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 and Dr. Kathleen McInnis, the director of the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Topics:

— Russian decision to evacuate Kherson as Ukrainian forces continue their drive to liberate occupied territories as Moscow strikes Ukraine’s cities, infrastructure and military units with missiles and Iranian drones

— NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels to craft 14-nation Sky Shield program to protect Europe from air and missile threats as alliance steps up air and missile defenses for Ukraine

— Nuclear tensions as NATO declines to discuss options as France declares it would not retaliate if Russia strikes Ukraine with atomic weapons

— Need for US and allied leaders in Europe and Asia to renew nuclear planning and training as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran resort to nuclear saber rattling and intimidation

— As the Chinese Communist Party convenes on Sunday to make Xi Jinping leader for life, Beijing tries to use AUKUS agreement to fracture Australian politics and diminish role of “Anglo-Saxon” nations in Asia

— North Korea’s continued missile tests

— Taipei’s warning that China risks war by continuing to overly Taiwan with drones and missiles

— Analysis of Biden administration’s National Security Strategy and what to expect from upcoming Nuclear Posture Reviews and National Defense Strategy

— Role of women in demonstrations demanding regime change in Iran and whether the Islamic Republic will collapse as quickly as Shah’s

— Whether latest Jan. 6 insurrection hearing revelations change political dynamics in November elections