** NEW MERCH ** Jackets & Sweatshirts, Thermo Mugs!! Daniel Davis Deep Dive Merch: Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/shop/DanielDavisDeepDive?ref=seller-platform-mcnav Danny and Andrei argue that although Russia has recently made tactical gains—especially near Pokrovsk and Mirne-Kuban—along with significant strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid, the war is nowhere near ending. Ukraine continues to endure heavy hardship, and Western audiences remain largely unaware of the situation on the ground. The outcome is seen as predictable (a Russian victory), but the timeline and final costs to Ukraine and the West remain uncertain. The discussion shifts to diplomacy: after reports of a potentially promising Trump–Putin meeting, a tense call between Lavrov and Rubio was portrayed in Western media as derailing talks. Lavrov now says he is still willing to meet but insists that Russia’s longstanding conditions (“root causes or no deal”) remain unchanged. The speaker emphasizes Russia believes it has already effectively won militarily and is now focused on shaping the post-war arrangement. Rumors circulated in Western media about a rift between Putin and Lavrov, but the guest dismisses this as typical Western misinformation, criticizing Western journalism as deceptive and politically driven. The conversation then turns to former Ukrainian commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who resurfaced with an article accusing Russia of manipulating diplomacy and information. He compares the situation to the long diplomatic process that ended the Vietnam War. The speaker says this analogy actually highlights Ukraine’s likely eventual military defeat, similar to South Vietnam. He also harshly criticizes Zaluzhnyi as an incompetent general responsible for massive Ukrainian losses, claiming that NATO-style operations failed and that Ukrainian forces had to revert to older Soviet doctrine. Overall, the guest portrays Western media, Western strategists, and Ukrainian leadership as delusional about the reality of the war, while insisting Russia’s position is firm, confident, and increasingly dominant.