The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: The Coming Winter and the Latest Betrayal of Ukraine
Oct 20, 2026
Jimmy Rushton, a Kyiv Independent journalist covering Russia’s war, and Anastasiia Lapatina, a Ukrainian journalist and Lawfare fellow, discuss Ukraine’s worsening position. They examine ruptures in U.S.-Ukrainian relations, intelligence-sharing uncertainty, Starlink restrictions affecting drones, Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, and Kyiv’s perilous approach to winter. They also consider Patriot shortages, political tensions, and America’s credibility.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Energy Strikes Are Not Equivalent
- Trump blamed Ukraine’s refinery strikes for U.S. fuel prices while disregarding the different purposes of Russian and Ukrainian energy attacks.
- Ukraine targets Russian oil revenue; Russia targets Ukrainian power, heating, and civilian infrastructure to force submission.
The Energy Ceasefire Favors Russia
- The proposed energy ceasefire would exchange Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure for Russia stopping attacks on Ukrainian power plants.
- Because Ukraine lacks functioning oil refineries, Jimmy Rushton described the proposal as a unilateral Ukrainian concession.
Missed Warnings Did Not Prove Intelligence Cutoff
- Reports of suspended U.S. intelligence sharing appeared to stem from missed missile-launch warnings, not a policy cutoff.
- Shared intelligence supports air defense, Russian battlefield monitoring, and routes for Ukrainian deep strikes.