Scott Ritter, Daniel Davis: Trump & Putin Are Playing for Something Much Bigger – Ukraine Isn’t the Prize
by Daniel Davis, Deep Dive(opens in new tab) [9-9-2026] Scott Ritter(bio)(opens in new tab).
(RAD: I usually don't like listening to videos that go on for an hour. Because I have known the seriousness of past discussions by Daniel Davis & Scott Ritter, I decided to listen to just a short segment to get a sense of their analysis. I listened all the way to the end & then decided to listen again so I could post their very insightful analysis.
Ukraine will NOT survive this winter. If NATO & the US don't come to their senses, there is a good possibility that half of the Ukrainians will no longer exist by next spring & Ukraine will be a dead nation. They can't survive without electricity, food & water, all of which are being cut off by Russia, since Ukraine & their supporters haven't been willing to come to the table & negotiate a long term peace that resolves the rood causes of why this war started in the first place. The West & Europe have NOT been interested in a lasting peace.
It is obvious that key decision makers in positions of power in the West are liars that can't be trusted. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, is a prime example, as are others in the US & Europe. Russia fully understands who they are & acts accordingly.
This time when Jared Kushner & Steve Witkoff went to visit Putin, they actually started listening to what Putin was saying. They are not decision makers. The message that they took to Ukraine was essentially an unconditional surrender. If Ukraine & its Western supporters don't wake up & bring this to an end on Russia's terms, Russia will finish resolving this via the military.
Russia now has an integrated air defense that Europe simply can't penetrate. Yes, Ukraine & NATO are flying drones & some missiles into Russia & doing damage, yet none of this is critical. If NATO tried something stupid, Russia could quickly defeat them in a matter of hours.
Many of the observations by Scott & Daniel seem very harsh, yet they are based upon reality & facts on the ground & historical behaviors of participants. Listen & learn. — RAD)