The Burn Bag Podcast

Former NSC official Lt. Col. (Ret.) Alexander Vindman joins The Burn Bag to break down the fallout from the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska, the Monday meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders at the White House, and the dangerous trajectory of U.S. diplomacy on Ukraine. A former NSC Director for European Affairs and key Trump impeachment witness, Lt. Col. Vindman argues that Trump’s ad hoc engagement with Putin diminished U.S. credibility, granted Putin international legitimacy, and undermined Ukraine’s sovereignty. He discusses Putin’s proposed land-for-peace deal, Zelenskyy’s constrained agency, and the risk that Washington’s approach trades away strategic leverage for short-term optics. Lt. Col. Vindman and A'ndre discuss discuss whether Monday's White House Summit of Trump, Zelenskyy, and European allies actually showcased unity, in addition to the current state of the war. The former NSC official offers a candid assessment of what’s at stake—for Ukraine, for Europe, and for American credibility on the global stage.Read Lt. Col. Vindman's new book, The Folly of Realism, here.

The war in Ukraine didn’t start in 2022—it started in Crimea in 2014. In this episode, we sit down with University of Michigan professor and anthropologist Dr. Greta Uehling to explore the story of the Crimean Tatars, Ukraine’s Indigenous people and one of the first communities to resist Russian occupation in 2014. Drawing on years of fieldwork and personal testimony, Greta shares how Crimean Tatars have faced erasure, exile, and repression—yet continue to preserve identity, community, and resistance under impossible conditions.We dive into the historical roots of the Crimean Tatar struggle, their role in shaping Ukraine’s civic identity, and why Crimea remains central to understanding the war today. From silent protests to grassroots organizing, this conversation spotlights the people and stories often left out of the headlines—but at the heart of Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty.Greta's new book, Decolonizing Ukraine: How the Indigenous People of Crimea Remade Themselves after Russian Occupation, is available now.

In this episode of The Burn Bag, A’ndre sits down with retired CIA analyst Gina Bennett, who famously authored the first classified warning about Osama bin Laden in 1993. A key voice in the fight against al-Qaeda — and featured in the Netflix documentary Manhunt — Gina reflects on her decades in intelligence and how the U.S. national security system has long understood the nature of threats.Now, she’s pushing for a paradigm shift with her Hunter-Gatherer National Security theory — a bold framework that challenges the traditional, militarized view of power and argues that skills like emotional intelligence, civic engagement, and social cohesion are just as vital to national security as military might. Together, A’ndre and Gina explore the deep historical biases embedded in how we define “security,” the concept of evolutionary power, the dangers of neglecting civic education in a democracy, and what a more holistic, evolved security strategy could look like.

Dr. Kurt Campbell, former Deputy Secretary of State and an architect of the U.S. “Pivot to Asia,” joins the Burn Bag to unpack the strategic crossroads the United States faces in the Indo-Pacific. In a wide-ranging conversation, Campbell discusses the Trump administration’s ongoing tariff negotiations with key allies and partners, the shifting contours of U.S.-China competition, and why he believes the United States is underestimating Beijing’s long-term scale and capacity. Drawing from his recent Foreign Affairs essay with Rush Doshi, we explore his call for a new strategy of “allied scale” that fuses defense, trade, and technology cooperation. Campbell shares sharp insights on the future of AUKUS, the role of partners such as India, Japan, and Korea, and how the U.S. must adapt its strategy to stay competitive in a region that’s central to the 21st century.Read Kurt's Foreign Affairs op-ed (co-authored with Rush Doshi) here.

In this episode, we’re joined by Shubhi Mishra, founder and CEO of Raft, to talk about what it takes to become a new defense prime. Shubhi challenges the dominance of legacy primes and makes the case for smaller, faster-moving companies that can deliver what the warfighter actually needs. Through her work at Raft — a defense technology company building agile, AI-driven solutions for data fusion and rapid decision-making — she’s tackling one of the most urgent problems in defense: integrating siloed, vendor-locked systems. Shubhi shares her perspective on breaking free from “innovation theater,” reforming acquisition processes, and building real, interoperable solutions at the speed of relevance.Read more about Shubhi here.

