Title: Fareed Zakaria GPS - french philosopher intv
Description: Fareed Zakaria brings viewers his insights and analysis as he brings together
Sir Simon Schama, OBE, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Michael Fullilove, and Bernard-Henri Levy.
Channel: 1 - CNN Recorded On: 5/7/2023 10:00:00 AM
Original Air Date: 5/7/2023 Transcript Generated by SnapStream
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>>> We don't often equate philosophers with bravery, but Bernard Henri levy breaks the
mold. He's traveled to many of the front line lokes we've heard about tht news. Places like
kherson, odesa and bakhmut. He went to bear witness and brought a film crew to document
what he saw. The result is an impressive new documentary called slava Ukraine, meaning
glory to Ukraine. It is out now in select theaters Benard Henri levy, thank you.
>> Thank you. >> I want to ask you about the issue of bravery.
It is struck me as sometimes underrated when you think about we think about smarts and
intelligence and but if you think of great leadership, like with zelenskyy, bravery,
courage is one of the most important things.
[10:40:07 AM]
things. Do you think that is trained? Do you think it is in-born?
>> It is one of the most important and one of the most forgotten. We were so surprised
when zelenskyy decided to stay. We were so surprised when the whole Ukrainian people
stood at his side. It was absolutely unexpected. None of us thought that. But they have -- but
nevertheless, it happened. We have brave citizenship like in the beginning of America, like in
Athens in the ancient Greece, like in the French revolution. This is what happened many
Ukraine. And this is one of the great events which we saw.
>> When you went on the front lines and you talked to these soldiers, they're up against
are very formidable foe and the Russias are hammering and they're doing things that are
[10:41:08 AM]
they're doing things that are are really we haven't seen since World War II, destroying
whole cities, bombing the sewage plants and the water facilities an the hospitals. Are
they losing their nerve? Are they losing their courage?
>> I never saw that. Maybe it happens. But I never saw that. I was in a lot of hot places
and what I saw is quiet bravery. Not stupid bravery, which is a fake one, going to the
enemy. But the master of bravery everywhere. Protecting the weak, putting all of the people
under shelter, going to fetch them under fire. This I saw many times and this is what I report
in the commentary in many scenes. >> You know that people look at
[10:42:10 AM]
>> You know that people look at the strategic situation from afar and they say, look, the
Ukrainians will do -- will make some gains in these -- in this coming counter offensive,
but at the end of the day, the Russians are have dug in, in crimea and the donbas they
took in 2014. So there will have to be some negotiation, there will have to be in settlement.
What do you see? >> I don't believe that. Number one, if there
is a compromise, it would be a disaster for all of us. When you do compromise with someone
who decided that we are his enemy, and that he declared total war against the whole civilized
world, it is a very bad thing. A compromise with Putin is for all of us a bad thing, number
one. Number two, I don't think it would be necessary. What I observed on the ground during
these six months of
[10:43:11 AM]
during these six months of shooting, each time the Ukrainians decided with their wise
bravery to launch an offensive, they won. And sometimes, very often, the Russians did
not even try to resist in kherson, for example. So when they will decide that they are strong
enough, equipped enough to go to donetsk, to go to crimea, they will. And you will be
surprised how little the Russians will resist. Number three, the only thing that is missing
and which we have to do is to give the equipment and to give it strongly, quickly, and not
in the incremental way which is the Moto and doctrine from us. If we give what they need,
things could go quick and the war can stop and we could spare some human lives. >> You
are a big supporter of
[10:44:13 AM]
>> You are a big supporter of Emmanuel macron in France. On this issue, do you think macron
is searching for a compromise, a solution? He still talks to Putin. Do you think he agreed
with what you're saying? >> I think so. I -- I think that macron never
searched for a compromise with Putin. He spoke with him at the beginning, not to such a compromise,
to appeal to what he believed could remain in his mad brain, of Putin. He tried to explain
that he was making a necessary mistake but not to make a compromise. There is one point
on which macron never changed. Putin and Russia has to be defeated. Ukraine has to get the
victory. And the victory means what they will say, they always said that
[10:45:14 AM]
will say, they always said that and I had the privilege, by the way, to be asked by
macron to be there in his last man-to-man meeting with zelenskyy in Paris. They had
a meeting two or three months ago. I was if the room with Andre and president macron and
I heard and I saw the position of macron was very clear. The victory has to be yours, president
zelenskyy. And what victory means is for you to decide, not us. Not diplomats, thought
Americans, France, not Europe. It is your country and it is