Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast Douglas Macgregor: U.S. Pivoting Away from Ukraine, Europe & NATO
Dec 11, 2025
Douglas Macgregor, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and military strategist, shares his insights on the changing U.S. National Security Strategy, suggesting a shift away from Ukraine and NATO. He highlights the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, including low morale and untrained recruits. Macgregor critiques European leaders for escalating the conflict, notes the military-industrial complex's influence, and predicts NATO's collapse. He calls for European nations to handle their own security, foreseeing a tumultuous political landscape ahead.
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U.S. Pivot From Europe Lacks Execution Plan
- The new U.S. National Security Strategy signals a U.S. withdrawal from long-term military commitments in Europe and elsewhere.
- Douglas Macgregor warns the document lacks a coherent strategy for how to execute that withdrawal or manage its consequences.
Missed Istanbul Opportunity Shaped The War
- Macgregor argues the U.S. squandered an early diplomatic chance to end the war in 2022 at Istanbul.
- He says subsequent Western policy rested on misjudging Russia's resilience and expecting its collapse.
Preferences Don’t Substitute For Strategy
- The National Security Strategy expresses preferences but not a coherent framework for priorities or implementation.
- Macgregor emphasizes preference statements (Western Hemisphere focus) without practical pathways or negotiations with other powers.