114: The Beginning of the End for Putin with LTC Alexander Vindman
The Lincoln Project
The Lincoln Project
4.6 • 9.1K Ratings
🗓️ 11 March 2022
⏱️ 36 minutes
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Summary
Host Reed Galen is joined by retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman who was the former Director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council. They discuss how “the perfect phone call” set into motion the events we’re now experiencing today with the Russia-Ukraine war. Plus, why was the Russian army not immediately victorious like so many predicted, what more can NATO and the United States be doing to continue to aid Ukraine, and does this all end in a whimper…or in a mushroom cloud?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, everyone. As we get deeper into 2022, it is time for all of us to do our part, to save |
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| 0:25.0 | who can put you to work. Join the union.us. Do your part. And now on with the show. |
| 0:40.0 | Welcome back to the Lincoln Project. I'm your host, Rie Gailan. Today, I'm once again |
| 0:45.6 | joined by retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Benman, who is the former director |
| 0:50.7 | for European Affairs at the National Security Council during the Trump administration. |
| 0:54.9 | Benman came to national attention in October 2019 when he testified before Congress regarding |
| 1:00.0 | the Trump Ukraine scandal. His testimony provided evidence that resulted in Donald Trump's first |
| 1:05.4 | impeachment charge. Colonel Benman served in the Army for 21 years and is a purple heart recipient |
| 1:10.6 | in addition to many other decorations. Since his retirement, he's published his first memoir, |
| 1:15.9 | Here, Right Matters, an American story, and is currently pursuing a PhD in International Affairs |
| 1:21.5 | at Johns Hopkins University. Alex, welcome back. Thanks, Rie. I'm glad to be here. |
| 1:27.2 | One thing I want to say is in that introduction, Rie, every time I hear it, and it's not just you guys, |
| 1:32.6 | I mean, I'm deeply honored to be associated with the institution of the National Security Council |
| 1:37.5 | of the United States. But why do people have to keep pointing out that it was the Trump administration? |
| 1:41.7 | I need to start a campaign to get people to stop identifying me as somebody that worked for Donald |
| 1:47.2 | Trump. But Alex, I mean, the broader point to your comment is that the National Security Council |
| 1:52.0 | is supposed to be a political. It's supposed to allow career, national security, intelligence, |
| 1:58.0 | and military officers at the White House to serve the National Security apparatus and specifically |
| 2:03.1 | the president for the purposes of keeping the United States safe, keeping the president in |
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