Russian invasion of Ukraine is an “unequal fight, a David vs Goliath contest,” veteran journalist and geopolitical expert Fareed Zakaria said on Saturday.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Zakaria said the Russians have one of the best armies in the world, the largest in Europe.
“President Vladimir Putin rebuilt the Russian army from the collapse of the USSR, they operate very well,” Fareed Zakaria said.
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He added that the odds are stacked against Ukrainians. About Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zakaria says the Ukrainian President’s courage is impressive.
Asked about Russia’s objective in Ukraine, Fareed Zakaria told India Today, “A regime change in Ukraine is the absolute priority of President Putin. He talks about ridding the country of Nazis and drug dealers, which is absurd. The President and Prime Minister of Ukraine are both Jews.
“He [Putin]wants to conquer Ukraine, demilitarise it and leave behind a puppet regime.”
Fareed Zakaria added that Russian troops are not careful about the harm caused to civilians during a military operation. He says, “They [Russian troops] don’t play by the same rules as Americans. They don’t care about collateral damage and you can see what they have been doing despite what they claim.”
‘Putin’s actions have created a much stronger Ukrainian nationalism’
“President Putin was always a tough guy, a Russian nationalist, but he was also rational, calculated. Most of his military interventions have been limited. Goes into Georgia, carves out two parts, declares them independent and leaves. When he went into Syria , it was a largely air-dependent operation, soldiers were not on the ground and withdraws,” Zakaria told India Today.
He added, “This [Russian invasion of Ukraine] feels much larger, more of a reckless move, more of a gamble. It seems like Ukraine, for Putin, is an emotional issue.”
Fareed Zakaria also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions have created a much stronger Ukrainian nationalism than ever existed. “He [Putin] made Ukraine realise and think of itself as a nation,” said Zakaria.
Zakaria added that the German Chancellor had already told Putin that Ukraine is not going to become a member of NATO for the foreseeable future but that was not enough.
“He [Putin] sees himself as a Tsar. And one of the things all great Tsars did was add more territory to the Russian empire. This is not just about the Soviet Union, which was a 70-year-old empire. This is about the Tsar’s Russia which was 300 years,” said Fareed Zakaria.
Zakaria, however, added that Russia is unlikely to attack the Baltic states, which are members of NATO.