Yuval Noah Harari: Putin heading toward defeat by underestimating bravery of Ukrainians

Yuval Noah Harari writes in an opinion piece that it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is “heading towards a historic defeat” after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Israeli historian and professor says Putin’s military campaign is based on the lie that Ukraine is not a real country, and he mistakenly belived that if Moscow’s troops were able to capture Ukraine, they would be able to hold it.

In fact, Harari writes in The Guardian: “Ukrainian people are resisting with all their heart, winning the admiration of the entire world — and winning the war.”

However, the author of “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” and “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow,” notes that still “many dark days lie ahead.”

“The Russians may still conquer the whole of Ukraine. But to win the war, the Russians would have to hold Ukraine, and they can do that only if the Ukrainian people let them. This seems increasingly unlikely to happen,” Harari writes.

“To reestablish the Russian empire, Putin needs a relatively bloodless victory that will lead to a relatively hateless occupation. By spilling more and more Ukrainian blood, Putin is making sure his dream will never be realized,” Harari writes.

Harari says that with every act of bravery by the Ukrainian people, the resolve of the international community to help them increases, making a Russian victory even less likely.