After months of fierce fighting, mostly in the Donbas region, Ukraine's attempt to push through Russia occupation zone to reach the Sea of Azov appears to have failed. Russia's incredibly dense minefields, its increasingly sophisticated use of drones, and its willingness to weather extraordinary casualties have all contributed to a lack of Ukrainian progress. But the West's failure to supply Ukraine with the weapons it needs, whether artillery, tanks or fighter jets, have all contributed to these setbacks. Now, as winter sets in, Ukrainians are braced for intense Russian aerial bombardment. Alongside this grim prospect, western attention is now more focused on events in Israel and Palestine. According to President Zelensky, this has resulted in fewer artillery shells reaching Ukraine. Underlying all of this is the fact that the US is no longer continuing supplying Ukraine - as a result of congressional gridlock and a Republican Party that appears closer to Moscow than to Kyiv.

Who better to discuss these difficulties with than the man in the lucky orange hat, John Sweeney - joining me from Kyiv. John can be found on Twitter @johnsweeneyroar and also has a very worthwhile Patreon https://www.patreon.com/JohnSweeneyRoar/posts

As ever, you can find me on https://arthursnell.substack.com/

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@snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank.

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