Has the war in Ukraine reached a turning point?
On this episode of Peace and Power Ukraine, host Gary Marx welcomes back former U.S. Ambassador Gregory Slayton, Chairman of Slayton Capital and author of Portraits of Ukraine: A Nation at War, for a wide-ranging conversation on Ukraine’s battlefield momentum, growing economic pressure on Russia, and why Slayton believes Vladimir Putin is increasingly running out of options.
Ahead of his return to Kyiv for Ukrainian Independence Day, Slayton discusses the upcoming second edition of Portraits of Ukraine and the importance of helping Americans better understand Ukraine’s history, culture, and fight for freedom. The conversation then turns to sanctions, Russia’s struggling economy, Ukrainian strikes against Russian infrastructure, and the growing pressure the war is placing on ordinary Russians.
The episode covers:
Slayton also explains why he sees Ukraine’s democratic resilience and continued European support as signs of strength, and argues that battlefield losses, economic strain, and declining military effectiveness are increasingly putting Russia on the defensive.
00:00 — Russia’s growing battlefield problems
00:31 — Ambassador Gregory Slayton returns
01:16 — Returning to Kyiv for Independence Day
05:17 — Portraits of Ukraine
10:00 — New sanctions against Russia
13:00 — Does Ukraine now have the advantage?
15:20 — Russia’s economy and oil industry
17:34 — Bringing the war home to Russia
20:06 — Protests and democracy in Ukraine
22:17 — Religious freedom and Russian propaganda
24:09 — Has the war reached a turning point?
25:49 — Problems inside the Russian military
27:50 — Ukraine, Kyiv, and Ukrainian culture
30:04 — Why Ukrainians continue to fight
31:35 — Closing thoughts