Daniel Davis Deep Dive

Andrei Martyanov, a military affairs analyst and author, examines Pete Hegseth’s meeting with Netanyahu and the prospect of renewed strikes on Iran. He explores Christian Zionism and political financing in Washington, the economic fallout of a regional war, Zelensky’s pressure campaign, and why Russia rejects a ceasefire pause. The conversation closes with a look at the emerging U.S.-Russia-China power balance.

Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired U.S. Army colonel and former Colin Powell chief of staff, examines the collision of crises involving Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and China. He explores Iran-Russia cooperation, nuclear brinkmanship, the risks of attacking Iranian islands, Putin’s leverage over Washington, and Ukraine’s uncertain future. The conversation also challenges Western assumptions about power, diplomacy, and global decline.

A proposed Putin-Trump-Xi summit raises fears that Ukraine and Europe could be sidelined in peace talks. The discussion examines Trump’s shifting Russia policy, Zelensky’s increasingly difficult position, and claims that Western support has prolonged Ukraine’s defeat. It also challenges warnings of a Russian assault on Europe and explores the risks to American credibility.

Roger Koeppel, a Swiss journalist, publisher, and political commentator, joins a wide-ranging discussion on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the risks of military escalation. They examine Europe’s energy vulnerabilities, France’s unrest, migration and asylum policy, the rise of right-wing parties, and growing political polarization. The conversation also explores Ukraine, shifting U.S. support, and the danger of a direct Russia-NATO confrontation.

John Mearsheimer, a University of Chicago political scientist and leading realist scholar, examines the risks of renewed U.S.-Iran escalation. He discusses why larger bombs cannot force Tehran to surrender, Iran’s leverage in the Gulf, Israel’s strained multi-front war, and the danger of economic collapse. He also explores Ukraine, Russia, Europe’s limits, and the suppression of dissent in Western foreign-policy debates.

Scott Ritter, a former U.S. Marine intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector, examines the proposed MOAB strike on Iran and whether it offers a face-saving exit. He explores risks to Gulf energy infrastructure, Saudi Arabia’s vulnerability, Israel’s limits, and shifting U.S. support. Ritter also discusses Trump, Ukraine’s weakening defenses, Russia’s next moves, and Ukraine’s deepening humanitarian crisis.

Larry Johnson, a former CIA officer and State Department counterterrorism official, examines Washington’s changing stance toward Ukraine, Starlink restrictions, dwindling air defenses, and Zelensky’s political future. He challenges prevailing war narratives, warns of European escalation and nuclear miscalculation, and explores the risks of a new U.S.-Iran conflict, Saudi vulnerability, and misinformation driving avoidable wars.

Chris Martenson, economic researcher and founder of Peak Prosperity, explores the Iran conflict’s impact on global energy and trade. They discuss attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupted oil and LNG shipments, Europe’s fuel crunch, fertilizer shortages, and threats to food production. The conversation also examines Trump’s options, escalation risks, possible motives behind the crisis, and fears of unintended consequences.

Michael von der Schulenburg, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General and senior diplomat, examines Europe’s detachment from Ukraine’s battlefield reality. He discusses dwindling air defenses, the limits of Western weapons and sanctions, the loss of American influence, and Ukraine’s demands for Patriot missiles and Starlink. The conversation explores negotiations, failed-state risks, shifting German signals, and the possibility of wider war.

Iran’s underground missile network and retaliation capabilities take center stage, along with the economic fallout another regional war could trigger. The discussion then turns to Trump’s promises on Russia and Ukraine, Washington’s leverage over Kyiv, wartime propaganda, Europe’s denial of Russia’s advantages, and the grim moral case for ending the conflict.