Full podcast episode: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qJqnf7t_3srelY0.html Lex Fridman podcast channel: kzfaq.info 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.

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

I did not know Angela Merkel said that about the Russian Red line and NATO expansion

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

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

Finland Knows. Interview the Finish.

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

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

I think Lex believes the US can still be trusted.

I hope many watches this. One of the best to explain both sides no biases, very comprehensive. Peace to everyone.

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

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

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.

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.

This guy deserves so much more attention than Jordan Petersen imo

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

Lol a clip longer than most full length pods out there. Love lex

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.

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.

He really doesnt mention the overwhelming public support and desire to join nato in a lot of the post Soviet states

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

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

I love this interview. Thank you sir.

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

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

It’s refreshing to hear John’s perspective on this. So much of it in my opinion is spot on.

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.

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

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

I like vey much the interviewer..he is very knowleadgeable, calm lets listens to his guest, he has a very good strategy to i ter iew people. He did a great job! I will fol.ow his job as he is doing such a fi e job, the best I know! .

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

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

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

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

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

Excellent Mearsheimer analysis

Nord stream pipeline.

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

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

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?

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.

So WHY did the US and Britain force the scuttling of the peace process? They didn't explain that.

How do you know if you are being lied to

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

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.

Why nations have no peace fighting for what reason

Funny how Friedman tries to make the professor condemn Putin but he stays academically accurate

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

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

Very good talk, thank you both!

About those FIJI Water bottles: are they a sponsor?

Chilling and sobering. Great conversation! Thank you!

Mearsheimer is the Steven Seagal of historians

I love listening to John Mearsheimer

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

He also left out how NATO withdrew that promise right after. Everyone seems to want to forget that small but key detail

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

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

Pancho Villa violated the Monroe Doctrine. Thus, we need more Pancho Villas.

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?

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

Former Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev: "NATO must admit that Odessa, Nikolaev, Kiev, and practically everything else is not Ukraine at all"

Boris threw the grenade into the room.

Why did the US poke the bear?

Yes, negotiations are a great way to buy time.

Lex's naivety is showing here

They want us to see R as a threat but they are doing the best for their country. We should also try to do that for ours but in the meantime the corruption is off the charts & our country is not leading anymore. Monopolies, uber rich, international entities, our own entities, politicians are all in agreement.

This kinda stuff needs to be mainstream

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

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

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

"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.

56 minutes of interview and 0 second in ukrainian perspective.

Super interesting!

Do we need nato to make a war or to defends

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I would be terrified if we had these two warriors commanding anything.

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

Thank you for the interesting guest, as always.

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

According to EU investigation commission report, in 2008 it was Georgia who started the war. Check it out

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

We seem to have forgotten that the USSR were on the borders of Western Europe for 44 years. No western country tried to invade Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia etc. because they’d expanded. Those Soviet bloc countries didn’t agree to ‘join’ that bloc (save a few elements to have power). Difference? NATO didn’t invade or hold a gun against the heads of the Baltic states and other Eastern European countries to join NATO, they wanted to. They wanted to be a part of that kind of society and have multi-National protection against a country that had previously oppressed them.

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

The Ukraine is going to do whatever we tell them. Come on!? Why do think the treaty fell apart?

The reason why I am fat is NATO expansion