Is Ukraine Now Winning the War Against Russia? (w/Michael Kofman)

About this episode

The episode discusses the current state of the Russia-Ukraine war and Ukraine's potential advantage in the conflict.

More than four years into the Russia-Ukraine war, has the battlefield finally begun to shift? Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer sit down with Michael Kofman, one of the leading analysts of the conflict, fresh off a trip to Ukraine's frontlines. Kofman argues that Ukraine is in its strongest position since 2023 and explains why Russia's grinding offensive may be running out of steam. Together, they discuss how Ukraine used drones and battlefield innovation to offset Russian advantages, why Moscow's military strategy is producing diminishing returns, and what it would take to translate recent developments on the battlefield into a lasting political settlement. They discuss: Why Kofman believes Ukraine has gained the advantage for the first time in years How drones and decentralized defense production have transformed the battlefield Whether Russia can be convinced that continuing the war is futile Subscribe to The Long Game on Substack for exclusive video content, transcripts, and more. This week, paid subscribers will receive a special mailbag segment where Jake and Jon answer listener questions. Follow The Long Game so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Show notes are…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jake Sullivan, Jon Finer

Guest: Michael Kofman

Topics covered

• Ukraine
• Russia
• war analysis
• military strategy
• drones
• political settlement

Keywords

• Ukraine
• Russia
• war
• drones
• military strategy
• political settlement
• Michael Kofman

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vox Media Podcast Network

Places: Ukraine, Russia

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