Russia, NATO and Ukraine

– It has been said that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine because he’s surrounded by people ready to tell him whatever he wants to hear. Could we say that the war was caused by a lack of meritocracy in the Russian state?

It is a factor, yes, but I think the war is the result of much broader forces and Putin’s desire to reassert Russia’s imperial role.

– What should be done in Ukraine?

I think Biden has handled the issue reasonably well. I think that the United States and Europe should continue to do everything possible to enable Ukraine to defend itself militarily. At the same time Biden has been careful to try to avoid provoking a wider war. Prudence is important given that Russia is a nuclear power, and it’s hard to know what Putin would do if he were forced to acknowledge that he is trapped against the wall.

– In your book you emphasize the notions of honor and dignity as an issue at the heart of the clash that we are seeing in societies. Did Russia go to war because its national dignity was hurt?

I would go further and say that despite our emphasis on economic interests, a far more powerful explanation of global competition and global conflict has to do with the struggle for honor and recognition. And we see this within societies in the populist backlash against elites, but I think that there is also a global parallel. I do think that the struggle for honor and recognition is at least as potent a motivation for global struggles and competitions as economic interests, which is why I think that the sanctions that the US and European countries have imposed on Putin, justifiable though they are, will not bring an end to this war.

– Do you agree with the view that the expansion of NATO was handled in a way that offended Russia?

I think it may have been a mistake for NATO to have expanded as it did to the extent that it did. George Kennan had said that as Russia was weak it would have to accept it but in time it would lead to Russian aggression. Kennan had a point when he suggested that NATO expansion may have been a mistake. I think that you can believe that and you can also believe that right now it’s very important to stand up to Putin and to make sure he doesn’t prevail in Ukraine.