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, Michael Herson of American Defense International and Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO who is now with the Center for a New American Security.

Topics:

— Whether US defense spending will top $800 billion as Russia invades Ukraine in the largest combat action in Europe since World War II

— Republican criticism of President Biden as US leads global sanctions on Russia

— Impending retirement of Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and who could succeed the veteran lawmakers as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

— What’s next in Russia’s military campaign as Ukrainian resistance mounts and Vladimir Putin calls for Kyiv to surrender and “demilitarize”— Whether Putin stops at Ukraine or moves to seize Moldova or NATO territory

— Grading Biden’s performance in marshaling global response to Putin, including unprecedented sanctions on Russian banks, leading individuals and their families, and restricting technology exports

— China’s role in the conflict after striking a partnership with Russia

— View of conflict from the perspective is Indo-Pacific powers as they worry whether Beijing will learn lessons from Moscow that will shape it’s plans for militarily retaking Taiwan

— How China can use its CHIPS clearing house in Hong Kong as well as new digital renminbi to circumvent sanctions on Russia

— Prospects for and potential size of supplemental funding measure to cover Ukraine-related costs