War in Ukraine is the fault of US and NATO | John Mearsheimer and Lex Fridman 

Full podcast episode: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-r4wLXNydzeY.html Lex Fridman podcast channel: ru-vid.com Guest bio: John Mearsheimer is an international relations scholar at University of Chicago. He is one of the most influential and controversial thinkers in the world on the topics of war and power.

What Mearsheimer forgets about the Cuban missile crisis is that it was a response to the US placing nukes in Turkey. The US expects that it should be allowed to do what other countries arent allowed to do. Hypocrisy is central to its foreign policy

“Americans are not that good at putting themselves in the shoes of other countries.” Well said. I love the USA but all of us lack this perspective to some degree.

Lex and his belief in individual leaders 🤣 Only "individual leader" I can think of is Stanislov Petrov 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Hard to take seriously explanations that don't consider the oil discoveries in East-Ukraine and Crimea ocean area.

Once someone lies to you you don’t allow them to lie to you again!

Lex: “my palms are sweaty, this is terrifying” John: “yeah” continues on without skipping a beat😂

Finland Knows. Interview the Finish.

I like Lex Fridman, but he is way too nice to give any pushback, when needed. Here is where Mearsheimer is wrong, in my opinion, about Russia, Putin and the world: 1) His theory sees the world way too simplistically, as from a point in the sky, looking down on the world. His books talks about countries as 'billiard' balls on a table, bumping into eachother. 2) His theory implies, and he says it, that large countries will and should act aggressively no matter who is in charge. Not true. The personality of the regime or person in charge absolutely matters. Look at Hitler vs any other German leader after him. It matters that Putin is in charge, not Gorbachev. It matters if Trump, Bush or Carter is in charge. It absolutely matters. 3) Mearsheimer says that Putin had no intention to take over part of, or the whole of, Ukraine, and he dissolves Russia of any responsibility. Well, everything points to the opposite: Russian literally surrounded Kyiv, tried to take it over, destroyed whole cities with 100000+ inhabitants, bombed Lviv, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Mariopol, aggressively marched towards Odessa. Putin stood on a stadium stage, triumphantly telling the world how he is taking back Russias historical territory and that annexed Kherson, Zaporitzia, Donetsk and Luhansk will now be Russia forever. It is clearly an imperialistic war. In those territories a 'Russofication' process was rolled out, with a new pro-russian school curriculum, 10s of thousand tortured or 'dissappeared', 100s of thousand of children moved to Russia. 4) Putin has said in essays that Ukraine is not a “real” country, not a real people, not a real language, but part of Russia, and has compared himself to imperialist Peter the Great. But Mearsheimer weirdly and stubbornly refuses to believe that his actions are motivated by imperialism. 5) Mearsheimer is willfully ignorant of how Russian propaganda works. If Russia's spokesperson says that Russia is willing to negotiate (but the West is stopping them), and at the same time Russia is aggressively pushing forward all over the war-front, well, maybe draw the conclusion that you shouldn't take everything that Russia says at face value. Propaganda is a weapon. 6) Mearsheimer lies on purpose on numbers, to back up his theories. For example, he has repeatedly said that Ukraine has lost 2 or 3 times as many soldiers as Russia. This is demonstrably wrong. Any independent war expert will tell you that Russia has lost many more men, due to being on constantly on the offensive, and using human wave attacks etc. Sorry, Mearsheimer, not good enough.

5:41 The Soviets did this after America put missiles in Turkey.

It is about sticking to agreements. Naive to think words and promises once broken can be resorted to. Idiotic even

How can he trust that what one president promises, the next one will renage on?

I think Lex believes the US can still be trusted.

Thank you for the honesty and transparency, it's a pity that the leaders involved refuse to see things this way and act accordingly and save alot of unnecessary wars and killings but maybe one day when the people speak up and say no more.

A tremendous discussion. Imagine what it must be like for normal, good American people to realise they’re NOT the “good guys”… One correction though is that Ukraine never owned nuclear weapons. The soviet warheads they housed for a few years were always under Moscow’s operational control.

