What is Soviet Union?

Ukraine's geological surveys of critical mineral deposits date from the Soviet era and have not been updated in 30 to 40 years, with the underlying data held by Moscow rather than Kyiv.

“The geographic surveys that sort of outline what's actually there in Ukraine date from the Soviet era and so there haven't been really any updated surveys for you know 30 40 years.”

Max Levchin on the Soviet Union's collapse being a surprise to no one who lived there.

“The death of Soviet Union was surprised to exactly zero people because we knew as people who lived there more than most that nothing ever changed for the better.”

Max Levchin explains why the Soviet collapse surprised no one who lived there: insiders knew conditions never improved, so the end was foreseeable even if the timing was not.

“The death of Soviet Union was surprised to exactly zero people because we knew as people who lived there more than most that nothing ever changed for the better.”

Freezing a geopolitical problem for 20 years can be a superior strategy to seeking a permanent resolution, because unexpected events such as the Soviet collapse can dissolve the problem entirely.

“We know that there is a long-term problem out there. And sometimes a really good solution is to freeze it for 20 years. just freeze it for 20 years.”