Rethinking War and Power: What We're Getting Wrong about Ukraine's Counteroffensive (with Phillips O'Brien)

With the Ukrainian counteroffensive nearly two weeks in, many optimistic observers have been quick to call it a failure. To discuss this mass misunderstanding—and misunderstandings around modern warfare writ-large—Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Phillips O'Brien, American historian and professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. To what extent did Ukraine's unprecedented success during the February 2022 battle of Kharkiv warp public perception about how wars are fought? How much of a constraint is a lack of airpower for Ukrainian forces? Given the available resources, what should we reasonably expect from Ukraine this summer? O'Brien concludes by suggesting that any true understanding of the Russia-Ukraine war requires a fundamental reassessment of what makes a great power.Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's biweekly newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter here. Subscribe to Phillips O'Brien's substack here.

Om Podcasten

Ensuring the balance of power in Europe has, since the inception of our republic, been a core security interest for the US. Today, and for the entire post-Cold War period, the challenges to the European peace have emerged along the line running roughly from the Baltic to the Black Sea. This is what we call the Eastern Front. Our goal in this podcast is to better inform the American people about what’s going on there. Join us, Iulia Joja and Dalibor Rohac every week on in our discussions on what’s next for “The Eastern Front.”