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The Charles T. McDowell Center for Global Studies and Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center

The Power Vertical Podcast by Brian Whitmore covers emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today. Brian Whitmore is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center and Russia and Eurasia Specialist and Assistant Professor of Practice at the Charles T. McDowell Center for Global Studies at The University of Texas at Arlington.

The Power Vertical Podcast by Brian Whitmore

And as the Kremlin seeks to exploit the transatlantic rift, Ukraine is seeking a way to survive it. We're in uncharted waters folks. 

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Michael Carpenter, a senior fellow for transatlantic affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who served in the administration of former U.S President Joe Biden as the NSC's Senior Director for Europe as well as the US Ambassador to the OSCE; and Eric Ciaramella, a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who served as a deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the U.S. National Intelligence Council.

FEAR AND LOATHING IN DAVOS

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Katya Pavlevych, founder of the organization Forget Us Not, a civil society coalition advocating for the return of Ukraine's abducted children, and an advisor on children' s issues at Razom for Ukraine; and Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Andreas also is the author of the 2024 report "Russia’s Forcible Transfers of Unaccompanied Ukrainian Children: Responses from Ukraine, the EU and Beyond" and has testified in the European Parliament on the issue.

RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINIAN CHILDREN

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Peter Dickinson, editor of the UkraineAlert blog at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and the publisher of the magazines Business Ukraine and Lviv Today; and Serhiy Kudelia, a Professor of Political Science at Baylor University and author of the recently published book, Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine.

ZELENSKY'S RESET

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore talks with journalist and longtime Russia-watcher Casey Michel about the Kremlin’s competing narratives surrounding its invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on Michel’s new Atlantic Council Eurasia Center report, they break down how myths about history, identity, and Russia’s place in the world have shaped Moscow’s decisions. The conversation also explores how believing these false narratives has led the Putin regime to critical miscalculations in Ukraine and beyond.

MYTHS, NARRATIVES, AND WAR

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore breaks down the most damaging corruption scandal of Zelenskyy’s presidency, as Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies allege that close associates of the president plotted to skim nearly $100 million from the energy sector amid nationwide blackouts caused by Russian strikes — and with signs of a troubling Russian link inside the scheme. At the same time, reports have surfaced that the United States and Russia have discussed a possible peace deal without Ukraine’s participation, one that appears to demand near-total capitulation from Kyiv. Brian is joined by Michael Carpenter and James Sherr to unpack what this means for Ukraine’s political stability, Western support, and the broader direction of the war.

UKRAINE'S PERILOUS MOMENT

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with military analyst Michael Kofman about the intensifying battle for Pokrovsk — a key Ukrainian stronghold under mounting Russian assault. With nearly a third of front-line fighting concentrated in or near the city, the discussion examines why Pokrovsk matters strategically, what its potential fall could mean for Ukraine’s defenses, and how the narrative surrounding it shapes perceptions of the war’s trajectory.

THE POKROVSK ENDGAME - AND AFTERMATH

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Kyiv-based analysts Peter Dickinson and Mykola Bielieskov about the escalating Russian assault on Pokrovsk. They discuss what the city’s fate means for Ukraine’s defensive strategy, the morale of both sides, and the evolving story of the war’s perception in the West.

THE BATTLE OF POKROVSK

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with James Sherr, Honorary Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security in Tallinn. They unpack a week of geopolitical whiplash — from talk of U.S. Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine to sudden reversals and new sanctions on Russia. Whitmore and Sherr break down what this rollercoaster reveals about the state of the war, the shifting diplomacy around it, and Europe’s evolving stance at the latest EU summit.

WAR, DIPLOMACY, AND POLITICS

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodniuk, chairman of the Center for Defense Strategies in Kyiv. They discuss Zagorodniuk’s concept of “strategic neutralization,” Ukraine’s emerging theory of victory focused on systematically denying Russia’s ability to achieve its military objectives rather than seeking total defeat. The conversation explores how this strategy plays out across the Black Sea, ground, air, cyber, and information domains. Whitmore and Zagorodniuk also examine how recent diplomatic developments and shifting battlefield conditions could shape Ukraine’s long war strategy.

HOW UKRAINE WINS THE WAR

In this episode of The Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Laura Thornton of the McCain Institute, David Smith of the Moldova Small Enterprise Alliance, and Corina Rebegea of Accountability Lab about Moldova’s pivotal parliamentary elections. With Russia deploying disinformation, crypto scams, and even the Orthodox Church as tools of influence, the stakes extend far beyond Chisinau. The panel unpacks how this “multi-vector war” could reshape Moldova’s democratic trajectory, impact Ukraine and Romania, and alter the balance of security across Europe.

THE BATTLE FOR MOLDOVA

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore unpacks the latest developments on the ground with retired U.S. Admiral James Foggo.

The Fog of War

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