Episode Details

The Iran War is increasing the speed of western decline that began 4 years ago with the intensification of the Russia-Ukraine Proxy War. How did that happen? How could the US-Europe alliance miscalculate this grossly?

I sat down with Emeritus Professor Richard Sakwa to test the hardest claims around this war: folly or strategy, proxy war or direct clash, exclusion or security failure, peace process or staged theater. The talk moves from NATO expansion and Ukrainian neutrality to Europe’s crisis, Russia’s place in the post-Cold War order, and the shrinking space for real diplomacy.

Links:

Richard's Book as ebook or paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Russo-Ukrainian-War-Follies-Empire/dp/B0FTGNL2J9

Richard's Book from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Russo-Ukrainian-War-Follies-Empire/dp/B0FTGNL2J9

Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com

(Opt in for Academic Section from your profile settings: https://pascallottaz.substack.com/s/academic)

Merch & Donations: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourthwall.com

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:15 Follies of empire

00:08:37 Proxy war and Europe’s decline

00:13:03 Russia excluded from the West

00:17:50 Security logic and war models

00:24:25 Neutrality buried in Ukraine

00:35:38 Nuclear risk and false diplomacy

00:45:07 Paths to peace and the UN