Brian Mann
speaker
1,678 appearances
209 recordings
3 series
first heard Nov 2024
last heard today
Brian Mann’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 168 in all, peaking in Sep 2026 with 21.
Appearances
Yeah, they're frightened. You know, there are growing doubts about support from allies. On Monday, the Biden administration announced another $2.5 billion in military aid. But President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in January 20th. Trump's promise to push for a quick end to this war. And he's voiced ambivalence about supporting Ukraine's war effort.
And then there's a second huge question here. How or if Ukraine can muster more soldiers for its exhausted army? And that all adds up to deep uncertainty. I spoke last night with Yaroslav Mishkov. He's 24 years old.
So there's a lot of pessimism here, especially among young people I've been talking to. Meshkov told me one of his best friends had just been conscripted into the army. So this New Year's, he and his friends weren't celebrating.
Thank you.
Jimmy Carter's four years in the White House were marked by a number of crises. There was the hostage crisis with Iran in which 52 Americans were held captive for over a year. An oil embargo caused long lines and spiraling prices for gasoline. It led to Carter's so-called malaise speech in 1979. It is a crisis of confidence.
It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national world. But there were also successes. Carter helped Israel and Egypt reach a peace agreement at Camp David. Much of Carter's legacy was shaped after his defeat by Ronald Reagan in 1980. He remained active in public life, writing more than 20 books and helping build homes with Habitat for Humanity.
In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington.
Good morning, Scott.
Yeah, it seems surprising on the face of it, doesn't it? Russian soldiers already outnumber Ukraine's army, which is much smaller. But Military analysts have been talking to point out you need a lot more soldiers when you're on the offense, as Russia is now. They're trying to gain ground. I spoke about this with George Barros at the Institute for the Study of War.
They track fighting in eastern Ukraine. He says, Scott, Russia is now burning through roughly 30,000 troops every month that's killed and wounded. So Moscow needs reinforcements.
Now, what's interesting is Barros believes that as many as 3,000 of those North Korean soldiers have already been killed or wounded. I should say that's a high estimate. U.S. officials put the number of North Korean casualties around 1,000.
Well, the description's pretty horrific. White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby spoke about this yesterday, describing what are basically suicide missions. North Koreans are sent on foot over open ground without necessary support or equipment to attack heavily fortified Ukrainian positions.
Now, Kirby does acknowledge these attacks are putting a strain on the Ukrainians, who also face a very serious manpower shortage. And Russia has been gaining ground in Kursk and other areas along the Eastern Front, but that progress is slow. And Russia and now North Korea, they're paying a huge price in manpower.
Yeah, this is pretty grim. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke about this yesterday. The North Koreans do everything, so it's impossible for us to capture them alive, Zelensky said. Their own soldiers killed them off. NPR, I should say, hasn't been able to independently verify this.
But the theory shared by Ukrainian officials and the White House is North Korean soldiers fear for their families. They think they'll face reprisal and punishment back home if they're taken prisoner. So they choose to take their own lives.
Yeah, it's been a really grinding, brutal winter for Ukraine, Scott. Military analysts say Russia's offensive is poorly planned and executed, as we've been discussing. But the sheer weight of soldiers and artillery are pushing Ukraine back. In a national address this week, Zelensky talked about a desperate need to stabilize Ukraine's defenses. One big question here in Kyiv is whether the U.S.
will actually deliver most of the $61 billion in additional military and economic aid for Ukraine that was allocated by Congress last spring. They're hoping it'll come before President Biden leaves office. People here fear that once President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in next month, much of that aid could be frozen.
Thank you.
The Azerbaijani jetliner crashed in Kazakhstan while en route to a city in Russia Wednesday with 67 passengers and crew on board. 29 people survived. During a briefing with reporters, U.S. National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said it's possible Russian weapons hit the civilian plane.
Kirby emphasized the probe into the fiery crash is still underway. Azerbaijan Airlines officials said in a statement it appears external interference impacted the plane. The airline has suspended flights to airports inside Russia. Brian Mann, NPR News, Kyiv.
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