‘The Military Needs to be Cleaned Out with a Fire Hose’

The Shocking Fact That Exposes How Weak Putin’s Army Really Is

Mike Baker speaks with Seth Jones of the Center for Strategic and International Studies about a startling historical comparison that puts Russia’s war in Ukraine into sharp perspective. Jones notes that at the same point in time during World War Two, the Soviet Union had already reached Berlin—highlighting just how limited Russia’s battlefield gains have been today, and how much weaker Vladimir Putin’s modern military appears by comparison.

Why Beijing Fears the Fall of Iran’s Regime

Mike Baker speaks with Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies about why the Iranian regime is so critical to China’s ambitions in the Middle East. They break down how a collapse in Tehran would disrupt Beijing’s energy security, regional influence, and long-term strategic positioning—and why China has a strong incentive to see the current regime survive.