Episode Details

Michael McFaul describes Vladimir Putin as an ideological risk-taker who views himself as a defender of "orthodox Christian values" against a threatening West. McFaul argues that previous US administrations failed to hedge against Russian aggression by not expanding NATO faster or providing sufficient weaponry to "gray zone" countries like Ukraine. This perceived lack of resolve may have emboldened Putin's 2022 full-scale invasion. Furthermore, the segment explores how autocracy is gaining global popularity, as some perceive it to be more efficient than the bureaucratic "veto points" often found in democratic systems. (5)
1938