MEARSHEIMER IS BRILLIANT ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT IN THIS VIDEO!!!!! ❤

I’m from Lithuania, NATO, European Union gave us prosperity, security, freedom to live and thrive! We can apply this to all Baltic states. When someone comments that NATO forced their way in our country, their wrong! We were happy to get their support!

Imagine how many Americans have no idea of what’s going on unless it’s told to them by instagram or the tv

I love this interview. Thank you sir.

One of the first things I watched was Putin's speech on why he invaded. He DID NOT say, it is unacceptable that NATO's expands, he said something about Nazis in Ukraine and about protecting Russian citizens in the Donbass. So how is it, that this professor now says, well obviously it was becouse of NATO Expansion. Why didn't Putin tell me in his speech that I could see?

i dont understand how so many intelligent people cannot take real history into the situation and see

lmao lex you gotta mature past the "hope" and "human nature" angles, its dragging not only your analysis (which is not important relevant to the guests imo) but also the depth of conversations you can have significantly.

Listeners, if you go back a couple of years Mr. Mearsheimer was singing different TUNES.

Regarding Ukrainian nuclear weapons, is it not the case that those nuclear weapons in Ukraine were actually Soviet nuclear weapons and that the newly independent Ukrainian government did not possess the launch codes for those weapons?

We ignore the fallout of Nord Stream II Sabotage relative to this Ukraine Conflict

Putin did say he will use nuclear weapons if the front line brakes

We have not had Statesmanship but political leaders with no or very limited vision in charge of the destiny of nations which will continue to make a peaceful world impossible.

Perhaps if the Russians hadn't treated every country in the Warsaw pact like shit they may have not rushed to join NATO after the collapse of the Soviet Union to prevent it happening again. Perhaps this isn't NATO expansion but countries securing their future free from a previous authoritarian master.

Truth : Russia has no intention of blowing up the remnants of Telstar.

I used to study John M work at university and I’m glad he continued to be unspoilt and unbiased in the world where people are as blind as moles in the bright sunlight. It’s naive to think, Lex, that personalities will save the day as the next president can cancel all. The system is always stronger than one man.

Have you noticed comment section being different than usual on certain political videos?

(English is a foreign language to me but I refuse to use translate) The theory of the great filter in the closing arguement has been on my mind since 2022. And it makes sense that we're unable to locate and communicate with other sentient beeings. If life can arise of molecules that are not carbon-based, its biosphere would differ to ours in mass/size because of the distribution of binding forces, their perception of time and their senses. This means that we can only contact carbon-based life forms. We're searching for a planet with similar conditions to earth, where single-celled organisms have formed, mutated and evolved because of different conditions in dependance of the location on the planet.. and if all of this happened, they're most likely doomed, just like us, to develop protective/attack mechanisms in need for nourishment after a natural disaster or overpopulation. And now it's just a matter of time for the first species to evolve with a bodypart that can interact with the environment to craft something that's beneficial and superior to other species and therefore creating the necessaty of memorizing processes, leading to the evolutionary path of developing a bigger, more energy consuming brain, leading to territorial expansion in need for nourishment etc.etc. And this describes the problem, the filter: every species dominating its biosphere is still developing protective and attack mechanisms searching the next predator/pray. I believe the theory to be true and I guess it's the evolutionary ability to dominate and the inability to cooperate.

Always appreciate Mersheimer’s thoughtful insights, and his care in keeping up a conversation with the naïveté from Lex.

The US has over 800 bases worldwide, Russia has 5 Who are the imperialists?

Victoria, AKA Toria Newland, was a big in the start of this.

I'm Irish But watching Lex he comes across like he could be in Congress in America.He's a hard man to read

Russia would take Ukraine then say Poland is to close . When would it end for Russia? The more land they take from other Countries the Closer they get to NATO

Lex Fridman asked many shallow questions. Fortunately John Mearsheimer is able to give alternative insights.

Lex, youre very pure of heart, but you really need to come into some of these conversations with some ability and information to push back on what the guest is saying.

