Earlier than his posting to Washington, Mikko Hautala was Finland’s ambassador to Russia, the place he met Vladimir Putin extra instances than he can depend. Hautala occupied his submit in Moscow throughout the essential years following Putin’s first invasion of Ukraine.
Since the struggle started, he’s turn out to be effectively often known as the individual to discuss to to perceive Putin, Russia and the battle in Ukraine.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host Ryan Lizza talks with Hautala about what People don’t perceive about the Russian chief, the implications of the rising alliance between China and Russia, Finland’s accession to NATO, and why he believes the West wants to massively ramp up its industrial functionality if it desires Ukraine to survive.
