russian tactics

Tommy and Ben discuss the futility of aerial aid drops by the US in Gaza, Kamala Harris’ speech calling for an immediate ceasefire, Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz’s visit to Washington, and do a preview of President Biden’s State of the Union address. Then they discuss the breakdown of order in Haiti as gangs overrun prisons, a German audio leak about long range missiles for Ukraine posted by Russian state media, France enshrining abortion into their constitution, the thousands of Russians who came out for Alexei Navalny’s funeral, repercussions for multiple US leakers of classified intelligence, and Tucker Carlson’s about face on Putin. Then Tommy speaks with Kholood Khair, a Sudanese political analyst and founder of the Confluence Advisory think tank about the civil war in Sudan.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the United States and allies have held back from sending Kyiv their most potent arms.

Over the past few weeks, that has started to change.

Guest: Eric Schmitt, a national security correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Ukraine has a narrow window of time to retake more territory ahead of an expected Russian spring offensive.
• The Biden administration is considering the argument that Kyiv needs the power to strike Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

For more information on today’s episode, visit 

nytimes.com/thedaily

. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

After invading, Russia’s military was expected to sweep through Ukraine within a few days, quickly seizing the capital, Kyiv, and installing a pro-Moscow government.

It hasn’t worked out that way.

Now, with Russia’s advance stalling, there are signs that President Vladimir V. Putin is ready to wage a much darker, grimmer campaign.

Guest: Eric Schmitt, a senior writer covering terrorism and national security for The New York Times. 

Background reading: 

• After days of miscalculation about Ukraine’s resolve to fight, Russian forces are turning toward an old pattern of opening fire on cities and mounting sieges.
• Plagued by poor morale as well as fuel and food shortages, some Russian troops in Ukraine have surrendered en masse or sabotaged their own vehicles to avoid fighting, a Pentagon official said.

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For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.