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From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

WSJ has been a third night on Wednesday attacking the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, a brutal

assault aiming to break the country's ability to export food after the Black Sea grain

deal fell apart.

In Washington, a narrative is congealing that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is underperforming,

but is it accurate and what can we expect in the coming weeks?

Welcome to Potomac Watch.

I'm Kate Bacheld or Odell, filling in today as your host.

Today we're going to discuss the situation in Ukraine, both on the merits and the politics.

I'm joined by my distinguished colleagues on the editorial board, Joe Sturmberg and

Jillian Melcher, both in London.

Welcome to you both.

So the Ukrainian port city of Odessa seems to have weathered a very intense barrage overnight,

a mix of cruise missiles and drones intended to overwhelm Ukraine's cobbled together network

of air defenses.

Some were shot down, but the point appears to have been to hit some infrastructure and

prevent the export of food.

Jillian, you reported for us earlier this week on this subject.

Now you walk us through how this black sea grain deal fell apart, Russia is now threatening

...