song contest. Much 21st NBC.
>>> AS WE CONTINUE TO COVER THE
BIGGEST INVASION IN EUROPE SINCE
WORLD WAR II, THERE’S A LOT OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY RUSSIA IS CHOOSING TO INVADE UKRAINE.
CHOOSING TO INVADE UKRAINE.
>> PROFESSOR RICK STOLL FROM
RICE UNIVERSITY IS HERE THIS
MORNING TO BRING US INSIGHT.
GOOD MORNING, DR. STOLL.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE, AND CAN
YOU EXPLAIN FOR THE AUDIENCE JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU
JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU
KNOW ABOUT WHY PRESIDENT PUTIN
IS INVADING UKRAINE AT THIS
TIME?
>> WELL, GOOD MORNING.
I THINK THERE’S PROBABLY A
COUPLE REASONS.
ONE, I THINK HE FEELS THAT
UKRAINE, OF COURSE, HAD BEEN
PART OF THE SOVIET UNION, AND I
THINK HE FEELS THAT IT BELONGS
WITH RUSSIA, NOT AS AN
INDEPENDENT COUNTRY.
NOT TOTALLY DISTINCT FROM THAT, BUT I THINK HE ALSO BELIEVES
BUT I THINK HE ALSO BELIEVES
THAT RUSSIA SHOULD BE SEEN AS A
MAJOR POWER TO BE TREATED WITH
RESPECT BY THE ENTIRE WORLD, AND ONE WAY WITH TO DO THAT IS TO
ONE WAY WITH TO DO THAT IS TO
SHOW THE POWER OF RUSSIA, AND
TAKE ACTIONS THAT SHOW, LOOK,
YOU HAVE TO TAKE US SERIOUSLY.
WE ARE RESTORING US TO WHAT WE
WERE. >> PROFESSOR, WHAT ABOUT THE
>> PROFESSOR, WHAT ABOUT THE
TIMING OF THIS?
WHY DO YOU THINK PUTIN IS
CHOOSING NOW TO INVADE?
>> MY VERY SHORT ANSWER IS I’M NOT SURE.
NOT SURE.
MY LONGER ANSWER IS I SUSPECT HE
FELT IT WAS A GOOD TIME BOTH
THAT HIS MILITARY WAS READY.
I MEAN, WE’VE SEEN REPORTS FOR A FAIR PERIOD OF TIME ABOUT MOVING
FAIR PERIOD OF TIME ABOUT MOVING
FORCES AROUND UKRAINE AND IN
BELARUS SO I THINK HE FELT THEY
WERE READY TO GO. PRIOR TO THAT, THEY WERE NOT,
PRIOR TO THAT, THEY WERE NOT,
BUT ALSO THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THE
WORLD WOULDN’T DO MUCH TO STOP
HIM. >> PROFESSOR, ANY INSIGHT INTO
>> PROFESSOR, ANY INSIGHT INTO
WHAT VLADIMIR PUTIN’S POTENTIAL
END GAME WOULD BE?
IS IT UKRAINE?
IS IT GOING PAST UKRAINE AND ON
TO OTHER COUNTRIES? WHAT DO YOU THINK?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I’M NOT SURE THAT HE WANTS TO
EVEN MORE TERRITORY, BUT, AGAIN, I THINK RESTORING RUSSIA FROM
I THINK RESTORING RUSSIA FROM
HIS POINT OF VIEW IN TERMS OF WE
ARE A MAJOR POWER, EVERYBODY HAS
TO TAKE US SERIOUSLY, I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HIM,
THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HIM,
AND KIND OF CONNECTED TO THAT,
PUTIN AND THE PERSON THAT DID
THIS AND MADE THIS HAPPEN, AND
SO YOU, RUSSIANS, YOU PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, GREATLY RESPECT ME
THE WORLD, GREATLY RESPECT ME
BECAUSE I ACCOMPLISHED THIS.
>> PROFESSOR, WE TALKED ABOUT
THE FAR REACHING IMPACT OF THE
INVASION, BOTH ON A GLOBAL STAGE
AND DOMESTICALLY. WHAT ABOUT PUBLIC HERE IN
WHAT ABOUT PUBLIC HERE IN
HOUSTON?
HOW WILL THIS AFFECT HOUSTON?
>> WELL, AS -- IF WE ASSUME, AND
I THINK WE SHOULD, THAT THE
SANCTIONS ARE GOING TO RAMP UP, THAT MORE THINGS WILL BE TAKEN
THAT MORE THINGS WILL BE TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT, AND THE POSSIBLE
IMPACT ON HOUSTON, NUMBER ONE,
RUSSIA IS A MAJOR EXPORTER OF ENERGY, AND SO IT NO LONGER IS
ENERGY, AND SO IT NO LONGER IS
EXPORTING OR EXPORTS CUT, THE
PRICE OF ENERGY GOES UP,
DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ARE IN
HOUSTON, THAT MIGHT HELP YOU IF
YOU’RE PART OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRY, AND IF YOU SIMPLY BUY
INDUSTRY, AND IF YOU SIMPLY BUY
OIL OR WHATEVER, THEN YOU’RE
GOING TO BE HURT.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, IT IS GOING TO AFFECT EVERYONE
IT IS GOING TO AFFECT EVERYONE
IN THE UNITED STATES TO A
CERTAIN EXTENT, BUT, AGAIN, IF
YOU EXPORT TO RUSSIA, YOU’RE GOING TO BE HURT BY THAT.
GOING TO BE HURT BY THAT.
IF YOU IMPORT FROM RUSSIA,
YOU’RE GOING TO BE HURT BY THAT.
>> PROFESSOR, BEFORE WE LET YOU
GO, DO YOU SEE ANY HOPE FOR A DIPLOMATIC END TO ALL OF THIS?
DIPLOMATIC END TO ALL OF THIS?
>> I DO NOT RULE THAT OUT, BUT A
DIPLOMATIC END COULD, YOU KNOW, COULD, ONE, ADD COULD BE UKRAINE
COULD, ONE, ADD COULD BE UKRAINE
IS RESTORED TO BEING AN
INDEPENDENT COUNTRY, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY, ANOTHER END COULD
BE THAT THE WEST JUST FINALLY
ACCEPTS THAT UKRAINE IS NOW PART OF RUSSIA.
OF RUSSIA.
I DON’T SEE US GOING TO WAR
ABOUT THIS, BUT I DO THINK THE UNITED STATES WILL PROTECT ITS
UNITED STATES WILL PROTECT ITS
NATO ALLIES, SO I DOUBT IT, BUT
SHOULD RUSSIA GO BEYOND UKRAINE
AND TRY TO INCORPORATE OTHER AREAS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF NATO,
AREAS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF NATO,
THEN I THINK WE’RE GOING TO SEE
A WAR.
VERY UNLIKELY.
>> RICE PROFESSOR, RICK STOLL,
APPRECIATE THE INSIGHT AS THE
WORLD WATCHES THIS UNFOLD IN
CENTRAL EUROPE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> WE’LL HAVE THE LATEST FROM
UKRAINE AS THE RUSSIANS CONTINUE ON THE MOVE