ABP Ideas of India | Absolute Victory Or Absolute Surrender Won't Happen: Fareed Zakaria On Russia-Ukraine War

ABP Ideas of India Summit: Indian-American journalist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria said on Saturday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has the capacity to reshape the global order.

Indian-American journalist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria

ABP Ideas Of India: Stressing that profound changes were going on in the international system, Indian-American journalist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria said on Saturday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has the capacity to reshape the global order in a way the 9/11 attacks did not.

Speaking at ABP Network's "Wildstone presents Ideas of India Summit", Zakaria also said that absolute victory or absolute surrender won't happen in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"The Russian invasion of Ukraine has the capacity to reshape the global order that even the 9/11 attacks did not. The 9/11 incident was a gang of terrorists who were able to disrupt the normal lives of citizens around the world in a way that forced governments to react," Zakaria said.

"The 9/11 attacks was an event that was highly dramatic and symbolic. But ultimately it was carried out by a group of terrorists and once they confronted the combined powers of governments around the world, what we saw was that they could be a nuisance but they did not have the capacity to reshape the global order," Zakaria further said.

It has been a month since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of refugees and devastated cities. However, Russia has been largely frustrated by fierce and dogged Ukrainian resistance.

Zakaria said Russia has not a great deal to lose from further military invasion because it is already cut off from the world due to sanctions.

"What we have going on now is the world's most powerful nuclear state with a veto in the security council that spans ten time zones, and which is frontally assaulting one of the core tenants of the international system that was set up after 1945," Zakaria, who is also an author and political commentator, said.

When asked about India's reaction to the Ukraine war, Zakaria said India's choices were inevitable since it was 80 per cent dependent on Russia for weapons and military equipment. 

"India is in a postion where its national interests dictate its relation with Russia," he said.

India has so far walked a tightrope in its relations with both Russia and Western allies over the last month of the escalating crisis. India has abstained on UN resolutions while seeking immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine.

On the future of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Zakaria said absolute victory or absolute surrender won't happen.

"Russia will keep Crimea and a larger part of eastern Ukraine. They want to take as far as Odessa and Mariupol. Ukraine won't accept this. There will be some kind of legalised friction but they will agree to stop fighting. There will be a grey zone. In that scenario, western sanctions may be dialed back but won't be removed. Russia will be in China's orbit," Zakaria said.

The CNN reporter said Russian President Vladimir Putin has already achieved what he wanted by just the build-up to the invasion. He said the power Putin wields is not matched by anyone in the world.

"Putin was already told by European officials that Ukraine won't become member of NATO. Putin got the world's attention. Putin sees Ukraine as identified with Rusisain identity. He cannot conceive the idea of a greater Russia without Ukraine," he said.

Zakaria said the power Putin wields, is not matched by anyone in the world. "Putin has wielded power for a longer time in world stage than anyone. Maybe, he has got power mad. The strategy to invade Ukraine was a personal and emotional decison he made very much himself," he said.