William Brangham:
But will yesterday’s announcement of new weapons have the intended effect, or does this new deadline give Russian President Vladimir Putin weeks more to continue his onslaught?
For perspective on all this, we get two views. Kimberly Kagan is the president of the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank. And Jennifer Kavanagh is a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, which advocates for restraint in U.S. foreign policy
Kimberly Kagan and Jennifer Kavanagh, great to have you back on the program.
Kim Kagan, to you first. The president and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte yesterday made this announcement, and the president has presented this as a real boost for Ukraine and a real threat to Russia. Do you see it that way?
Kimberly Kagan, President, Institute for the Study of War: President Trump’s decision to allow Europeans to buy American weapons and thus support Ukraine on the battlefield is fundamental and important. It’s important to Ukraine’s ability to plan and sustain its battlefield campaigns, and it’s extremely important in telling Putin that the United States will stand behind its allies and partners and that the United States will in fact use force or help with the use of force to bring Putin to the negotiating table.
