Fukuyama explained why Ukraine is a key country in modern geopolitics and what the threats are

Stanford University Professor Francis Fukuyama stated it speaking at the opening of a special Kyiv Security Forum "Immunity of Eastern Europe: a vaccine of freedom against the virus of enslavement."

"Ukraine is a key country for current global geopolitics and for the future of democracy around the world. If Ukraine succeeds in building democratic institutions and fighting corruption, several other countries in the region will be able to achieve the same. On the other hand, Ukraine can inspire other peoples who want to live in democratic societies," Fukuyama said.

According to him, today democracies face several challenges. The first is strengthening the positions of authoritarian states, including Russia and China.

"Russia is interfering in the internal affairs of its neighbors and in the policies of democracies, including the United States. Russia has mastered several new means to destabilize democracies around the world. It has turned the Internet into a weapon and created a new war, a hybrid one, allowing it to send the troops to other countries and also deny it," the world-famous political scientist and philosopher noted.

He believes, President Putin doesn't have a solid foundation and has chosen the wrong way to form a powerful state, because the modernization of Russia's economy has failed and cannot be competitive, as it still depends on fossil energy sources and energy prices.

"Putin has taken a tremendous risk, turning this weakness into a political advantage. He has invaded Ukraine and Georgia, supported authoritarian regimes in Venezuela and other regions. This leads to international isolation and sanctions," Fukuyama said.

Despite Russia's actions, the political expert believes that China poses a greater threat globally in the long run.

"China poses a greater threat to global democracy in the long run than Russia, although it currently poses a less direct threat to Ukraine. China's economy is larger and much more dynamic than Russia's. Chinese companies are leaders in 21st-century technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The Chinese have powerful tools to expand their influence, including the ability to build infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative.

As their power grows, so do their ambitions," Fukuyama said.