
War on the Rocks
Discussions over drinks with security, defense, and foreign policy insiders and experts. The original War on the Rocks podcast series.
Latest episodes

Sep 18, 2023 • 36min
A Chat with Britain's Top Officer, Adm. Radakin
Adm. Sir Antony Radakin, Britain's Top Officer, discusses the UK's support for Ukraine, challenges Russia is facing, future plans for the British military, and the status of AUKUS in a chat with War on the Rocks.

Sep 8, 2023 • 28min
Ukrainian Progress: A Breach or a Breakthrough of Russian Lines?
Discussion on the state of the Ukrainian offensive, assessing progress and challenges. Analysing the dynamics of the conflict with Russia, defense lines, and shifting balance of power. Exploring areas for improvement in Ukrainian training and future needs. Examining the death and potential future of a prominent figure and their organization. Analyzing the significance of Wagner, a mercenary group, in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

6 snips
Aug 31, 2023 • 22min
Debating FISA Section 702
On this episode of the War on the Rocks podcast, deputy assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden, Joshua Geltzer, sat down with Nicholas Danforth to discuss the administration’s case for the reauthorization of section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. They discussed the act's role in a changing threat environment, challenges in Congress and potential avenues to mitigate civil liberties concerns.

13 snips
Aug 25, 2023 • 47min
How Ukraine Can Win the Peace: A Conversation with Stephen Kotkin
Stephen Kotkin discusses the ongoing offensive in Ukraine, the false shortcuts to ending the war, analyzing the possibility of extending the war, challenges faced by Ukraine, and the pursuit of avoiding a wider war. He also explores the concept of victory for Ukraine and the challenges of achieving an enduring peace.

Aug 22, 2023 • 36min
A Contest of Wills: Ukraine's Summer Offensive
The podcast discusses Ukraine's ongoing offensive, including updates on the progress and dynamics of the war. They explore US intelligence estimates and criticisms, analyze losses and credibility in the Ukrainian conflict, and discuss defense investments and events in the Black Sea. The challenges and risks of enforcing a blockade on Ukraine are also examined.

Aug 3, 2023 • 30min
Zooming Out on Ukraine's Offensive
Ryan and Mike finally found themselves in the same locale after heavy travel and sat down for a in-depth conversation on Ukraine's offensive, how we got here, and what might be coming next.

Jul 27, 2023 • 36min
An Inflection Point in Ukraine’s Counteroffensive
Aaron sat down with Mike to discuss the Ukrainian counteroffensive and where things stand along the three axes of advance. The two discussed the state of the Ukrainian armed forces, the units committed to the fight, Russia's well-prepared defense and whether the offensive is at an inflection point.

Jul 21, 2023 • 31min
Ryan Evans on 10 Years of War on the Rocks
To mark the tenth anniversary of War on the Rocks, Philip D. Zelikow did us the honor of interviewing Ryan on the origin story of War on the Rocks, where it's gone from there, and where it is going next.

Jul 20, 2023 • 31min
Ukraine Struggles to Scale Offensive Combat Operations
On this special sneak peak of the Russia Contingency, Mike sat down with Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, to discuss the findings from their recent research trip to Ukraine. The conversation covered Russian defensive lines, the role that mines have played in stymying Ukraine's counteroffensive, and the broader challenges the Ukrainian military has with scaling offensive operations. To listen to part 2 of this episode, as well as a series of conversations about the Ukrainian counteroffensive and the Russian military, sign up today to become a member of War on The Rocks.

Jul 11, 2023 • 23min
Assessing Ukraine's Three Axes of Advance
On this sneak-peak episode of the Russia Contingency, Aaron sat down with Mike Kofman to discuss the state of the Ukrainian military's offensive, the different axes of advance and what the offensive may be able to tell observers about the direction of the conflict. Listeners will get to hear the first 20 minutes of the conversation. To hear the rest, which examined the recent debates in Russia about nuclear weapons use and looked back at Yevgeny Prighozin's mutiny, please consider becoming a War on the Rocks member.