On this Washington Roundtable episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast, sponsored by Bell, our guests are Dov Zakheim, PhD, former DoD comptroller, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute, Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO who is now with the Center for a New American Security and Michael Herson of American Defense International.

Topics:

— Congress goes down to the wire to approve $1.7 trillion appropriations measure to keep government from closing

— What chaotic year-end process tells us about legislative year to come

— Whether Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington and powerful address to joint session of Congress will changer vector of US support for Kyiv in 2023

— How Russia’s war on Ukraine has changed Washington, Europe and Aisa’s approach toward strategic thinking and security

— Why those who criticize Europe for not doing enough to support Ukraine are wrong

— French President Emmanuel Macron’s latest call for greater European security investment

— Review of China’s moves this year, including Beijing’s escalation of rhetoric before Xi Jinping’s coronation, and the charm offensive that followed

— Reversal of China’s covid policy and what it means for economic activity in the new year as many return to hometowns to celebrate lunar new year

— Unraveling of Afghanistan and Iraq despite wars and US investment totaling more than $4 trillion and thousands of lives

— Israel and Iran recap