What are Trump and Putin cooking up for Ukraine? Can the Europeans sideline it? What options does Ukraine still have on the table? And does any of this really matter to non-Europeans any more?

This week, the ceasefire talks that President Trump boasted he'd wrap up in 24 hours fell apart, again. Russia says it wants an end to the war, if Ukraine effectively surrenders. Trump now admits Putin might be "dragging his feet".

Misha Zelinsky lived in Ukraine for the first year of the war, reporting from the conflict. A Fulbright Scholar and national security expert, he has the honour of being personally sanctioned by the Putin regime.

Misha and Josh assess where the conflict currently stands, what Ukraine's options are now, and whether it still matters to the rest of us.

His recent book is "The Sun Will Rise", a fictional story inspired by his time in Ukraine.

In this conversation, we reference:


Josh's conversation with the former President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, here.


Josh's conversation with Wall Street Journal reporter Marcus Walker on Ukraine here.

Watch this conversation onYouTube. And you’re missing out on our best ad-free content if you haven’t popped over to theUncomfy Convos Substackpage.

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙 𝕊𝕫𝕖𝕡𝕤 (@joshzepps) on X

Instagram (@joshszeps)

Josh Szeps on TikTok

What are Trump and Putin cooking up for Ukraine? Can the Europeans sideline it? What options does Ukraine still have on the table? And does any of this really matter to non-Europeans any more?
This week, the ceasefire talks that President Trump boasted he'd wrap up in 24 hours fell apart, again. Russia says it wants an end to the war, if Ukraine effectively surrenders. Trump now admits Putin might be "dragging his feet".
Misha Zelinsky lived in Ukraine for the first year of the war, reporting from the conflict. A Fulbright Scholar and national security expert, he has the honour of being personally sanctioned by the Putin regime.
Misha and Josh assess where the conflict currently stands, what Ukraine's options are now, and whether it still matters to the rest of us.
His recent book is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sun-Will-Rise-Misha-Zelinsky/dp/1637632959">"The Sun Will Rise"</a>, a fictional story inspired by his time in Ukraine.
In this conversation, we reference:
<ul data-indent-level="1">
<li>
Josh's conversation with the<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/toomas-hendrik-ilves-ex-president-of-estonia/id1002920114?i=1000554224326" data-testid="link-with-safety" data-renderer-mark="true"> former President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, here.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/toomas-hendrik-ilves-ex-president-of-estonia/id1002920114?i=1000554224326" data-testid="link-with-safety" data-renderer-mark="true"></a>Josh's conversation with Wall Street Journal reporter <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/marcus-walker-are-we-handing-putin-victory/id1002920114?i=1000631761729" data-testid="link-with-safety" data-renderer-mark="true">Marcus Walker on Ukraine here</a>.
</li>
</ul>
Watch this conversation on <a href="http://youtube.com/@JoshSzeps_" data-testid="link-with-safety" data-renderer-mark="true">YouTube</a>. And you&rsquo;re missing out on our best ad-free content if you haven&rsquo;t popped over to the <a href="https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe" data-testid="link-with-safety" data-renderer-mark="true">Uncomfy Convos Substack</a> page.
<a href="http://twitter.com/joshzepps" aria-label="http://twitter.com/joshzepps" data-testid="inline-card-resolved-view">𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙 𝕊𝕫𝕖𝕡𝕤 (@joshzepps) on X</a>
<a href="http://instagram.com/joshszeps/" aria-label="http://instagram.com/joshszeps/" data-testid="inline-card-resolved-view">Instagram (@joshszeps)</a>
<a href="http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations" aria-label="http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations" data-testid="inline-card-resolved-view">Josh Szeps on TikTok</a>

The world has never been more connected. Yet never more divided. We yell at each other from inside our echo chambers. But change doesn’t happen inside an echo chamber. It’s time to get out, to stretch our legs, to step on some land mines. It's time to have an uncomfortable conversation with Josh Szeps.

A DM Podcast

The world has never been more connected. Yet never more divided. We yell at each other from inside our echo chambers. But change doesn’t happen inside an echo chamber. It’s time to get out, to stretch our legs, to step on some land mines. It's time to have an uncomfortable conversation with Josh Szeps.
A DM Podcast