{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Is a Fight with Russia Worth the Risks?","description":"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\u2019s 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, \u201cThe Beginning of the End of NATO,\u201d The Atlantic, September 10, 2025.   Franz-Stefan Gady, \u201cThe Russia-Ukraine War: Europe\u2019s Delusions over Deterring Russia,\u201d September 10, 2025.   Jeremy Shapiro, \u201cRussia is Losing the War\u2014Just Not to Ukraine,\u201d The Atlantic, September 10, 2025.   Alexandra E. Petri, \u201cWest Point Alumni Group Cancels Award Honoring Tom Hanks,\u201d New York Times, September 7, 2025.   Mike Stone, \u201cTrump to Reinterpret 1987 Missile Treaty to Sell Heavy Attack Drones Abroad,\u201d Reuters, September 6, 2025.   Charlie Edwards and Nate S, \u201cThe Scale of Russian Sabotage Operations Against Europe\u2019s Critical Infrastructure,\u201d IISS, August 19, 2025.&amp;nbsp;   \u201cHeroes and villains: Russia braces for eventual return of its enormous army,\u201d Reuters, September 9, 2025.   Joshua Rovner,  Strategy and Grand Strategy, The Adelphi Series, International Institute for Strategic Studies, January 2025.   McKay Coppins, \u201cTrump Has a Warning for Spencer Cox,\u201d The Atlantic, September 13, 2025.   Todd Harrison, \u201cBuild Your Own Golden Dome: A Framework for Understanding Costs, Choices, and Tradeoffs,\u201d American Enterprise Institute, September 12, 2025.    US Policy Update on the Export of Unmanned Aerial Systems, State Department, September 15, 2025.&amp;nbsp;   ","author_name":"Net Assessment","author_url":"http:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/132282","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/38265720\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/item\/38265720"}