“No one has the right, the authority, and perhaps not even the audacity to pressure Ukraine to give up some territory under the chimera of a possible ceasefire with Russia,” says Jan Šír, a political scientist from the Institute of International Studies of the FSV UK. But how can the war end? And how much does the war in the Middle East distract the West from Russian aggression in Ukraine? Is it possible for fair presidential elections to be held in Ukraine?
You can watch the entire interview in the introductory video or listen to it in your favorite podcast app. What were its main themes?
0:39-4:00 Political scientist Jan Šír recently returned from Ukraine, what impression did he take away from the country? According to him, how long will Ukrainians’ military and civic morale last?
4:00-7:17 What is Ukraine missing the most right now and why won’t it get it? What is the situation on the front – is it approaching the heel? And what is the relationship between the Ukrainian army and the president now?
7:17-11:12 What are the chances of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and why, according to Shir, is such a thing out of the question at all? And can presidential elections be held in Ukraine in the current state of war?
11:12-15:30 According to Shir, is there a chance that Ukraine would give up the territories conquered by Russia? At this stage of the war, is it possible to say who is doing better? And what exactly is Russia’s goal at this point?
15:30-20:02 Can the conflict in the Middle East fundamentally harm Western aid to Ukraine? And what influence can Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico have on it?
20:02-25:43 According to Latitude, how far are we now from peace in Europe? Are sanctions on Russia working? And in what state is Vladimir Putin himself now?
25:43-27:40 According to Shir, why did it take so long for the Western world to show Putin that it can’t afford everything? Have we already understood in the Czech Republic how big a threat Russia represents?
