How Will The Russia-Ukraine War Come To An End? Deep Dive Ukraine 03: John E. Herbst

One of the biggest questions when it comes to the brutal and drawn-out Russia-Ukraine war is how it can be brought to an end, and crucially, could it ever be replaced by a stable peace? To understand this, we have to ask not just where we are now, but how we got here. For episode 03 of our Deep Dive Ukraine, Michael Liebreich is in Kyiv with John E. Herbst, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Centre and former US Ambassador to Ukraine, to explore the origins of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the chance for a stable peace, Russia and Ukraine’s vulnerabilities, and the role of NATO. They also examine the changing US approach to military support and negotiations, and the risks of a peace deal that forces Ukraine to surrender territory. Topics covered in this episode: - Why Putin invaded Ukraine - Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil infrastructure - NATO expansion and Russian aggression - The legacy of the Orange Revolution - The cracks in Putin’s regime - Trump’s shifting approach to peace - The risks of territorial concessions - Can Russia’s regime collapse? **Links:** - John E. Herbst’s bio: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/john-e-herbst/ - Atlantic Council Eurasia Center: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/eurasia-center - Michael’s Substack on Ukraine striking Russian oil refineries: https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/why-ukraine-should-keep-striking - Subscribe to our newsletter: https://cleaninguppod.substack.com - MAP - Membership Action Plan - FSB - Federal Security Service (Russia) **Leadership Circle:** Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Climate Imperative Foundation, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit cleaningup.live. **Chapters:** - 00:00 Intro - 02:15 The Orange Revolution - 06:45 Putin’s Ambitions - 11:00 NATO and Ukraine - 16:30 US Policy Shifts - 22:00 Ukraine’s Oil Strikes - 26:00 Sanctions Hit Russia - 29:00 Cracks in Putin’s Regime - 36:00 Ukraine’s Winter - 39:00 Paths to Peace - 44:27 Outro