrainians wanted to join was the EU, and it was the issue of EU membership - not NATO - that sparked the Maidan protests and the fall of Yanukovych from power. Putin has made it abundantly clear that he does not regard Ukraine as having any right to be a separate state, that it should at the very least remain as a kind of satellite of Moscow. His 2021 essay denied the existence of a separate Ukrainian identity, something that Russia is now trying to erase in its textbooks at home and in the occupied areas in Ukraine. Numerous Russian politicians and media commentators have followed this line, some even expressing openly that Ukraine is really Russia, and therefore an internal matter. The language in that essay was also instructive. It described areas that were 'rightfully Russian' being forcibly taken from other countries; in other words it claimed that Russian imperialism was legitimate and just. Russian politicians have also suggested that countries that were once part of the Russian/Soviet empire should also be reincorporated into Russia again, by force if necessary. Kazakhstan has faced Russian accusations of neo-Nazi tendencies since 2020, largely because it has been trying to promote the Kazakh language over Russian. These points seem to be ignored by Dr Mearsheimer. As for the "Putin didn't want a war", it does appear to have escaped Dr Measheimer's notice that Putin invaded Ukraine twice. First in 2014, in Crimea and Donetsk, and then in 2022. It is also worth noting that Putin's idea of negotiation is that Ukraine accede to all Russian demands. That is not negotiation, it is dictating terms. One has to conclude that Dr Mearsheimer is little more than a mouthpiece for Russian propaganda. One wonders what his excuses for Russia will be if it attacks Kazakhstan, the Baltic States or Finland.

[@proselytizingorthodoxpente8304]

Very well put.

[@johnmorrison1050]

And your a mouthpiece for ukraine😂

[@dragonade85]

@@johnmorrison1050Ukraine is the victim of foreign aggression. It deserves support. And I do not have the high profile academic position that Dr Mearsheimer does, so saying I'm a mouthpiece for Ukraine doesn't really ring true, does it? Unless of course you're a supporter of invasions with stated genocidal intent. And it's "you're" not "your".

[@bartsimpson955]

Meirsheimer would have been bossom buddies with Neville Chamberlain.

[@consonaadversapars]

Yea, what a load of nonsense he's spewing.

[@oliveryt7168]

That's why it was called a "Special Military Operation"... if it was a war from the start, there wouldnt be only 200k troops. Like that man explained, Russia would have needed a much larger army to conquer Ukraine.

[@WilkinsMichael]

Riiiight, they could win any time, they just don't feel like it, they just want to stretch the war out for years for no reason. Good thinking olivery7168.

[@kelstad]

How is that different for the west? - The western alliance is pushing for this conflict for the last 16 years (since Bucharest Summit in 2008) and you think they'll end here and now? - Riiiight.

[@jonathanrichter4256]

Sorry, John, but the Jewish v. Arab population of the 1967 borders is not 50/50. Those numbers would have to include the West Bank and Gaza, neither of which were part of Israel prior to 1967. Within the borders of Israel the breakdown is about 75/25 Jewish/Arab.

[@belomolnar2128]

I am interesting in “Why the Leaders do not know” the real Truth about “Killers from Blood” ?

[@alst4817]

I think John is right on Gaza wrong on Ukraine John seems to overestimate the power of the United States in this case. In fact he said himself that nationalism is a very powerful force in international relations, and seems a better explanation of Israel Palestine and Russia Ukraine compared to his Realism explanation

[@Dreamvention]

Putin wanted to take Ukraine like he took Crimea. He didn’t want to use his army. But saying he didn’t want a war is saying the thief didn’t want to fight the police. Stop with these lies.

[@vitaminc6721]

He didn't want Ukraine. He wanted Crimea. Ukraine wouldn't let go of Crimea. The West didn't recognize Crimea as a part of Russia either. Mr. P had only one instrument in his arsenal and it was a hammer. It didn't work. But the only thing that he wanted was Crimea. And no NATO.

[@vitaminc6721]

to get that, it’s enough to read the peace agreement they signed in March 2022

[@vitaminc6721]

YT hid the first commnt, so the second one makes no sense.

[@georgiinazarenko5490]

This specialist doesn't understand that Putin believed that eastern Ukraine would welcome the Russian army. That is why he thought that a small army would be enough. Comparison with Poland in 1939 is not relevant here.

[@LorenzoGabutti]

He says that the Israelis aren't "pursuing a genocide" but that they have "genocidal intent". What's the difference? 🤔

[@lembergnative7731]

Deeply heartened by the comments on here. Bravo to The Spectator audience: smart, informed, logical, not easily swayed. 👏

[@fellowcitizen]

Eh? Most of the comments now are from people who've clearly bought all of the BBC's Russophobic and anti-democratic propaganda

[@marions7423]

smirking what he wasn't watching russian tv for last 20 yars . what they were saying us will fight with russia till last ukainian. why say that if they didn't want the war why invade try coup. or he means putin wanted to exterminate ukrainian elites and install some kidn of bloody north korea regime then yes he didn't want war he wanted gulag without war.

