The Washington congressman said a Ukrainian offensive could beat Moscow’s forces back and have them at the bargaining table by the fall.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the conventional wisdom in both Russia and throughout the West was that it would be a short war and that Ukraine would succumb to the overwhelming military force being directed by Moscow. More than one year later, the war is still raging and the outcome is far from certain.  

Yet, Rep. Adam Smith believes he can now see an end in sight and that it will be Russia on its heels in the end. During an appearance for the Crosscut Ideas Festival in early May, the congressman who represents Washington’s 9th district, and who is the Democrats’ ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, said that he believed the path to a negotiated peace could begin as early as this fall. 

For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, we listen in on Rep. Smith’s conversation with Seattle University associate professor Connie Anthony as they discuss the conflict in Ukraine, as well as other pressing topics in the arena of foreign affairs.  

Smith offers up a defense of the United States involvement in the war and also provides some insight into brewing tensions with China.  

This conversation was recorded on May 3, 2023 at the Crosscut Ideas Festival in Seattle.

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Credits

Host: Paris Jackson

Producer: Seth Halleran

Event producers: Jake Newman, Anne O'Dowd

Engineers: Resti Bagcal, Viktoria Ralph

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