FP Live: Ukraine’s Battlefield Dynamics

Ukraine’s Battlefield Dynamics

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Having withstood a winter offensive from Russia, Ukraine is likely to strike back at some point in the coming weeks. It raises several questions about what such a counterattack might look like, how Kyiv should define its goals, and how allies in Europe and the United States should think about helping.

James Stavridis is a retired four-star admiral who served as supreme allied commander at NATO. He is currently a managing director of the Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. FP’s Ravi Agrawal spoke with him on FP Live to discuss how Washington should think about arming Ukraine and what Kyiv should consider while planning its forthcoming push to repel Russian forces. Watch the conversation on-demand or read a condensed and edited transcript exclusive for FP Insiders.

Retired Adm. James Stavridis, a former NATO supreme allied commander, explains why it’s unlikely that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine.

Watch to see why this former NATO supreme allied commander disagrees with the incremental approach of the Biden administration toward Ukraine.

Adm. James Stavridis, U.S. Navy (retired)

Former NATO supreme allied commander

James Stavridis is a retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral and NATO supreme allied commander. He also served as dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University for five years.

 

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A tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna in the Lugansk region of Ukraine on Jan. 12. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images
A tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna in the Lugansk region of Ukraine on Jan. 12. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Are America and Europe Aligned on China?
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The war in Ukraine has propelled the United States and Europe closer on a variety of foreign-policy issues. But do Washington and Brussels agree on how to deal with Beijing’s growing clout...Show more

A tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna in the Lugansk region of Ukraine on Jan. 12. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images
A tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna in the Lugansk region of Ukraine on Jan. 12. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Inside the U.S.-China Tech War
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Over the last few years, the United States has moved to limit China’s technological rise. U.S.-led sanctions have imposed unprecedented limits on Beijing’s access to advanced computing c...Show more

A tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna in the Lugansk region of Ukraine on Jan. 12. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images
A tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna in the Lugansk region of Ukraine on Jan. 12. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images

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