Zelensky’s midterm gamble, profiting from the Ukraine war, Starlink leverage – with Garland Nixon

Olga and Tara welcome political analyst Garland Nixon to discuss the public clash between Trump and Zelensky, how money matters define the future of the Ukraine war, the upcoming midterms in the US, and protests in Kiev and Europe.

Is the new spat between Trump and Zelensky a media show, or a battle between competing factions in Washington and Europe over how to deal with Russia? Could Starlink be used as leverage to push Zelensky toward negotiations? Is Zelensky growing bolder because he expects the Democrats to win the midterms? And is Ukraine’s collapse a matter of “when,” not “if”?

Who benefits from prolonging the war in Ukraine? Why do European leaders remain politically trapped in a conflict tied to hundreds of billions of dollars in bonds and investments? And what would happen to Russia’s frozen assets if the conflict ended and Moscow demanded its money back?

Can any deal survive with the US being “a group of warring factions”? And what could Republican divisions, a “lame-duck” Trump, or an impeachment battle mean for Ukraine after the midterms?

Are the protests and unrest across Europe driven by immigration, or by austerity and war spending? What does Garland mean by an “illusion of democracy,” and why could more political violence follow?