Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy How Europe can end the Russia-Ukraine war - Kishore Mahbubani
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Feb 5, 2026 
Kishore Mahbubani, veteran Singaporean diplomat and former UN ambassador, offers a clear-eyed take on shifting global power. He discusses Europe’s strategic misreading, NATO expansion’s role in the Ukraine conflict, the case for talking to adversaries, pragmatic settlements for Ukraine, and how Asia’s rise should reshape Western policy.
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From UN Rivalry To Regional Friendship
- Kishore Mahbubani recounts his UN years fighting with Vietnam's ambassador over Cambodia's occupation.
- He later notes Vietnam and Singapore became close friends after Vietnam left Cambodia, showing reconciliation is possible.
Seek Practical Compromises For Ukraine
- Be realistic about power dynamics and seek compromise formulas to limit further suffering in Ukraine.
- Mahbubani recommends finding a workable compromise that protects civilians rather than pursuing total military victory.
Western Interventions Undermine Global Credibility
- Mahbubani highlights many failed states result from unnecessary Western interventions and lack of accountability.
- He says the 88% of the world outside the West see Western moralizing as an emperor with no clothes.
