The Power Vertical Podcast by Brian Whitmore

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore looks at this military revolution with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodniuk and Michael Carpenter, who served in the administration of former President Joe Biden as the NSC's Senior Director for Europe and U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE; and in the administration of Barack Obama, Mike served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia.

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Peter Dickinson, editor of the UkraineAlert blog at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and the publisher of the magazines Business Ukraine and Lviv Today; and Serhiy Kudelia, a Professor of Political Science at Baylor University and author of the recently published book, Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine.

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore breaks down the most damaging corruption scandal of Zelenskyy’s presidency, as Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies allege that close associates of the president plotted to skim nearly $100 million from the energy sector amid nationwide blackouts caused by Russian strikes — and with signs of a troubling Russian link inside the scheme. At the same time, reports have surfaced that the United States and Russia have discussed a possible peace deal without Ukraine’s participation, one that appears to demand near-total capitulation from Kyiv. Brian is joined by Michael Carpenter and James Sherr to unpack what this means for Ukraine’s political stability, Western support, and the broader direction of the war.

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Kyiv-based analysts Peter Dickinson and Mykola Bielieskov about the escalating Russian assault on Pokrovsk. They discuss what the city’s fate means for Ukraine’s defensive strategy, the morale of both sides, and the evolving story of the war’s perception in the West.

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodniuk, chairman of the Center for Defense Strategies in Kyiv. They discuss Zagorodniuk’s concept of “strategic neutralization,” Ukraine’s emerging theory of victory focused on systematically denying Russia’s ability to achieve its military objectives rather than seeking total defeat. The conversation explores how this strategy plays out across the Black Sea, ground, air, cyber, and information domains. Whitmore and Zagorodniuk also examine how recent diplomatic developments and shifting battlefield conditions could shape Ukraine’s long war strategy.

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Michael Carpenter, Senior Fellow for Transatlantic Affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and James Sherr, Honorary Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security. They unpack Russia’s latest drone incursions into NATO airspace, the EU’s proposed “drone wall,” and Moscow’s broader sabotage campaign across Europe. The discussion explores whether these escalations mark a new phase in Russia’s hybrid war and what the West can do in response.