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:

— How Washington and Brussels should support Kyiv as Ukraine’s offensive regains thousands of square miles of territory from Russian forces that appear to have fled in disarray

— Ways Russia may respond to Ukrainian battlefield successes

— Reports of atrocities committed by Russians after areas like Izium were liberated by Ukrainian forces and how revelations will shape

— Implications of Xi Jinping’s message to Vladimir Putin in Samarkand that the “limitless” partnership between China and Russia has clear limits

— Whether China sees opportunity in rebuilding Ukraine in the wake of devastating war that’s left the country in ruins

— Powerful address by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the EU’s success and the importance of ensuring Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat, and whether EU will remain united as right-wing parties gain power across Europe including Sweden and Italy

— The appetite in the US Congress for continued support for Ukraine

— Pressure that Washington may have to exert on Gulf states that have offered Russians haven from sanctions and move closer to China

— Update on National Defense Authorization Act, appropriations and continuing resolution to fund government

— Outlook for November elections as Trump-backed candidates continue to win Republican primaries and how Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., proposed national legislation to ban abortions at 15 weeks will impact House and Senate races

— Whether Donald Trump will face any penalties for taking and failing to return highly classified documents

— Roundup of major developments across Asia as the United Nations General Assembly prepares to convene