A friend of mine worked at a listening station in Finland, 2 miles from the border with Russia. The 800 mile long border with the perennial neutral country now a member of NATO directly on Putin's border. Win win?

I like this CiA reasonable and justice talks,very good sense and oppose those who are not right and good predictive minds,very excellent this officer CiA,i appreciate his discussion very perfect idle of politics

Everything makes sense if you add, “because peace was never the goal.”

One of the most intelligent conversations I heard recently, not just referring to the Ukraine war but other geopolitical aspects as well.

I remember trump more or less stating these things and people referred to him as a war monger. But we have to get away from all of this and try to find a. Peaceful solution to these matters

I posed this old idea of "demonstrsting resolve" with the use of a few "tactical" nuclear weapons to a retired Russian army officer. He responded that this was a very foolish course..."what makes you think that Russia's response would be a similar tactical response?

he predicted many of the things unfolding today in one of his lectures 9 years ago in the university of Chicago. The US really need more of such intellectuals not war mongers. Thank you Lex for this amazing episode.

Thank You Professor for speaking the truth the West need to hear this badly. lots of love to You.

I’m from New Zealand I can’t be further from this conflict if I tried I find your podcast fascinating I wish John was an American leader he has a lot of knowledge

Chilling and sobering. Great conversation! Thank you!

Very good talk, thank you both!

Hope in one hand & isht in the other.. see which fills up first

Lex brings out the most interesting podcasts despite or because of his naivety and emotional discourse on these subjects. Great episode.

”Power corrupts the best of people” is a reference everyone in the world should learn off.

John is making lots of sense he is a good person. 😊

One might conjecture that the policies of the United States in Bosnia and former Yugoslavia during the early 90s warrant reconsideration. A case in point is the peace agreement that was already signed when the former ambassador, Zimmermann, posed a question to one of the leaders: “Why sign this when you can receive full recognition from the U.S.?” This resulted in a prolongation of the conflict for an additional three years, leading to approximately 100,000 casualties. This pattern seems to be repeating itself. Although the outcome may not be identical, it is likely to bear significant similarities. The professor has already alluded to the concept of a ‘frozen conflict’. Moreover, it is worth noting that there is a conspicuous lack of information and understanding about the rest of the world. In conclusion, I wish you the best in your future endeavors. Cheers!

Lex, get married first, then apply trust, you cannot apply it in foreign policy, even in tribes, it’s all always them and us,

JM a great, independent, free-thinking, very precise, wise with a lot of knowledge, thank you for your honest and courageous speech

“I’ll use nuclear weapons to defend myself” a lil out of context but still a wild statement

Why nations have no peace fighting for what reason

Do we (the american public) really want to flirt w/ nuclear armageddon over who gets to control a portion of eastern Ukraine? I know my answer..

Putin did write essays such as *On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians* Saying there is no evidence Putin wanted to invade Ukraine is just not true. Then who profits or who is to blame can be viewed from many angles.

you guys are right on ! (so sad that no one listens)

Super interesting!

Nord stream pipeline.

Yes, negotiations are a great way to buy time.

A troop is 7 of something and how a professor thinks a troop is one soldier is kind of sad. US education system isn't very good obviously

Do we need nato to make a war or to defends

Great discussion, but one glaring question was not put to Mearsheimer: *why* were the countries in question interested in joining NATO *in the first place*, if it was so self-evidently risky? It’s a question Mearsheimer has studiously avoided answering in interviews, I suspect because it considerably subverts the narrative he is forwarding here and elsewhere.

Good ol lex, hoping leaders speaking can avoid war and find peace… thing is they don’t want peace

How do you know if you are being lied to

Best not to interview people if you are relatively disinterested in their answers and you are nursing a massive hangover headache.

Lex can you please let me know about your mic setup is there a booster for the voice?

As a mixed native american; Most americans cannot put themselves in ANY shoes but their own. IMO out loud they are tolerant and compassionate but in reality not so much. I truly do have a very low opinion of Americans~ leadership/politician ameticsns, not day to day Americsns. Excellent video. Thsnk you for sharing.

