Why Russia's Size Is Now a Weakness

Marko and Jacob dive into the latest twists of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Marko makes the case that Russia’s size—once its biggest advantage—is now a glaring weakness, as Ukraine’s drones expose just how fragile pipelines, refineries, and infrastructure really are. Along the way, they poke fun at NATO’s cautious responses, revisit Poland’s not-so-quiet history, and question whether Russia is more paper kitty than paper tiger. It’s lively, skeptical, and very Papic.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - The AI Adoption Decline

(00:37) - Geopolitical Tensions: Russia, NATO, and Ukraine

(05:06) - The Impact of Drone Warfare

(11:59) - Russia's Strategic Vulnerabilities

(20:44) - Historical Context and Modern Implications

(26:30) - The Future of Russian Aggression

(45:37) - Debating Predictions and Hot Takes

(46:39) - American Foreign Policy and Trump's Role

(50:33) - H-1B Visa Controversy

(52:47) - The Impact on US-India Relations

(56:19) - The Role of Immigration in American Greatness

(01:05:45) - Jimmy Kimmel and Cancel Culture

(01:18:05) - Concluding Thoughts on Media and Politics

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Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

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Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

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Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.

Marko’s Book & Newsletter: www.geopoliticalalpha.com/marko-papic

Marko’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-papic-geopolitics/

Marko’s Twitter: https://x.com/Geo_papic

Marko’s Macro & Geopolitical Research at BCA: https://www.bcaresearch.com/marketing/geomacro