July 18, 2026
For more than four years, Russia has wagered that it can outlast Ukraine. The Kremlin has more troops, more resources, and a greater tolerance for casualties, betting that Kyiv — and its Western allies — will eventually lose the will to keep fighting.
But that assumption is being tested. Ukraine is carrying out increasingly sophisticated strikes deep inside Russian territory, forcing Moscow to defend military bases, energy infrastructure, and even symbolic strongholds like Crimea. At the same time, NATO support has strengthened, Europe is expanding its defense cooperation with Kyiv, and President Donald Trump has struck a noticeably warmer tone toward Ukraine than he did just months ago.
On the latest episode of the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss whether the momentum in the war is truly beginning to shift. They examine Ukraine's strategy of bringing the war home to Russia, why Kyiv believes pressure inside Russia is essential to changing the course of the conflict, and what Putin's remaining options look like if the costs continue to rise.
Kuleba also weighs in on Trump's changing approach to Ukraine, NATO's long-term commitment, Ukraine's path toward the European Union, and why he believes Europe's future security is inseparable from Ukraine's future.
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For years, Russia has counted on one advantage above all else: time. Ian Bremmer explains why Ukraine's expanding campaign inside Russia is challenging that assumption, and what it could mean for the future of the war.
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Several hundred Kyiv residents gather in front of Ivana Franka Theater to protest the dismissal of the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on July 16, 2026, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Justin Yau/ Sipa USA
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to remove Mykhailo Fedorov on Wednesday has not gone down well with the Ukrainian public.
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