I'd love to see what happens to defense contractor stock prices every time NATO expands

Why do you limit the nuclear escalation only in rural area of West Ukraine or Poland? Is it impossible the MAD escalation in HQ of NATO in Brussel or other EU cities and Russia cities as well?

Lex does interviews about russian invasion of Ukraine with anybody.. except ukrainians of course)

Thank you for the interesting guest, as always.

Thank you, It's good you said that. But that would be galling if you say that of Maidan or the kindergarten.

Lex it would be amazing if you can get Mearsheimer and Kotkin on the same podcast!

"In Putin's heart and Zelensyy's heart, I hope" Hope is the first step down the long road of disappointment.

"Нужно лидерам общаться, про доверие говорите" с вами доверительно говорили, но вы воспринимаете разговоры за слабость и при этом один сплошной обман, так о каком доверии может идти речь, пока хулигану в глаз не врежешь, он будет вести себя неадекватно.

17:36 what do you mean “if”)))) Have you seen the US resume on the world stage regarding invasions?

I love listening to John Mearsheimer

The problem with that argument is that the original Georgian conflict happened in 1992 in Abkhazia and the ethnic Georgians (half the population) were expelled, despite being the largest ethnic group before the war. The Abkhaz were only 25% of the population when the war started. Russia was helping the rebels. Russia also helped the Transnistrian separatists in Moldova. This was years before NATO expansion.

Putin gave an interview that he warned 3 times for Ukraine not to apply to Nato and warned Zelinsky that if he applies again Putin will react and he did.

Boris threw the grenade into the room.

Be sure to give Putin credit for adding Finland to NATO

Thanks Lex for the interview, I enjoyed it so much.

It's rare for some 1 in US to actually speak the truth. He has got more integrity than the entire whitehouse combined

Why did Finland and Sweden decide to join NATO after decades of staying out?

We don’t want anybody to keep getting hurt though

Why couldn’t Ukraine become neutral like Switzerland? I know I don’t have a lot of knowledge about this, but just an idea. If it’s not in Nato and not in the EU, like Switzerland, it would be a separation between Western Europe and Middle East. We could bring a similar Neutrality like we have in Switzerland by Swiss people in a temporary government that would make the country totally transparent, independent and neutral and the most important: bring peace. Would that even be possible? Just wondering.

If i lived next door to Russia I would definitely want to join NATO.

Ukraine couldn't maintain the nuclear weapons it had those days. Moreover, that arsenal would had expired in 2000s. The Ukrainian president mentioned that in the late 90s. He said it was useless.

I agree with some perspectives he explained and disagree with some other that were far-fetched. It would be more true to say that Both sides US and Russia are responsible.

John is the Bernie Sanders of political scientists...

Think of it from the perspective of the small Baltic/Eastern European states and Finland... they see that the country that was not yet in NATO was attacked by Russia, and Russia keeps threatening them. Now does that make you want to join NATO even more or does it make you want to trust any guarantees from the country that keeps threatening you? People are scared, and they want safety. That is what it all boils down to. NATO represents a more solid guarantee of safety than any guarantees from a country threatening you with invasion if you think about joining NATO.

MH 17 was shoot from the skies in eastern Ukraine in 2014

This is a very interesting interview and gives us an insightful look at the facts. Well worth the time listening to this.

One thing I think people are not understanding, is that throughout history if you trust your neighboring country, you'll either end up under that country's mercy or you will be conquered by it sooner or later, the concept of constant peaceful stats quo is a new concept in human's history and it came as a result of the worse wars ever fought which called for instituting an international body whose main task is to regulate relationships between major powers. Trying to weigh things morally is as foolish as it gets, that's why in international politics it's an eat or be eaten world. Even the international law won't prevent that forever, so the question is not whether Russia was right or wrong to attack Ukraine, it's what Ukraine realistically can do about it, so fighting Putin is neither bad nor good, it is probable that ukraine would end up losing the war, but it is also possible to win the war but with a very high price to pay. Civilians are just the pawns and they also could potentially pay very high prices either way.