Francis Fukuyama on Russia's vulnerabilities, a Korean-style armistice and the alliance of authoritarian countries

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Francis Fukuyama is an American political scientist and philosopher, director of the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University. He sees Ukraine as having the greatest potential among post-Soviet countries to transition from communism to genuine democracy. Although after the collapse of the USSR he had similar hopes for Russia, it has since moved in the opposite direction and now joins a global alliance of authoritarian countries. According to Fukuyama's assessments, achieving a resolution to the Russia’s war in Ukraine through negotiations in the near future is impossible. Just a year ago, the American political scientist advocated for Ukraine to be allowed to strike foreign weapons deep into Russian territory. "If you cannot strike at targets inside Russia, push back their military aircraft, and impose significantly greater costs and losses on them, they will never give up," Fukuyama says. Despite significant losses of soldiers and equipment, Russians are learning from their mistakes in this war. If Moscow prevails over Kyiv, it will embolden other authoritarian countries to implement dictatorship, repression, and territorial expansion.

Journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk talks with Fukuyama about Russia's vulnerabilities, the Korean-style armistice, NATO's role in this, examples for Ukraine's reconstruction, combating societal polarization, and the foundation of the alliance of authoritarian countries.