About this episode

Sam Stein and Michael Weiss discuss Steve Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin and the implications for U.S. foreign policy.

Sam Stein and Michael Weiss take on Steve Witkoff’s groveling meeting with Vladimir Putin, the growing power struggle inside Trump’s administration over Russia, and why CIA Director John Ratcliffe is emerging as a counterweight to Witkoff’s approach. Plus, Weiss explains why the reality on the battlefield may be considerably worse for Putin than the conventional wisdom suggests. Try Larineco Pouches for nicotine-free focus plus daily enamel support, with 50mg of caffeine, L-Theanine, Alpha GPC, and nano-hydroxyapatite in every pouch. Get up to 50% off at https://buylarine.com/bulwarktakes Related Links: Financial Times — US spy chief prepares for greater role in Russia-Ukraine talks https://www.ft.com/content/d0557d25-78b5-45d8-bb33-d655e859d803 The Wall Street Journal — How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA https://www.wsj.com/world/putin-witkoff-russia-envoy-04da229d

People in this episode

Host: Sam Stein

Guest: Michael Weiss

Topics covered

• Russia
• Trump administration
• CIA
• Putin
• power struggle
• military analysis

Keywords

• Steve Witkoff
• Vladimir Putin
• John Ratcliffe
• CIA
• Russia
• Trump administration
• military situation
• Larineco Pouches

Sponsors

Larineco Pouches

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CIA, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal

Products: Larineco Pouches

More episodes of Bulwark Takes

• Trump Wants to Take the Guardrails Off AI. What Could Go Wrong? · September 10, 2026 · 44 min
• MAGA Thursdays: Laura Loomer Is Picking Fights at Trump’s MAGA Convention · September 10, 2026 · 60 min
• Live Coverage of Trump's Midterm Convention Speech · September 9, 2026 · 2h 32m
• More Iran Attacks, Oil Problems Worsen, Tanker-for-Tanker Strategy | Command Post Live · September 9, 2026 · 41 min
• Trump’s Big Midterm Convention Is Already Looking Like a Flop · September 8, 2026 · 16 min
• Trump Spent the Weekend Posting Truly Unhinged Stuff | Morning Shots · September 8, 2026 · 39 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Bulwark Takes podcast page.