On this episode of The Burn Bag, we unpack the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites—marking a sharp escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict and raising fears of a wider regional war. National security expert Javed Ali joins us to trace the timeline from the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel to the Israeli strikes deep inside Iran and the decision that brought U.S. forces directly into the fight. We discuss the key turning points that drove the escalation, the role of Iran’s nuclear program in the conflict, and the potential for asymmetric retaliation from Iran’s extensive proxy network. Javed also offers insight into the precarious ceasefire announced by President Trump, what it might take to hold it, and the critical signals to watch in the weeks ahead.

In this episode, A’ndre speaks with retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of Joint Special Operations Command and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Widely recognized for revolutionizing modern counterinsurgency strategy and interagency counterterrorism operations, McChrystal reflects on a lifetime of leadership, failure, resilience, and personal growth through the lens of his new book, On Character: Choices That Define a Life.The conversation begins with McChrystal’s reflections on the defining moment of his resignation from the military and how it reshaped his understanding of identity, accountability, and integrity. He speaks candidly about navigating fear and how it presents itself in warfare and political polarization. General McChrystal also discusses leadership and accountability, drawing on the examples of prior military leaders such as General Dwight D. Eisenhower.Topics covered include:The personal reckoning after his resignation and how it redefined his understanding of characterLeading through fear, uncertainty, and moral complexityHow belief systems and perception shape conflict, politics, and leadershipBridging division in a polarized society and restoring trust through integrityYou can purchase On Character here.

In this episode, A’ndre speaks with his old boss Dr. Paul Staniland, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and a leading authority on political violence and South Asian security, for an in-depth conversation on the recent confrontation between India and Pakistan.Dr. Staniland analyzes the strategic logic behind India’s Operation Sindoor, launched in response to a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. The conversation explores the evolving nature of India and Pakistan's disputes over Kashmir, the role of militant networks, and the risks of escalation in a nuclear-armed region shaped by domestic politics and great power rivalry.Topics covered include:The political and strategic rationale behind India’s cross-border strikesPakistan’s relationship with armed groups and its role in crisis escalationLessons from past India-Pakistan confrontations — and what may be different nowThe role of the U.S., China, and backchannel diplomacy in managing the ceasefireHow domestic politics contributed to the confrontationDr. Staniland offers a uniquely grounded perspective on how South Asia’s most volatile rivalry is evolving — and what to watch for as both countries recalibrate their strategies under rising regional and global pressure.

In this episode, A’ndre speaks with Mark Linscott, former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative and one of Washington’s most experienced trade negotiators, for an in-depth discussion on the logic and implications of President Trump’s "reciprocal" tariffs.With decades of experience leading U.S. trade policy across multilateral institutions and bilateral platforms, Linscott offers expert analysis on how tariffs are being used as both an economic and geopolitical tool. The conversation covers the legal basis for executive tariff authority, the mechanics behind President Trump's “reciprocal tariffs,” and how Trump administration’s actions will impact the global trade landscape.Topics covered include:• The fundamentals of tariff policy and the legal tools used to implement them• The scope and possible strategy behind Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs• Escalating U.S.-China trade tensions and the role of 145% tariffs• Reactions from key partners such as India, and the broader global economic impact• How tariffs are being increasingly intertwined with national security concernsMark Linscott brings a uniquely informed perspective on how current tariff policies may redefine America’s role in global trade — and what to watch as the economic and political consequences unfold.

In this episode, A’ndre speaks with Dr. Yousef Munayyer, Senior Fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC, about recent U.S. policy developments affecting pro-Palestinian activism, including efforts by the Trump administration to deport foreign students and activists involved in campus protests.The conversation explores how the war in Gaza is shaping political expression in the United States, particularly in the context of university activism, and examines broader questions around immigration policy, civic space, and public discourse. Dr. Munayyer also provides his view on U.S. support for Israel and how this is influencing domestic debates.Topics covered include:The current state of the conflict in Gaza and U.S. policy under both Biden and TrumpThe status of the two-state solution and implications of regional diplomacyCampus protests and public discourse surrounding Israel-PalestineRecent deportation efforts impacting international studentsThe intersection of foreign policy, free expression, and immigration enforcementPossible long-term impacts on U.S. civic space and international engagementDr. Munayyer authored a chapter Suppressing Dissent: Shrinking Civic Space, Transnational Repression, and Palestine-Israel, which you can find here.