On Don Lemon Tonight Thursday, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria spoke about the global fallout of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, stating that it is more impactful than the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S. The main reason is that the 2001 attack was carried out by a group of stateless terrorists, as opposed to a nuclear armed country.

“What we are seeing is the return of great-power politics in the world after a 30 year holiday. That is a seismic event. This is a much bigger deal than 9/11,” Zakaria said. “Because 9/11 was a band of thugs. All the governments of the world were against them. Eventually they were able to crush those kind of terrorist. Here what you have is, the most powerful nuclear power in the world is threatening to use that kind of strength, even to use nuclear weapons to tear up the rules of the road that have governed international relations since 1945.”

Zakaria believes that the internationally respected norms following WWII, including not trying to take over another country, have now been shattered and that the world has changed on a massive scale.

“No change of borders by force. No massive acquisitions of territory. All these rules have been thrown out of the window,” Zakaria said. “We really have to recognize, we are in a new world, and I think the Biden administration is doing exactly the right thing in recognizing the scale of the problem, the scale of the stakes involved.”

Video Transcript

FAREED ZAKARIA: What we are seeing is the return of great-power politics in the world after a 30-year holiday. That is a seismic event. This is a much bigger deal than 9/11.

KYLIE MAR: On "Don Lemon Tonight," Thursday, CNN's Fareed Zakaria laid out why he believes Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine will be more impactful on the world than the 9/11 terrorist attack on the US. One reason, according to Zakaria, is because the aggressor, in this instance, is a nuclear power on the global stage.

FAREED ZAKARIA: 9/11 was a band of thugs. All the governments of the world were against them. Eventually, they were able to crush those kind of terrorists. Here what you have is, the most powerful nuclear power in the world is threatening to use that kind of strength, even to use nuclear weapons.

KYLIE MAR: As Russia appears poised to move even further into Europe if successful in Ukraine, Zakaria says international norms that have lasted since the end of World War II have been shattered and that the world has now changed on a massive scale.

FAREED ZAKARIA: No change of borders by force. No massive acquisitions of territory. All these rules have been thrown out of the window. We really have to recognize, we are in a new world. And I think the Biden administration is doing exactly the right thing in recognizing the scale of the problem.

KYLIE MAR: And while some believe President Biden is asking too much in his latest aid proposal for Ukraine, Zakaria believes it is absolutely necessary.

FAREED ZAKARIA: We've taken sides now on this. I think we're on the right side. We cannot afford to lose. And if that means Ukraine needs $10, $20, $30, $33 billion more in aid, well, the alternative is that Vladimir Putin wins, the Western democracies lose.