Washington & Ukraine with Tyson Barker

Episode 3 of The Transponder takes listeners to Berlin for a grounded assessment of the war in Ukraine and its implications for Europe and the United States. In "Washington & Ukraine" host Samuel George speaks with Tyson Barker, former Deputy Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery under the Biden Administration. Barker explains how Russia's sustained attacks on infrastructure, energy systems, and trade routes are designed to weaken Ukraine economically, and how Western support has adapted as political dynamics in Washington shift. The conversation examines how Ukraine's growing defense- industrial capacity, the risks posed by potential U.S. retrenchement, Russia's increasingly aggressive behavior around NATO airspace, and Europe's uneven readiness for a future with a lighter U.S. footprint. Barker also situates the war within broader geo-technological competition, from semiconductors to artificial intelligence, highlighting what is at stake for Europe's ability to act strategically on the global stage.