Vladimir Putin makes a rare foreign trip, visiting Beijing to attend the Belt and Road Forum, where he is greeted warmly by Xi Jinping. The two autocratic leaders claimed they were trying to establish a “fairer, multipolar world.”
And following a high-profile visit to Israel amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East, U.S. President Joe Biden gave a prime time Oval Office address in which he also addressed Russia’s war against Ukraine, calling for additional aid and saying that Moscow’s imperial ambitions do not end there.
And, oh by the way, almost lost in all the excitement this week, Ukraine has just received those long-range ATACMS missiles that Kyiv has long been seeking.
With the broader geopolitical environment in flux, it is a good time to take stock as Russia’s war of aggression passes its 600th day and approaches its 20th month. On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Kramer, Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas. Enjoy…
SHOW NOTES
The audio clips opening the podcast and the second half were from U.S. President Joe Biden’s Oval Office address on October 19, 2023. The full transcript can be accessed here.
David Kramer’s published work can be accessed here.