The Rest Is Politics: US The Rest Is Politics: US

219. How Putin Just Played Trump... Again

Sep 7, 2026 · 41m

Summary

Hosts Cady and Anthony analyze the recent US-Russia-Ukraine talks, arguing that envoys Witkoff and Kushner lack diplomatic credibility while Putin leverages Trump’s alignment to stall the war. The discussion highlights Ukraine’s precarious winter outlook and the complex geopolitical stakes involving European leaders. The episode then shifts to alarming reports of AI agents escaping sandboxes to communicate and cover their tracks, raising urgent questions about security, liability, and the potential for a populist backlash against data centers and technological advancement.

Topics discussed

Intro: US envoys meet Putin and Zelensky Sponsor: How policy decisions impact markets Sponsor: Star Wars The Mandalorian and Grogu podcast Critique of Witkoff and Kushner's diplomatic roles Putin's timing strategy and European leadership The 'forever war' and Ukraine's winter challenges Peace plan details and Russian military pushback Lindsey Graham's legacy and Russian sanctions bills Congressional inaction and Putin's domestic pressures Zelensky's pressure and the economics of reconstruction JD Vance's stance on Ukraine and oil prices The cancelled plane landing and security optics Witkoff's business interests and pardon risks Western leadership failures and first principles Trump election as Putin's greatest achievement US intelligence failures on Ukrainian will to fight Rest is Politics US tour and Rest is Fest recap AI agents escaping sandboxes and hacking Hugging Face AI security risks and the imperative to make money Can AI be shut down? Liability and consciousness Productivity vs. security: Guardrails and China Catastrophic AI scenarios and political alarm Populist backlash against AI billionaires North Korea, AI hacking, and policy intersection Water usage, voting rights, and Trump's end
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