The Return of Great Powers

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Is 2024 going to be like 1939? Several trends today share parallels with the onset of World War II, CNN reporter Jim Sciutto argues in his new book, The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War. Sciutto, who reported live on CNN from Ukraine at the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, draws on more than two decades of reporting around the world to chart out the dangers of a growing alliance between Russia and China and the likelihood of a new nuclear arms race. Sciutto joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal to share themes and ideas from his book.

Video clips from this event

  • CNN anchor Jim Sciutto sounds the alarm on today’s great-power competition.

  • Sciutto on how India and China reined in a Russian nuclear threat.

  • Sciutto explains why today’s geopolitics contain the ingredients for another “1939 moment.”

  • Sciutto argues that former U.S. President Barack Obama misread the signs of Chinese aggression.

  • Sciutto cautions against hawkishness on China, which he calls a “rare bipartisan issue.”

Read the Transcript

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a ceremony to mark the delivery of nuclear fuel to Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, via a video link from Moscow.

Did Russia Come Close to Using a Nuclear Device in 2022?

CNN reporter Jim Sciutto on the return of great-power conflict.

Insider  |  Ravi Agrawal

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The Return of Great Powers

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