At the first in-person Munich Security Conference in two years, world leaders gathered amidst the greatest threat to European peace since World War II. Ian Bremmer sat down with former CIA Director and retired four-star general David Petraeus for an upcoming episode of GZERO World just days before Russia mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He knows a thing or two about invasions, having played pivotal roles in both of America's military campaigns in Iraq over the past thirty years. And as he tells Ian Bremmer, invading a country is one thing. Holding onto it is quite another.
And when it comes to NATO, Petraeus says, that Putin has miscalculated — big time. The Russian president shook the tree, and what came out is NATO unity — exactly the opposite of what he was counting on.
"Putin has managed to unite NATO in a way that nothing else has since the end of the Cold War, other than his annexation of Crimea and invasion of the Donbas in 2014," he explains. "He has really given NATO a reason to live again.
"What's more, Petraeus thinks Putin is now digesting the "porcupine" he's eaten, which won't go down easily.
Ian and Petraeus also discuss the latest out of Afghanistan.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Ukraine War: Has Putin overplayed his hand?