Over the past several months, the world’s attention has been focused on the ongoing counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army. Many of Ukraine’s supporters had high hopes for this operation, with the United States and its European allies having provided unprecedented levels of military aid to Kyiv in preparation. Yet as the summer concludes without evidence of decisive territorial gains by Ukraine, perspectives on the conflict’s trajectory are becoming increasingly pessimistic. Nonetheless, some observers have pushed back against this narrative, noting Ukraine’s steady progress in the face of formidable challenges, and calling supporters to not give up hope. In this episode of Brussels Sprouts, hosts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend are joined by Mike Kofman and Lieutenant General Mark Hertling to discuss the state of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Mike Kofman is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on the Russian military and Eurasian security issues.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling is a former United States Army officer who previously served as commander of U.S. Army Europe from 2011-2012.