War on the Rocks From Alaska to the White House to the Battlefields of Ukraine
36 snips
Aug 22, 2025 
Mike Kofman, a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace with expertise in Russian military affairs, and Dara Massicot, an expert on Russian military capabilities, dive into the complex dynamics of the Ukraine conflict. They discuss the implications of recent summits, Putin's strategic gains, and Europe’s role in shoring up Kyiv. The conversation covers shifting security guarantees, territorial debates, and Ukraine's endurance amid ongoing military attrition, highlighting the intricate interplay of diplomacy and battlefield realities.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Use U.S. Backstop To Mobilize Europe
- Europe should finance and provide weapons while the U.S. coordinates and supplies additional arms and logistics.
- Use U.S. support as a backstop to persuade hesitant European partners to commit forces or resources.
Donetsk Is Important But Not The Center
- Donetsk is operationally important but not the war's center of gravity.
- Russians historically try to bypass the defensive belt rather than assault it head-on.
Zaporizhia Poses Greater Military Risk
- Urban Donetsk remains politically critical for Ukraine even if defensive value varies.
- Losing Zaporizhia and threatening Dnipro would be more catastrophic militarily than losing Donetsk.