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Russian invasion: David Petraeus examines Putin’s strategy
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?
Petraeus on the Afghanistan crisis
Former CIA chief and four-star general David Petraeus, who once commanded US forces in Afghanistan, has been a harsh critic of President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from the country. Now, as Afghans face one of the worst humanitarian crises of the modern era, Petraeus tells Ian Bremmer how he thinks the United States can still help avert total disaster.
But when it comes to sending aid to the Afghan people, Petraeus acknowledges that challenges remain. “The question is, how do you bring that to bear for the people without enabling the Taliban government, which we won't recognize, I'm sure, if ever?”
Petraeus’ spoke with Bremmer in an interview for GZERO World, which took place at the 2022 Munich Security Conference – just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Ukraine War: Has Putin overplayed his hand?
Petraeus: Putin has united his adversaries
For former CIA chief David Petraeus, the Russian leader 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.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Ukraine War: Has Putin overplayed his hand?
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Ukraine war: Has Putin overplayed his hand?
After weeks of military buildup and lies, Russia has attacked Ukraine. We are watching a worst-case scenario — a full invasion by land, sea, and cyberspace — play out in real time. With diplomacy dead, Western allies are now turning to sanctions.
The mood was somber at the recent Munich Security Conference, where world leaders were scrambling to avoid exactly this outcome.
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to former CIA boss David Petraeus to discuss the "porcupine" Vladimir Putin has eaten, and to John Kerry, former US Secretary of State and the Biden administration's current climate czar, about Putin's other big problem with climate.
Petraeus — who knows a thing or two about invasions, in his case US-led ones of Iraq — warns that for Russia, holding Ukraine will be a lot tougher than invading it. He also thinks Putin has miscalculated because when he shook the tree, out came NATO more united than it's been since the Cold War.
Kerry, for his part, believes that for Putin, war in Ukraine is a welcome distraction from Russia's more long-term problem: climate change. He also pushes back against the narrative that the US is in decline while authoritarians like Putin and China's Xi Jinping are on the rise.
As a bonus: surf’s up in ... Munich?
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Podcast: David Petraeus on Putin's war games
Listen: At the 2022 Munich Security Conference, world leaders are gathering again for the first time in two years at a moment of unprecedented crisis. At the time of this GZERO World Podcast interview, Russia’s 150,000 plus troops have yet to cross the Ukrainian border, but Western officials warn that an invasion could happen at any moment. Ian Bremmer is joined by former CIA director and retired four-star general David Petraeus—who’s taken part in a couple of invasions himself—to talk about this critical moment in world history. Things look grim, no doubt, but when it comes to the state of NATO today, Petraeus says that there is a silver lining.
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Petraeus: Taking Ukraine is one thing, holding onto it is another
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. As over 150,000 Russian troops surrounded Ukraine's border, poised to invade, Ian Bremmer sat down with former CIA Director and retired four star general David Petraeus for an upcoming episode of GZERO World. 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.
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