What 2025 Could Mean for the War in Ukraine and the Ukrainian and Russian Armed Forces

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Michael Kofman, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment specialising in Ukrainian and Russian military affairs. They reflect on the developments along Ukraine’s frontlines in 2024, the challenges Ukraine’s and Russia’s armed forces have faced, including high equipment losses as well as shortages of personnel and ammunition, and how the war might evolve in the year ahead. They discuss the implications of the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russian forces in the Kursk region and look at how the new U.S. administration under President Donald Trump might affect the war. They speculate on the potential consequences for Ukraine’s military capabilities if Washington cuts back on weapons aid to Kyiv and whether Europe can muster the resources to fill the gap. They also explore how Ukraine’s and Russia’s armies might evolve in the coming years. Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.For more, check out Michael’s podcast, The Russia Contingency, and Crisis Group’s Q&A “Mobilisation, Peacemaking and Deterrence in Ukraine”, and our Ukraine country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.