Examining Putin: his logic, mistakes, and hope for Ukraine

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

GZERO Media

News, News Commentary, Global Economy, Gzero World, Geopolitics, Trump, Foreign Policy, Politics, International Relations, Government, Ian Bremmer

4.7 • 830 Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2022

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Not much has gone right for Vladimir Putin since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. Ian Bremmer speaks to political scientist and author Ivan Krastev, who believes Putin has the autocrat's curse: his back is against the wall because he can't be perceived as weak. Krastev unpacks many of Putin's problems, including his expectations about the "special operation" and how badly he misread Ukrainians. Why did Putin miscalculate so deeply? Krastev offers three explanations: Putin never accepted that the Soviet Union collapsed because communism did; he thought the West was in such decline that he'd get away with the invasion; and a sense that time is running out, because the 70-year-old Putin wants to fix all of Russia's problems in his lifetime. But how does the Russian leader feel about the war so far? Krastev believes he's definitely not happy with what's going on, but views himself as fighting a longer and more consequential battle with the West. Krastev, who is known for his recent book, "After Europe," also talks about Putin's fears about Russia's future and its shrinking demographics, noting that no one in Russia is even allowed to discuss "life after Putin."

Transcript

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0:00.0	While the Soviet leaders wanted their mummified bodies to be put in the mausoleum,
0:05.5	I do believe that Putin succeeded to mummify the body of Russia itself.
0:11.9	Hello and welcome to the GZero World podcast.
0:15.9	This is where you'll find extended versions of my interviews on public television.
0:19.8	I'm Ian Bremmer, and today we look at Vladimir Putin's military campaign in Ukraine after two
0:26.3	months of bloodshed.
0:28.0	Where does the conflict go from here and how much more human tragedy is on the horizon
0:33.5	before peace can possibly be realized?
0:36.9	This week, I speak with political scientists and renowned Russia expert, Ivan Krastev.
0:43.0	He's written extensively about the state of play in Ukraine.
0:47.1	Let's do this.
1:00.0	The GZero World podcast is brought to you by our founding sponsor, First Republic. First Republic, a private bank and wealth management company, understands the value of service,
1:06.0	safety, and stability in today's uncertain world. Visit firstrepublic.com to learn more. G0 World would also
1:14.4	like to share a message from our friends at foreign policy. Challenge yourself to change the world.
1:20.8	On season three of course correction, a podcast from Doha Debates in partnership with the UNHCR Refugee Agency, host Nellifer
1:29.9	Hedayette takes listeners on the journey of a refugee. From the moment of displacement to mental
1:36.1	health risks, to integration and assimilation, learn about the issues affecting displaced persons
1:42.4	around the world and what you can do to solve them.
1:46.5	Follow and listen to course correction wherever you get your podcasts.
2:00.1	Yvonne Krastev, welcome to GZER World.
2:03.2	Thank you very much for inviting.
2:05.2	I want to start with the obvious question, because from my perspective, I look at what we've seen over the last couple of months,
	...

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