Episode 234: “The Chess Pieces are Moving: Russia, Putin, the Wagner Group, Ukraine, China, Xi, and Blinken” with Stephen Bryen

Two months ago I wrote “the war in Ukraine drags on at a terrible cost for all involved with no seeming end in sight. Ukraine is on the ropes and running out of manpower with its most of its elite forces destroyed. Missiles for its air defenses are depleted. Both sides are dragooning teenagers and old men for their armies. Russia’s military command is in disarray.” 

Since then, the situation’s grown worse - for both sides. 

So I’ve asked my frequent guest Stephen Bryen back for another conversation for his take on what’s likely to happen next. Stephen is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy and the Yorktown Institute, and has over 50 years’ experience in the arms trade and national security including several stints in the Pentagon.

As usual, there’s a lot packed into our brief conversation, ranging from Zelensky’s and Putin’s future, and the Wagner Group uprising, to China’s involvement and Xi’s designs on Taiwan. And of course Tony Blinken’s recent humiliation at the hands of the Chinese.

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