In this powerful episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, We speak with Estonian MP and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson for an unflinching conversation about Russia’s imperial legacy, the modern authoritarian playbook, and what it takes to defend democracy today.
Drawing on decades of experience as a journalist and politician, Mihkelson shares eyewitness insights from the First Chechen War, the Kremlin’s early efforts to dismantle democracy, and how the West has enabled Moscow’s aggression through appeasement and inaction.
We explore:
- The roots of Russian imperialism and its resurgence under Putin
- The formation of a new authoritarian axis: Russia, China, Iran, North Korea
- How democracies are losing the information war
- Why disinformation is the autocrats’ sharpest weapon
- Estonia’s leadership in cybersecurity and digital democracy
- What the West must do to ensure Ukraine’s victory
- The dangers of Western political amnesia and moral hesitation
- The generational fight for liberty, and what it means to resist
Mihkelson argues that defeating Russia in Ukraine is essential to securing a future for free societies and sends a clear message to dictators everywhere: You will not succeed. You will be defeated.
Highlights
00:03 – Witnessing the death of Russian democracy
05:30 – Interviewing Chechen president Dzhokhar Dudayev on the frontline
10:00 – The authoritarian alliance and the long war against democracy
19:00 – How Russia uses disinformation as a weapon of war
24:30 – Estonia’s cybersecurity response and the future of digital defence
33:00 – Why the West must stop appeasing Russia
42:00 – The risk of World War III if Ukraine is not supported
53:00 – What a post-imperial Russia could look like
1:00:00 – Marko’s personal journey: from Soviet occupation to Estonian freedom
1:10:00 – A message to young democrats — and to the autocrats themselves
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Enjoy!
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Democracy is Non-Negotiable
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