Following Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the United States, and as Ukraine continues to make incremental gains in its counteroffensive in the east, reports are surfacing that Washington is finally ready to provide Kyiv with the long-range ATACMS missile systems it has been seeking.
With the first US-made Abrams Tanks arriving in Ukraine this week and with Kyiv continuing to hit deep behind Russian lines, most recently with a strike on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, some are hopeful that a battlefield breakthrough could come soon.
But, with winter coming there are also fears that the front line could deadlock and political support in the West could dry up.
So where do things stand as Russia’s war on Ukraine enters its 19th month? On this week’s Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Jeff Mankoff, a Distinguished Research Fellow at National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies and author of the recently published book Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security, and James Sherr, a Senior Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security and author of the book Hard Diplomacy and Soft Coercion: Russia’s Influence Abroad.
Also on the podcast, we discuss how Azerbaijan’s capture of Nagorno-Karabakh and Russia’s inability or unwillingness to defend Armenia, have changed the security equation in the South Caucasus.
Enjoy…
SHOW NOTES
The opening audio clip for the podcast is from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech on Sept. 28, 2023. The translation is as follows:
“I thank all of you for your strength! I thank each and every one of you who are currently in battle, at combat positions, on combat missions! We are working to provide you with more weapons, more powerful and effective weapons! Our Ukrainian weapons. And it will happen. Glory to you, warriors! Glory to Ukraine!”
Jeff Mankoff’s published works can be accessed here and here. His book, Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security, can be purchased here.
James Sherr’s published works can be accessed here and here. His book, Hard Diplomacy and Soft Coercion: Russia’s Influence Abroad, can be purchased here.