Is a Fight with Russia Worth the Risks?

Net Assessment

Chris, Zack, and Melanie take some time to talk about how the United States, Europe, and Russia are dealing with the Ukraine conflict. Would a Russian win in a war which is costing billions of dollars, killing hundreds of thousands of Russians, and reinforcing Moscow's junior partner status to China only be a pyrrhic victory? Does Russia hold a winning hand because it seems to be willing to take on greater risk than Europe and the United States? Was the passive American reaction to the Russian drone incursion into Poland a sign that the US is done providing security commitments to Europe? Have European governments reached a consensus on whether a sovereign Ukraine is worth a military fight with Russia?

Chris is impressed with how Utah Governor Spencer Cox has handled the complex politics following the murder of Charlie Kirk, Zack has an atta for a colleague’s Golden Dome cost calculator, and Melanie is disappointed that the West Point Association of Graduates has cancelled an event at which Tom Hanks was to be awarded the Sylvanus Thayer Award for his longtime dedication to promoting stories of American heroism and innovation and elevating the stories of American veterans.

Show Links:

• Robert Kagan, “The Beginning of the End of NATO,” The Atlantic, September 10, 2025.

• Franz-Stefan Gady, “The Russia-Ukraine War: Europe’s Delusions over Deterring Russia,” September 10, 2025.

• Jeremy Shapiro, “Russia is Losing the War—Just Not to Ukraine,” The Atlantic, September 10, 2025.

• Alexandra E. Petri, “West Point Alumni Group Cancels Award Honoring Tom Hanks,” New York Times, September 7, 2025.

• Mike Stone, “Trump to Reinterpret 1987 Missile Treaty to Sell Heavy Attack Drones Abroad,” Reuters, September 6, 2025.

• Charlie Edwards and Nate S, “The Scale of Russian Sabotage Operations Against Europe’s Critical Infrastructure,” IISS, August 19, 2025.

• “Heroes and villains: Russia braces for eventual return of its enormous army,” Reuters, September 9, 2025.

• Joshua Rovner, Strategy and Grand Strategy, The Adelphi Series, International Institute for Strategic Studies, January 2025.

• McKay Coppins, “Trump Has a Warning for Spencer Cox,” The Atlantic, September 13, 2025.

• Todd Harrison, “Build Your Own Golden Dome: A Framework for Understanding Costs, Choices, and Tradeoffs,” American Enterprise Institute, September 12, 2025.

• US Policy Update on the Export of Unmanned Aerial Systems, State Department, September 15, 2025.