Hello All, Mykola and Phillips are back with a discussion ranging around the most important stories in the Russo-Ukraine War over the last two weeks. We start with a detailed discussion of the political crisis over the command of Ukrainian forces which seems to be happening between President Zelensky and General Zaluzhny. Whatever happens, it would be good if this were resolved soon.
Great podcast! I find the implication of the “unnamed US officials” that active defense will lead a negotiated settlement sounds like a page straight out of the de-escalation crowd. Phillips, I loved you calling out the insecurity of the US defense policy apparatus and their fragile egos to take credit for things that go well and throw AFU under the bus for things that have not worked. What is worse, is the sniping when the US is showing it is an increasingly unreliable ally.
Going forward, it would be great to hear from you and Mykola about the shifting center of gravity in NATO and European defense toward Poland, the Baltics, Finland and Sweden and how that is working for Ukraine. Also, if possible, a discussion on naval drone success you all mentioned at the outset and implications with that and what Mykola observed about stretching Russian AD to make decisions on what to defend.
Thanks Paul--I hope I didnt get too wound up then. I think we will delve into the work going on in the Nordics/Baltics/Poland and Czech to help Ukraine. Their combined contribution is, outside perhaps that of the USA, the most important that Ukraine has received.
I thought you were quite restrained! I would not have been so restrained in my assessment. There is far too much “reputation protection” and failure to admit errors in analysis and assessment. Unfortunately it looks like endemic institutional narcissism and hubris matters more than learning from experience and taking the world as it is and not how they wish it would be.
Hard to understand why USA journalists and other sources seem to love the hard times in Ukraine (no news is good news) and fail or actively ignore the successes. Just look at the numbers - Putin is now 700-odd days into his 3 day war with, technically, the odds in his favour from the start. He has 'the greatest army in the world/the greatest air force/ the greatest naval forces.' Ukrainians don't seem to think in terms of success although they celebrate POWs returns and also spectacular massive damage on Russian icons - the sunk Moskva being one among many.
Great discussion, as always, thanks to both. As you say Phillips, we can but hope that the US finds a way through its machiavelian Congress to do the right thing for Ukraine. But, in any event, Europe needs to get its act together and fast. Your further views on that area would be greatly appreciated.
Btw, the US Supreme Court might just manage to do the right thing and disqualify him, and short circuit the problem, but I have a nasty feeling they’ll find a nice comfy off-ramp to avoid doing that. As an academic on US politics and history ( et al) your views on the section 3 issue, if you could slip them in, by drone maybe(?),would be most welcome! But above all, both of you, keep going. Your stuff is important.
Hi Jonathan, I dont think the Supreme Court will keep Trump from running. It would hard to see this court in particular doing that. Yes on Europe getting its act together.
Great podcast! I find the implication of the “unnamed US officials” that active defense will lead a negotiated settlement sounds like a page straight out of the de-escalation crowd. Phillips, I loved you calling out the insecurity of the US defense policy apparatus and their fragile egos to take credit for things that go well and throw AFU under the bus for things that have not worked. What is worse, is the sniping when the US is showing it is an increasingly unreliable ally.
Going forward, it would be great to hear from you and Mykola about the shifting center of gravity in NATO and European defense toward Poland, the Baltics, Finland and Sweden and how that is working for Ukraine. Also, if possible, a discussion on naval drone success you all mentioned at the outset and implications with that and what Mykola observed about stretching Russian AD to make decisions on what to defend.
Thanks Paul--I hope I didnt get too wound up then. I think we will delve into the work going on in the Nordics/Baltics/Poland and Czech to help Ukraine. Their combined contribution is, outside perhaps that of the USA, the most important that Ukraine has received.
I thought you were quite restrained! I would not have been so restrained in my assessment. There is far too much “reputation protection” and failure to admit errors in analysis and assessment. Unfortunately it looks like endemic institutional narcissism and hubris matters more than learning from experience and taking the world as it is and not how they wish it would be.
reputation protection is a massive motivation for all of this--sadly
Hard to understand why USA journalists and other sources seem to love the hard times in Ukraine (no news is good news) and fail or actively ignore the successes. Just look at the numbers - Putin is now 700-odd days into his 3 day war with, technically, the odds in his favour from the start. He has 'the greatest army in the world/the greatest air force/ the greatest naval forces.' Ukrainians don't seem to think in terms of success although they celebrate POWs returns and also spectacular massive damage on Russian icons - the sunk Moskva being one among many.
Really hard to say. I think their sources might have bought the Russia-super-strong narrative from before, and have a hard time letting it go.
Great discussion, as always, thanks to both. As you say Phillips, we can but hope that the US finds a way through its machiavelian Congress to do the right thing for Ukraine. But, in any event, Europe needs to get its act together and fast. Your further views on that area would be greatly appreciated.
Btw, the US Supreme Court might just manage to do the right thing and disqualify him, and short circuit the problem, but I have a nasty feeling they’ll find a nice comfy off-ramp to avoid doing that. As an academic on US politics and history ( et al) your views on the section 3 issue, if you could slip them in, by drone maybe(?),would be most welcome! But above all, both of you, keep going. Your stuff is important.
Hi Jonathan, I dont think the Supreme Court will keep Trump from running. It would hard to see this court in particular doing that. Yes on Europe getting its act together.
Made my first donation to Come Back Alive last night, inspired by this podcast and the perfidy and loathsomeness of the Republican Party.
Great that you donated! Mykola and I really appreciate it!
We are still living in the world of Sykes Picoh mentality
3:12 "General Zelensky was relieved and there was about to be a new overall military commander."
Think there might be a slight bug in the software producing the transcript.