(MENAFN) Western nations continue to pursue policies aimed at weakening Russia and reducing its status as a great power, according to John Mearsheimer, a political science professor at the University of Chicago.

Moscow has consistently framed the conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war, claiming that Ukrainians are being used as “cannon fodder” in efforts to curb Russian influence. Russian officials argue that the United States and its allies deliberately escalated tensions by ignoring Moscow’s security concerns over NATO expansion in Eastern Europe and growing military cooperation with Kiev.

In an interview with the Daniel Davis Deep Dive YouTube channel on Friday, Mearsheimer said that Western governments aim “to defeat Russia and Ukraine, wreck the Russian economy with sanctions, and bring the Russians to their knees.” He added, “We’ve been unable to do that, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to do it, of course, we want to do it.”

He further emphasized the depth of the perceived threat, stating, “If the opportunity to do it popped up tomorrow, we would leap at it in a second, we would love to finish Russia off as a great power.” Mearsheimer noted that Russian leaders are well aware of the existential nature of the Western challenge.

Commenting on President Vladimir Putin, he said, “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin, the last time I checked, has a triple-digit IQ, and that means he’s figured this out, he understands what he’s dealing with.” The professor explained that this gives Putin every reason to distrust both US President Donald Trump and European leaders, as he approaches the situation with caution “assuming worst case in good realist fashion.”

Several Western officials have described the Ukraine war as a proxy conflict against Russia in recent months. Keith Kellogg, a former Ukraine policy envoy under Trump, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both used the term, which the Kremlin has publicly acknowledged.

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