In Episode 403 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Russia and U.S. national security experts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Michael Kofman about the Ukraine peace talks between the United States and Russia, and whether they are part of a larger vision by the Trump administration to reset American grand strategy and the global order.
Across the first and second hour of the podcast, Taylor, Kofman, and Kofinas discuss:
1. Ongoing negotiations in Saudi Arabia between the United States and Russia aimed at ending the Ukraine War
2. Russian factional politics
3. The future of Europe and European security
4. U.S.-China relations
5. U.S., Russian, and Chinese nuclear doctrines
6. The future of America’s alliance structures
7. The emergence of a new world order shaped by realpolitik, reciprocity, and a more transactional U.S. foreign policy
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00:00 Introduction
03:27 Andrea's Background and Focus
04:04 Michael's Background and Focus
05:58 Current US-Russia Peace Talks
11:46 Trump Administration's Urgency and Strategy
26:38 Origins of the Conflict
27:45 Casualty Figures and Their Impact
36:59 The Role of Demographics in the War
40:32 Trump's Strategy and Relations with Russia
42:06 U.S. Policy Shift and Its Implications
47:04 Transactional vs. Strategic Approaches
50:35 Topics for the Second Hour
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Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas
Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou
Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas
Episode Recorded on 02/25/2025