The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: A Tumultuous Week in Ukraine-Russia Relations, with Anastasiia Lapatina and Mykhailo Soldatenko
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Jun 5, 2025 Anastasiia Lapatina, Lawfare's Ukraine Fellow and author of the Yours Ukrainian Substack, joins Mykhailo Soldatenko, a Legal Fellow and Harvard Law doctoral candidate, to dissect the tumultuous events in Ukraine-Russia relations. They discuss surprise attacks, troop movements, and stalled peace talks in Istanbul. The conversation delves into the complexity of prisoner exchanges, Russia's pressure tactics in negotiations, and the evolving Ukrainian identity amid conflict, emphasizing the geopolitical stakes and the implications for NATO.
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Escalation During Negotiations
- Russia escalates battlefield operations during negotiations to pressure Ukraine.
- Ukraine uses asymmetric technology, like drone strikes, to offset manpower issues.
Prisoner Exchanges Are Key
- Prisoner and body exchanges are the primary negotiation success between Ukraine and Russia.
- Russia sees such exchanges as low-cost goodwill gestures without strategic concession.
Azov Fighters Symbolism Issue
- Russia resists returning Azov fighters due to ideological claims and their symbolic status.
- Ukraine views Azov fighters as heroes for their defense in Mariupol, creating a sensitive issue in exchanges.