Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at Background Briefing.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with the expected firing of the head of Ukraine's military by President Zelensky,

which is likely to further diminish hopes that the US aid package blocked by House Republicans

will be unlocked, although the EU did find a way around Hungary's Alban to get $54 billion to Ukraine.

Joining us to discuss the battlefield situation in Ukraine and why it has reached a World War I kind of stalemate

is Stephen Biddle, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University,

Director of International Security Policy Concentration,

and a Senior Fellow for Defense Policy at this Council on Foreign Relations.

His books include military power, explaining victory and defeat in modern battle,

and non-state warfare, the military methods of guerrillas, warlords, and militias.

We will discuss his latest article at Foreign Affairs,

how Russia stopped Ukraine's momentum.

A deep defense is hard to beat.

Then we'll look into the Biden administration's sanctioning

of four members of Israel's settler movement,

a move well short of sanctioning the two rabid right-wing members

of Netanyahu's government,

Smotrich and Ben Gavir.

Joining us is Asha Kaufman, Director of the Crock Institute for International Peace Studies,

and a professor of history and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Prior to that, he taught at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and from 2000 to 2004,

...