Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast Gilbert Doctorow: Russia Escalates, Hidden Diplomacy, and EU Chaos
22 snips
Jan 27, 2026 Gilbert Doctorow, historian and analyst of Russia and European affairs, discusses volatile diplomacy and hidden backchannels shaping the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He covers Russia’s proposals on frozen assets, Maynard-style reconstruction deals, and secret talks linking Washington and Moscow. The conversation highlights rising Russian escalation, EU fractures over assets, and shifting prospects for negotiated settlements.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Frozen Assets As Diplomatic Leverage
- U.S.–Russia relations show contradictory signals: public diplomatic channels stall while high-level backchannels advance important deals.
- Russia floated using frozen assets to buy a seat on Trump's proposed peace board and fund reconstruction, revealing creative leverage in negotiations.
Backchannels Over Public Diplomacy
- Trump appears to rely on secure backchannels with Putin, reducing the role of public diplomacy and State Department channels.
- Doctorow argues these backchannels likely prevented escalatory U.S. moves like sending tomahawks to Ukraine after a stern Russian message.
Arms Talks Need To Match New Weapons
- New START renewal may be irrelevant given Russia's deployment of novel strategic systems not covered by the treaty.
- Doctorow stresses arms talks must adjust to new weapons like near-space and other systems beyond New START's scope.
