What happens when a society refuses to entertain alternative perspectives on war? Glenn Diesen, a Norwegian professor of international relations, has experienced this firsthand as he faces relentless attacks for advocating diplomatic solutions to the Ukraine conflict.

The war in Ukraine has exposed deep fractures in how Western democracies handle dissent. While Norway's entire parliament and media landscape unanimously support sending weapons to Ukraine, Diesen reveals the personal cost of suggesting alternatives – smear campaigns labeling him a Russian agent, efforts to have him fired from his university position, and even the publication of his home address online. Much of this pressure comes from NGOs funded by Western governments and foundations, operating under humanitarian pretenses while functioning as propaganda arms.

Diesen provides a sobering assessment of the military situation, arguing that Russia is executing an increasingly successful war of attrition while Ukraine's forces face mounting casualties. He traces the conflict's evolution from Russia's initial push for Ukrainian neutrality to the current protracted war following the failure of peace negotiations in Istanbul – a failure he attributes to Western powers promising weapons if Ukraine continued fighting.

Beyond the battlefield, the conversation explores how Europe's energy policies have backfired spectacularly. The destruction of Nord Stream pipelines and severing of Russian energy connections have accelerated Europe's deindustrialization while pushing Russia to redirect its resources eastward through agreements like Power of Siberia II with China.

Perhaps most thought-provoking is Diesen's analysis of the global shift from American hegemony to multipolarity. He argues that the unipolar moment was always unsustainable, and that America's interests might be better served by accepting its position as "one among equals" rather than exhausting itself trying to maintain dominance. Meanwhile, Europe faces a legitimacy crisis as governments suppress opposition parties, transform welfare states into warfare states, and blame Russia for their domestic problems.

For anyone seeking to understand the complex geopolitical, economic, and democratic challenges emerging from the Ukraine conflict, this conversation offers essential insights from a perspective rarely heard in mainstream discourse.

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