Nuclear weapons are the ideal middle-class weapons for Americans. They provide massive amounts of deterrence on the cheap. — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
Since the mid-1990s, Russian leaders have adamantly opposed NATO enlargement, and in recent years, they have made it clear that they would… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
If Ukraine becomes a pro-American liberal democracy, and a member of NATO, and a member of the E.U., the Russians will consider… — John Mearsheimer Democracy Copy Share Image
You are going to have a situation where India and the United States, Vietnam and U.S., India-Japan, Australia-U.S. are all going to… — John Mearsheimer Coalition Copy Share Image
Normally the world's most powerful political ideology, nationalism had limited influence in the Soviet Union because it was at odds with communism.… — John Mearsheimer Communism Copy Share Image
The key to undoing the Taliban is to sow dissension within its ranks by offering carrots - bribes and positions in a… — John Mearsheimer Government Copy Share Image
The ideal situation for any state is to experience sharp economic growth while its rivals' economies grow slowly or hardly at all. — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
States that teach a dishonestly self-exculpating or self-glorifying history should be publicly criticized and sanctioned. — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
When you're a country like Ukraine and you live next door to a great power like Russia, you have to pay careful… — John Mearsheimer Attention Copy Share Image
Great powers react harshly when distant rivals project military power into their neighborhood, much less attempt to make a country on their… — John Mearsheimer Country Copy Share Image
When the United States worked to contain the Soviet Union during the Cold War, we went to enormous lengths to get as… — John Mearsheimer Cold Copy Share Image
Contrary to the conventional wisdom in the West, Moscow did not invade Ukraine to conquer it and make it part of a… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
The Soviet Union and its empire disappeared in large part because its smokestack economy could no longer keep up with the technological… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
Both NATO and the American alliance structure in Northeast Asia are institutions with deep roots that helped win a spectacular victory in… — John Mearsheimer Cold war Copy Share Image
Now that the Cold War is over with, it's kind of hard to take the Soviet Union seriously. We won, period. We… — John Mearsheimer Cold Copy Share Image
Russia's invasion of Georgia in August 2008 should have dispelled any remaining doubts about Putin's determination to prevent Georgia and Ukraine from… — John Mearsheimer Determination Copy Share Image
You cannot measure rationality, you cannot determine whether a state is rational or not, by looking at outcomes - there's almost universal… — John Mearsheimer Literature Copy Share Image
India and the United States are the world's two largest democracies, and they are both multicultural democracies to boot. It only makes… — John Mearsheimer Democracies Copy Share Image
Putin was very clear, as were all his lieutenants, that their great fear was that Ukraine was becoming a Western bulwark on… — John Mearsheimer Borders Copy Share Image
Ukrainian nuclear weapons are the only reliable deterrent to Russian aggression. If the U.S. aim is to enhance stability in Europe, the… — John Mearsheimer Aggression Copy Share Image
If anything, the historical record demonstrates that great powers can inflict enormous punishment on their adversaries - with blockades, sanctions, sieges and… — John Mearsheimer Bombing Copy Share Image
The German air offensives against British cities in World Wars I and II not only failed to coerce the United Kingdom to… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
Respect for sovereignty is the most significant norm in international politics, and its purpose is to minimize war and facilitate peaceful relations… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
The reliability of the United States was not a serious problem during the Cold War, because the Soviet threat provided a powerful… — John Mearsheimer Cold Copy Share Image
Moscow cannot afford to lose in Ukraine, and it will use every means available to avoid defeat. Putin appears confident that Russia… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
I think there's no question that a nuclear-armed Iran would bring stability to the region, because nuclear weapons are weapons of peace.… — John Mearsheimer Iran Copy Share Image
Soviet foreign policy was influenced only on the margins by communist thinking; Joseph Stalin was a hardcore realist, as were his successors. — John Mearsheimer Foreign policy Copy Share Image
Offensive realism predicts that the United States will send its army across the Atlantic when there is a potential hegemon in Europe… — John Mearsheimer Army Copy Share Image
When vital interests are at stake, countries are invariably willing to suffer great pain to ensure their security. There is no reason… — John Mearsheimer Cybersecurity Copy Share Image
Just to focus on the Middle East... I think it is quite clear that, except for the Iran nuclear deal, under President… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
People are allowed to have multiple loyalties. They have religious loyalties, loyalty to family, to an organization and you can have loyalty… — John Mearsheimer Family Copy Share Image
Although the U.S.-Soviet rivalry was global in scope, its center of gravity was the Iron Curtain in Europe, where both sides had… — John Mearsheimer Air force Copy Share Image
The central aim of American foreign policy has traditionally been to dominate the western hemisphere while not permitting another great power to… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
Survival should be the number one goal, states can have all sorts of goals that are deeply immoral or unethical. But that… — John Mearsheimer Goal Copy Share Image
The sad fact is that international politics has always been a ruthless and dangerous business, and it is likely to remain that… — John Mearsheimer Business Copy Share Image
Our understanding of the mechanisms of escalation in crises and war is limited at best, although we know the risks are considerable.… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
Both the national security establishment and the high-tech community are interested in working overtime to contain China. — John Mearsheimer China Copy Share Image
I believe the Obama administration was asleep at the switch, not paying attention to what NATO and E.U. expansion - and promoting… — John Mearsheimer Attention Copy Share Image
Great power wars are very costly and dangerous, causing massive loss of life and worldwide turmoil, and possibly spreading to involve other… — John Mearsheimer Copy Share Image
Great powers that have no reason to fight with each other, but are merely concerned with their own survival, nevertheless have little… — John Mearsheimer Fight Copy Share Image
