About this episode

The episode discusses the unexpected dismissal of Ukraine's Defense Minister with insights from experts in international relations.

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Michael Carpenter, a senior fellow for Transatlantic Affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies 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 as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia; and Max Bergmann, director of the Europe and Russia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who served as a member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff and as a speechwriter for former Secretary of State John Kerry.

People in this episode

Host: Brian Whitmore

Guests: Michael Carpenter, Max Bergmann

Topics covered

• Ukraine
• Defense
• Political Analysis
• International Relations
• Transatlantic Affairs

Keywords

• Ukraine
• Defense Minister
• Michael Carpenter
• Max Bergmann
• International Relations
• Transatlantic Affairs
• Political Analysis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Institute for Strategic Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies, NSC, OSCE, Department of Defense, Secretary of State, John Kerry

Places: Ukraine, United States, Russia, Eurasia

More episodes of The Power Vertical Podcast by Brian Whitmore

• UKRAINE, POLAND, AND HISTORY · July 9, 2026 · 1h 5m
• WAR AND INNOVATION - HOW UKRAINE REVOLUTIONIZED CIVIL DEFENSE · July 1, 2026 · 58 min
• THE KREMLIN’S NERVOUS BREAKDOWN · June 25, 2026 · 57 min
• INNOVATION NATION: HOW UKRAINE IS REVOLUTIONIZING WARFARE · June 11, 2026 · 1h 8m

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