Ukraine Sticks To Its Guns
On 19 August 2025, I was on “Democracy Now!” with Amy Goodman talking about Ukraine. There was a second guest, Denys Pilash, a Ukrainian political scientist, who was speaking from Kyiv. We both agreed that the Alaska summit did not bring us any closer to either a ceasefire or a negotiated peace settlement. But otherwise, there was deep disagreement between the two of us on how to think about the Ukraine war, especially regarding how to move forward. My sense from listening to Mr. Pilash — who is in no mood to compromise with Russia on any issue — is that it is virtually impossible to see how Russia and Ukraine will agree to settle this war diplomatically, and therefore it will be settled on the battlefield. I hope I am wrong, but I cannot tell myself a plausible story that ends with a genuine peace agreement.
The West is still trying to achieve their goals against Russia despite their defeat on the Ukraine battlefield and having their geopolitical strengths badly sapped elsewhere. Russia will not let that happen, and that is clearer by the day.
Amy Goodman hmmm. I imagine she invited you on to her show to make you look foolish and discredit your point of view. I’m hesitant to watch the madness but I admire your bravery for showing up there.