EP:9 - Ukraine Chessboard : The Art of Losing Slowly - Special Guest Comic Dave Smith

Darryl is traveling this week. So Scott invited a good friend of both to join the show! ENJOY! (prod. chris did a lot censoring to keep YT happy! :) ) # # The war in Ukraine grinds on with no end in sight as peace negotiations repeatedly fail due to poison pills disguised as compromise. Scott Horton and GUEST host - Comic Dave Smith dissect the recent talks in Alaska, where "security guarantees" for Ukraine functioned as NATO membership by another name—a non-starter for Russia and likely designed to be rejected. Russia continues making steady territorial gains, now controlling approximately three-quarters of Donetsk and two-thirds of both Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. This slow-motion advance strengthens Putin's negotiating position while depleting Ukrainian resources. The fundamental misunderstanding of the conflict's origins—demonstrated even by Donald Trump's belief that "Obama gave Ukraine to Putin" rather than recognizing NATO expansion as the core issue—makes meaningful resolution nearly impossible. Perhaps most concerning is the rising influence of Ukraine's far-right nationalist elements, particularly the Azov Battalion. What began as a volunteer militia in 2014 has evolved into an official military unit with explicit neo-Nazi connections. Recent reporting reveals Azov leader Andrei Beletsky is positioning himself for political power in post-war Ukraine, envisioning a militarized state modeled after Israel. Western defense contractors reportedly prefer working with Azov units because they operate outside normal Ukrainian military command structures without demanding kickbacks. The conversation shifts to examining how Israel's campaign in Gaza has fundamentally altered media dynamics in the United States. Prominent right-wing commentators like Megyn Kelly and Charlie Kirk find themselves caught between establishment pressure to maintain unwavering support for Israel and audiences increasingly troubled by civilian casualties. This represents a significant crack in what was once the most controlled topic in American political discourse, potentially reshaping foreign policy debates for years to come. Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to Provoked 2:11 Ukraine Peace Talks in Alaska 13:43 Russia's Territorial Gains 24:40 Understanding Ukrainian Nazism 43:17 The Human Cost of War 55:07 Israel's Gaza Campaign and Media Shifts 1:07:31 Shifting Tides in Political Commentary

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