Paul Robinson: Ukraine, Iran & Why the West Can't Find a Way Out | EP 149

☕ SUPPORT THE SHOWbuymeacoffee.com/tafhimkianzProfessor Paul Robinson returns to the Kianistan Podcast for Episode 149 — a sober, historically grounded conversation on where the Ukraine war actually stands, how the Iran war is being folded into it, and why decision-makers on every side seem unable to change course.Professor Robinson, who teaches at the University of Ottawa and served as a British Army Intelligence Corps officer before turning to Russian and Soviet history, walks us through Putin's real bottom line versus his public position, why Britain's Ukraine policy has survived four prime ministers untouched, how Moscow manages public opinion and its economy to avoid a 1917-style shock, and why he believes the attempt to link Ukraine and Iran is an argument for escalation rather than a route to settlement.We also discuss the narrowing of acceptable debate in Western democracies, Canada's tariff standoff with Washington, and whether Russia, China and Iran really constitute an alliance — or something far looser.⏱ CHAPTERS00:00 – Introduction & Welcoming Back Professor Paul Robinson01:15 – Greetings & Catching Up01:17 – Where the Ukraine War Stands After Stalled Negotiations03:06 – Four UK Prime Ministers, One Unchanged Ukraine Policy05:08 – Why Anti-Russian Sentiment Runs So Deep in Britain06:45 – Irrationality in Foreign Policy Decision-Making07:56 – Lord Skidelsky & the Narrowing of Acceptable Debate10:58 – Putin's Real Bottom Line vs His Public Position12:14 – Donbas, Neutrality & NATO: Russia's Two Core Demands14:31 – Could the War End This Year? Trump, China & Europe16:57 – Would Europe's Right Actually Change Course?17:35 – Diffused Costs: Why Nobody Lobbies to Stop the War19:12 – Escalation, Deep Strikes & the Laws of War22:23 – Why Russia Still Calls It a "Special Military Operation"24:24 – Russia's Economy, Recruitment & Avoiding a 1917 Scenario25:27 – Paul Robinson's Years in the USSR & Russia26:02 – Strikes Inside Russia & the Limits of Public Patience30:38 – Duma Elections & the First Signs of Rumbling31:55 – Responsibility, Provocation & the Failure of Minsk35:07 – Hard Line or Accommodation? The HMS Defender Lesson36:37 – Living Next Door to a Superpower: Canada's Experience37:25 – Canada, Carney & Trump's 50% Tariffs39:09 – Why Europe Still Pins Its Hopes on Washington40:33 – NATO, the EU & the Institutional Culture of Foreign Policy42:29 – Are the Ukraine and Iran Wars Being Fused Together?43:15 – Shahed Drones, Intelligence Sharing & the Real Linkages45:54 – What Happens If One War Ends Before the Other?48:51 – Hormuz, Bad Advisers & Trump's Missing Strategy51:28 – Russia, China & Iran: Alliance or Opportunism?53:47 – Why Moscow & Beijing Won't Rescue Tehran56:28 – Can Sanctions Succeed Where Military Action Failed?58:34 – Escalating Without a Strategy: The Vietnam Parallel1:00:42 – Where to Follow Paul Robinson's Work👤 ABOUT THE GUESTPaul Robinson holds an MA in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the University of Toronto and a D.Phil. in Modern History from the University of Oxford. Before his graduate studies he served as a regular officer in the British Army Intelligence Corps (1989–1994) and as a reserve officer in the Canadian Forces (1994–1996), and worked as a media research executive in Moscow in 1995. He has written or edited 14 books and writes widely for the international press. His recent work covers Russian and Soviet history, military history, intellectual history, defence policy, and military ethics.🔗 CONNECT & LEARN MORECanadian Dimension: https://canadiandimension.com/articles/author/paul-robinsonIrrussianality blog: https://irrussianality.wordpress.com🔔 Subscribe to the Kianistan Podcast for long-form conversations on history, geopolitics, diplomacy, and global affairs.