Lex Fridman Podcast
Preston Stewart is a West Point graduate and Afghanistan veteran who covers the Ukraine war extensively on his YouTube channel, his podcast called War and Conflict, and his newsletter called Defense Tech News. Michael Kofman is a world-class military analyst specializing in the Russian and Ukrainian militaries. He is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment and he hosts The Russia Contingency podcast on the War on the Rocks platform.
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep504-sc
See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/preston-stewart-michael-kofman-transcript
CONTACT LEX:
Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey
AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama
Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring
Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact
EPISODE LINKS:
Michael’s X: https://x.com/KofmanMichael
Michael’s Podcast: https://warontherocks.com/premium/therussiacontingency/
Preston’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@prestonstewart
Preston’s X: https://x.com/prestonstew_
SPONSORS:
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
GiveDirectly: Direct donations to people living in extreme poverty.
Go to https://givedirectly.org/lex
Fin: AI agent for customer service.
Go to https://fin.ai/lex
LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex
Wispr Flow: AI-powered voice dictation app.
Go to https://wisprflow.ai/lex
Shop: Turns any AI agent into your personal shopper.
Go to https://shop.md/lex
Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine.
Go to https://perplexity.ai/
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(00:43) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(08:20) – State of the war in Ukraine
(21:59) – Drone warfare and the kill zone
(59:09) – Who is winning the war?
(1:10:46) – Military analysis of Russia’s 2022 invasion
(1:26:34) – Battle of Bakhmut
(1:42:17) – War optimism and bad information
(2:02:26) – Prigozhin’s mutiny
(2:16:40) – Putin vs Zelenskyy
(2:34:38) – Trump
(2:43:33) – Paths to peace in Ukraine
(2:54:13) – Nature of war
PODCAST LINKS:
– Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
– Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
– Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MAi0BvDc6GTFvKFPXnkCL
– RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
– Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
– Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

-
#344 – Noam Brown: AI vs Humans in Poker and Games of Strategic Negotiation
Noam Brown is a research scientist at FAIR, Meta AI, co-creator of AI that achieved superhuman level performance in games of No-Limit Texas Hold’em and Diplomacy. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:…
-
#343 – Roger Gracie: Greatest Jiu Jitsu Competitor of All Time
Roger Gracie is a legendary jiu jitsu competitor and MMA fighter. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – Bambee: https://bambee.com and use code LEX to get free HR audit – Mizzen+Main: https://mizzenandmain.com…
-
#342 – Todd Howard: Skyrim, Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout, and Starfield
Todd Howard is a legendary video game designer at Bethesda Game Studios. He led the development of the Elder Scrolls series and the Fallout series, and an upcoming game Starfield. Please support this podcast by…
-
#341 – Guido van Rossum: Python and the Future of Programming
Guido van Rossum is the creator of Python programming language. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – GiveDirectly: https://givedirectly.org/lex to get gift matched up to $1000 – Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex to get…
-
#340 – Chris Tarbell: FBI Agent Who Took Down Silk Road
Chris Tarbell is a former FBI special agent and cybercrime investigation specialist who brought down Ross Ulbricht and Silk Road, and Hector Monsegur (aka Sabu) of LulzSec and Anonymous. Please support this podcast by checking…
-
#339 – Climate Change Debate: Bjørn Lomborg and Andrew Revkin
Bjørn Lomborg is author of “False Alarm”. Andrew Revkin is a climate journalist (21 years at NY Times). Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings…
-
#338 – Chamath Palihapitiya: Money, Success, Startups, Energy, Poker & Happiness
Chamath Palihapitiya is a venture capitalist, engineer, CEO of Social Capital, and co-host of the All-In Podcast. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – Bambee: https://bambee.com and use code LEX to get…
-
#337 – Destiny: Politics, Free Speech, Controversy, Sex, War, and Relationships
Steven Bonnell, aka Destiny, is a progressive political commentator and a live streamer on YouTube. Melina Goransson is a live streamer on Twitch. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – True Classic…
-
#336 – Ben Shapiro: Politics, Kanye, Trump, Biden, Hitler, Extremism, and War
Ben Shapiro is a conservative political commentator, host of The Ben Shapiro Show, co-founder of The Daily Wire, and author of The Authoritarian Moment and other books. Please support this podcast by checking out our…
-
#335 – Fiona Hill: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump
Fiona Hill is a presidential advisor and foreign policy expert specializing in Russia. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – Mizzen+Main: https://mizzenandmain.com and use code LEX to get $35 off – Calm:…
