Fareed Zakaria

Look at South Korea. South Korea is, I forget now, 15 times the per capita GDP of North Korea. Look at tiny Israel, which is now essentially an advanced industrial country on a tiny spit of land. Think about all the richest and most powerful countries in the world. Land acquisition has almost nothing to do with, you know, who has a lot of land? Russia.

Look at South Korea. South Korea is, I forget now, 15 times the per capita GDP of North Korea. Look at tiny Israel, which is now essentially an advanced industrial country on a tiny spit of land. Think about all the richest and most powerful countries in the world. Land acquisition has almost nothing to do with, you know, who has a lot of land? Russia.

It feels to me like a kind of bizarre, anachronistic way to look at the world. But I agree with you. That is the way he's thinking about it. You could get whatever minerals you wanted to get out of Greenland by just signing a couple of deals with them. You don't actually need to own it. You could redo the Panama Canal Treaty and be much easier, by the way, to let the Panamanians run it.

It feels to me like a kind of bizarre, anachronistic way to look at the world. But I agree with you. That is the way he's thinking about it. You could get whatever minerals you wanted to get out of Greenland by just signing a couple of deals with them. You don't actually need to own it. You could redo the Panama Canal Treaty and be much easier, by the way, to let the Panamanians run it.

And you've just, you know, kind of renegotiated it in terms you like. But I think for Trump, part of it is this kind of old-fashioned view. And part of it is I do think at the end of the day, there's a strong element of narcissism that infuses everything that Trump does. And I think he loves the idea that he would be able to put his stamp on history by saying, you know, Trump added...

And you've just, you know, kind of renegotiated it in terms you like. But I think for Trump, part of it is this kind of old-fashioned view. And part of it is I do think at the end of the day, there's a strong element of narcissism that infuses everything that Trump does. And I think he loves the idea that he would be able to put his stamp on history by saying, you know, Trump added...

whatever it was, Greenland or something like that to the United States. The physical expansion of America would be a great Trump legacy.

whatever it was, Greenland or something like that to the United States. The physical expansion of America would be a great Trump legacy.

It's almost impossible to have a kind of, again, a clear through line because it's moved so much. He had a tweet in which he said, you know, the Russians better realize, Putin better realize this war has ruined his country. He better settle. And if he doesn't, you know, we're going to put additional sanctions and his favorite weapon tariffs on Russia.

It's almost impossible to have a kind of, again, a clear through line because it's moved so much. He had a tweet in which he said, you know, the Russians better realize, Putin better realize this war has ruined his country. He better settle. And if he doesn't, you know, we're going to put additional sanctions and his favorite weapon tariffs on Russia.

But it seemed to suggest that he understood that the principle of, obstacle to a peace deal was not Zelensky, but Putin. But then he's shifted entirely and enormously in the last few weeks where he's called Zelensky a dictator. He said he started the war, all that stuff. I mean, the UN resolution where the United States sided with Russia and North Korea and Belarus.

But it seemed to suggest that he understood that the principle of, obstacle to a peace deal was not Zelensky, but Putin. But then he's shifted entirely and enormously in the last few weeks where he's called Zelensky a dictator. He said he started the war, all that stuff. I mean, the UN resolution where the United States sided with Russia and North Korea and Belarus.

So, you know, you could argue that, again, in Trump's case, so much of it is personal. He doesn't like Zelensky. But if you step back from that, I think that Trump in his heart believes that Russia has legitimate claims over Ukraine and so has a much softer line on Russia. I think he thinks that the Russians should keep the territory they've acquired.

So, you know, you could argue that, again, in Trump's case, so much of it is personal. He doesn't like Zelensky. But if you step back from that, I think that Trump in his heart believes that Russia has legitimate claims over Ukraine and so has a much softer line on Russia. I think he thinks that the Russians should keep the territory they've acquired.

He thinks Ukraine should not be a part of NATO. He thinks that maybe Ukraine should have a kind of neutrality in foreign policy. These are all essentially the Russian demands. And I think there's no way to read his mind, but my sense, fundamentally, from listening to him and watching him, is he thinks all those Russian claims are kind of broadly legitimate.

He thinks Ukraine should not be a part of NATO. He thinks that maybe Ukraine should have a kind of neutrality in foreign policy. These are all essentially the Russian demands. And I think there's no way to read his mind, but my sense, fundamentally, from listening to him and watching him, is he thinks all those Russian claims are kind of broadly legitimate.

Yeah. And if you think about the countries and the leaders he likes, it's either the country is very strong or the leader is very strong, right? It's Putin, Xi, Modi, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Orban, Erdogan. You know, those are the people he speaks about with respect. The more muddled, compromised, weaker leaders of coalition governments in Europe, he finds feckless.

Yeah. And if you think about the countries and the leaders he likes, it's either the country is very strong or the leader is very strong, right? It's Putin, Xi, Modi, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Orban, Erdogan. You know, those are the people he speaks about with respect. The more muddled, compromised, weaker leaders of coalition governments in Europe, he finds feckless.

He finds uninteresting. You know, so it's a very interesting. It's also, you know, that I think he likes these more old fashioned ideas. I've thought about this once, and I don't know if it's a reasonable point to make, but the countries he seems fascinated by and respects are countries which you could imagine having lots of Trump towers.

He finds uninteresting. You know, so it's a very interesting. It's also, you know, that I think he likes these more old fashioned ideas. I've thought about this once, and I don't know if it's a reasonable point to make, but the countries he seems fascinated by and respects are countries which you could imagine having lots of Trump towers.