Ukraine’s vanishing men, Trump’s Jimmy Carter problem, stalling peace deals – with Ben Swann
Published 23 Sep, 2026 12:02Olga and Tara welcome investigative journalist Ben Swann – creator of the acclaimed Zelensky Unmasked series – for a wide-ranging conversation on the war in Ukraine that is draining a generation, Trump’s risk of becoming another Jimmy Carter, schisms within US intelligence agencies, Russia’s recent elections, and much more.
Is Ukraine’s male population being sent to the front against its will, and why has fighting shifted almost entirely to drones? Why does Swann argue that the war is being run less from the Pentagon and more from the CIA – and what does that mean for who actually controls US policy?
Why does Swann call the latest Russia sanctions bill “toothless,” and what does he think it reveals about Washington’s real priorities? Is Trump boxed in by agencies and allies he underestimated?
What drove Trump’s decision to strike Iran despite warnings from his own Joint Chiefs chairman and Tulsi Gabbard – and why didn’t it go as planned? What do competing factions within the CIA and other intelligence agencies mean for Trump’s ability to change course?