The war is going to be long. It will be decided on the battlefield. And a breakthrough for either side is very unlikely, at least in the near term.
In these conditions, what does a Ukrainian theory of victory look like? Ukraine’s former defense minister argues that Kyiv’s “objective should not be to defeat Russia outright or expect its regime to end the war because of economic or diplomatic pressure but to systematically deny it the ability to achieve its military goals.”
It’s called “strategic neutralization,” a battle plan Ukraine has been quietly adopting it for months. And on this week’s Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore has an in-depth conversation with its architect, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk.
Enjoy…
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SHOW NOTES
The audio clips opening the podcast and the second segment were from a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the 71st Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on October 13, 2025.
Andriy Zagorodnyuk’s article, Ukraine’s New Theory of Victory Should be Strategic Neutralization, which was discussed on the podcast, can be accessed here.
You can learn more about the Center for Defense Strategies here. Andriy Zagorodnyuk’s recent publications can be accessed here, here, and here.
The Power Vertical Newsletter on Substack can be accessed here. Recently published work by Brian Whitmore can be accessed here, here, here, and here. Please follow Brian Whitmore and The Power Vertical on Bluesky @powervertical.bsky.social