Amanpour

Former US Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker 

Dec 16, 2025
Tymofiy Milovanov, former Ukrainian economy minister, discusses Ukraine's security demands and the complex implications of using frozen Russian assets. Yousef Sweid, an actor and playwright, shares the personal stories behind his one-man play exploring his Palestinian-Israeli identity. Saikrishna Prakash, a constitutional law scholar, dives into the controversial history and modern uses of presidential pardons, highlighting their partisan influences and potential for abuse. These discussions cover the intersection of politics, identity, and governance.
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INSIGHT

No Evidence Russia Has Conceded

  • Kurt Volker says there's no public sign Russia is willing to end the war and Moscow still demands major Ukrainian territory.
  • He sees value in aligning the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe on a common peace vision to strengthen deterrence.
INSIGHT

Make Guarantees Serious And Permanent

  • Volker supports U.S. security guarantees equivalent to NATO to deter further Russian aggression.
  • He questions why such guarantees would be temporary if designed to reestablish deterrence in Europe.
ADVICE

Bind Guarantees Through Ratification

  • Ratify U.S. security commitments through the Senate to make them binding and credible.
  • Treat guarantees as funded, operational commitments not mere statements to ensure deterrence.
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