[@nikolaikrustev1159]

Sure 'smart, informed, logical, not easily swayed' - I doubt that you have similar compliments for those not toeing the botoxed murderer line..

[@anotherbrickinthewall1169]

@@nikolaikrustev1159it doesn’t take a genius to see Israel for it for what it is, that includes the collective west

[@nikolaikrustev1159]

​@@anotherbrickinthewall1169 For what it is, Israel is a thousand times preferable to what Hamas is and by association the Palestinians who have chosen it to represent them and against which not a single prominent one of them dares to speak. That compared to the Russian Mordor against which are ALL decent Russians - same who this grinning and senile Grampa is happy to throw under the bus together with the Ukrainians. Utterly revolting!

[@sukhmanicambridge]

This professor is brilliant. His knowledge amd communication are crystal clear and deep.

[@global.citizens]

He declared russia is a warrior bear that will go to war, now he changed his mind😂😂😂

[@audreyrose825]

He’s a very good propagandist working for Putin 😂

[@dro355]

Meirheimer has been WRONG about everything since 2014 lol

[@rh7018]

Mearsheimer is a charlatan, he pretends to be an expert of russian way of thinking, while he does not even understand or read russian... clown!

[@panpanpanpan4631]

He is wrong in everything he said since 2021.

[@kelseystrate2035]

Two genetically similar populations think that they need to retain their cultural and genetic distinctiveness.

[@simonsmatthew]

The question about the attack on Kiev. Just to continue with what Mearsheimer pointed out. Putin would have known better than anyone what would have been required to invade and then occupy a country the size of Ukraine. He lived through the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a key event in bringing down the USSR. It was tactical. Rather like the drone attacks by Ukraine on the Kremlin. Similarly they secured nuclear plants sites throughout Ukraine early on. But none of this was part of a strategy to permanently occupy the whole country. To understand the real reasons for the Ukrainian invasion of 2022 (which followed a war that had been continuing since 2014) we need to understand Russia's security concerns. The human rights again abuses ethnic Russians in the Donetsk was also the pretext for the invasion, but not the actual reason. Again the reason were Russian security concerns about NATO expansion into Ukraine.

[@WilkinsMichael]

If that was the reason it was and is an abject failure. Sweden and Finland joined, the whole alliance's raison d'être confirmed, fears of the Eastern European countries confirmed, Russia mostly cut off from the west, internal strife, soldiers and equipment lost, and hatred from Ukrainians for generations.

[@vilnisvaivars5237]

Why he is such Russian friend? Need look for russian money!!

[@hansu7474]

A lot of cognitive dissonance in the reply.. of course you guys cannot take an ounce of truth. Look at all the objections in the reply. Just mere emotional and sentimental rejection. No logical arguments at all. It just shows how much propaganda effort have gone into these people.

[@douglasdarby7123]

How many sailors died in the Pacific? The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Casualties The U.S. Navy lost 31,157 killed in action out of a total of 62,858 combat casualties in the Pacific, By the end of the war, the Imperial Japanese Navy had lost 334 warships and 300,386 officers and men. As for a future war in Asia. The Communist Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy is 380,000 active personnel 780+ ships 712 aircraft. The problem is that the current US Navy wiping out the current Chinese Navy in conventional battles regardless of Airforces and Missile Forces and Space Forces does not preclude Communist China rebuilding very quickly even if they take 10 times the casualties. The human casualties in Ukraine are on a greater scale than the critical Pacific naval battles. Mearsheimers point about a Russian war in Europe hsving larger deaths in scale than the Pacific of World War Two or World War Three or Four is actually a reason to avert a war in Europe against the NATO countries by giving more support to Ukraine. His mindless suggestion that Russia will ever be an ally of the USA is as pathetic that Communist China was ever an ally of the USA. In what way does he think Communist China was defending NATO in Europe during the Cold War? How is Russia supposed to help the USA and East Asia against Communist China in conventional naval battles? Zero. The Meirsheimer hypothesis of ever getting out of NATO and not increasing the minimal support to Ukraine is not logical. The scale of war in Europe in World War 2 and through the Cold War was of course larger in scale. The increased industrialisation of most Asian Tigers since the Cold War hasn't actually been visualised by Meirsheimer. The consequences of a war in modern Asia are very bad and worse than what Meirsheimer falsely presumes as MUCH SMALLER and all the more reason to support Ukraine. Meirsheimer has found Asia as an excuse to support Putin and oppose Ukraine because Meirsheimer has discovered an eccentric illogical position that he can make his own in opposition to the current Democrat government only because he and Bernie are rejected and unwanted by the Biden Administration. It's a sad case of bitter grapes totally consistent with the entire Bernie Sanders faction within the Democrats. Everyone should have compassion for both of them but given their lack of compassion for Ukraine and Europe and total disregard for the truth it's very hard to have compassion for Bernie Sanders and John Mearsheimer. The problem that he is not genuinely interested in US National interests or actually averting conflicts and war and horror and suffering might change but until John Mearsheimer ever accepts that he might ever have been wrong or might ever be wrong is probably never going to happen.

[@henryterranauta9100]

13:53 mearsheimer asks and answers his own doubts