Understanding Putin's Power

Over the weekend, Russia bombarded Ukraine with the largest drone assault in the war thus far. It’s the latest in a relentless Russian offensive that keeps escalating, despite President Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace. Anatoly Kurmanaev, who covers Russia for The Times, discusses the economic war machine that’s driving Russia’s success on the battlefield, and making it so hard for anyone to get President Vladimir V. Putin to back down. Guest: Anatoly Kurmanaev, a reporter for The New York Times, covering Russia and its transformation following the invasion of Ukraine. Background reading: Why Putin thinks Russia has the upper hand against Ukraine.Russia wants ‘security guarantees’ too. Here’s what they look like. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Photo: Pool photo by Alexander Kazakov Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.