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:

— Update on congressional markup, prospects for BBB, reconciliation, covid relief and gun control legislation

— Implications of primary outcomes

— What’s next as Russia’s war on Ukraine grows bloodier and Kyiv calls for more assistance and Moscow works to take Donbas

— Outlook for Sweden’s accession to NATO as Swedish lawmakers of Kurdish decent saves Andersson government in exchange for Stockholm’s support for Kurds in Syria 

— Role Washington can play to resolve Swedish-Turkish rift to get Sweden and Finland into NATO

— China’s rising military belligerence including recent incidents involving Chinese fighters and Australian and Canadian aircraft

— Beijing’s new base in Cambodia as China expands its global operational footprint

— North Korea’s expected June 12 nuclear test as international security leaders meet in person at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual Shangri-La Dialogue

— Whether commission into Jan. 6 insurrection will change any minds

— What’s next for the JCPOA now that IAEA has lost confidence in Iran and Tehran switched off key cameras monitoring the country’s nuclear program