Olympic gold medalist argues in video that podcaster’s remarks about war in Ukraine is result of Putin-led plot

Summary

Former Ukrainian boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko accused podcaster Joe Rogan of “repeating Russian propaganda” after Rogan criticized U.S. military aid to Ukraine and suggested it could escalate into World War III.

Klitschko defended Ukraine’s resistance against Russia, highlighting the country’s fight for freedom and condemning Rogan’s remarks as aiding Putin’s agenda.

He invited Rogan to discuss their differences on the podcast “like free men.”

Rogan, who recently endorsed Donald Trump, called the war a “proxy war” and criticized Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian soil with U.S.-supplied missiles.

  • nednobbins@lemm.eeEnglish
    31·
    19 hours ago

    Why is “proxy war” in scare quotes?

    It’s just a war where at least one of the belligerents is supported by at least one third party. Is there anyone who doubts that the Ukraine war meets any part of that definition?

    • Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      9 hours ago

      I don’t consider it a proxy war.

      Ukraine isn’t a US proxy nor is Russia anyone’s proxy.

      • nednobbins@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        3 hours ago

        I’m not sure why people keep saying this.

        A proxy war has nothing to do with either side being “a proxy.” It only means that one of the sides is being supported by some nations that’s not part of the war. That’s very obviously the case here.

        • Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          2 hours ago

          In political science, a proxy war is an armed conflict where at least one of the belligerents is directed or supported by an external third-party power. In the term proxy war, a belligerent with external support is the proxy; both belligerents in a proxy war can be considered proxies if both are receiving foreign military aid from a third party country. Acting either as a nation-state government or as a conventional force, a proxy belligerent acts in behalf of a third-party state sponsor.[1]

          I imagine it’s the latter part of the above from Wikipedia and long-term use in Cold War language with that part stressed.

          The “in behalf” is what I believe is missing in the current example unless then Russia is also a proxy of China and North Korea.

      • nednobbins@lemm.eeEnglish
        4·
        18 hours ago

        I get that people don’t want to associate Ukraine with the US’s horrible track record with proxy wars but the term is still just a dry political definition and the Ukraine war fits it perfectly.

        It would stop being a proxy war if the US (and everyone else) cut off funding or if they actually engaged in hostilities. As long as the US (or any nation) aids Russia or Ukraine without directly participating, it’s a proxy war because that’s how proxy wars are defined.

        • _cryptagion@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          22·
          18 hours ago

          Would Iran, North Korea, and the other countries sending arms to Russia need to cut their support for it to stop being a proxy war? Or do they get a free pass for being the underdogs?