Former US Ambassador Michael McFaul spoke to Ekaterina Kotrikadze at the Munich Security Conference. They discussed the presence of Russian opposition voices at the conference, the possible disconnect between Ukraine and the West on the timeline and resources required for the war, the current Western attitude towards Russia, and the possible scenarios that might lead to the end of the conflict.

EPISODE SUMMARY

A full year into its launch, the war in Ukraine is a far cry from the rapid invasion Russian President Vladimir Putin had planned. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Chuck to outline Putin's possible paths forward — including the justifications the Russian president may make to save face.

Today, the world marks the tragic anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The good news is that Ukraine won the first year of this war. The bad news is that the war continues, with no plans from Russian leader Vladimir Putin to retreat or negotiate. He’s playing a long game, expecting the collective West to eventually lose interest. We cannot allow that to happen. Indeed, it is in America’s interest to stay the course and help Ukraine achieve victory.

For twenty years, the Russian autocrat enjoyed a string of good fortune in coming to power and cementing his rule. He had raised Russia’s standing in the world. Then he invaded Ukraine.

Nearly a year after he invaded Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve any of his major objectives. He has not unified the alleged single Slavic nation, he has not “denazified” or “demilitarized” Ukraine, and he has not stopped NATO expansion. Instead, the Ukrainian military kept Russian troops out of Kyiv, defended Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, and launched successful counteroffensives in the fall so that by the end of 2022, it had liberated over 50 percent of the territory previously captured by Russian soldiers that year.

The Russian president will never recover from his disastrous war in Ukraine.