This episode includes an Overtime segment that’s available to paid subscribers. If you’re not a paid subscriber, we of course encourage you to become one. If you are a paid subscriber, you can access the complete conversation either via the audio and video on this post or by setting up the paid-subscriber podcast feed, which includes all exclusive audio content. To set that up, simply grab the RSS feed from this page (by first clicking the “...” icon on the audio player) and paste it into your favorite podcast app. If you have trouble completing the process, check out this super-simple how-to guide.
0:00 Teaser
1:03 Trump’s 28-point plan: First real negotiations?
3:44 Why Zelensky sounded so grim
8:58 Listing Russia’s advantages
10:43 The unknowable casualties numbers
13:07 Ukraine’s forced mobilization vs. Russia’s volunteer army
16:59 Why Russia won’t run out of money
19:14 Bob: “I want Putin to get the worst deal possible”
21:37 What is the Blob’s plan?
26:12 Bob answers a question from Discord
29:18 Trump’s failed bargaining strategy
31:35 Bob: Ukraine is “so much more complicated” than Gaza
33:16 The corruption scandal threatening Zelensky
36:00 Ukraine’s corruption scandal and Zelensky’s uncertain political future
38:45 Zaluzhnyi’s manifesto: The rival commander’s challenge
41:58 Why all decision-makers are ok with the war continuing
Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nikita Petrov (https://psychopolitica.substack.com). Recorded December 04, 2025.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Join NonZero’s newly established Discord server: https://discord.gg/Zy4jAhTQMF
Discussed in Overtime:
Why Russia banned calls in Telegram, Whatsapp, Google Meet, Zoom, and now FaceTime.
How Western sanctions backfired and alleviated Russia’s brain drain.
Is Russia losing the AI race?
Why Russia won’t invade Western Europe.
The Kosovo precedent: How US actions increased risk in Georgia.
Is international law real or only an aspiration?
Overtime video:
