The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: Ukraine Is Losing, But The EU Wants War | Ep. 72

Guest: Steven Eugene Kuhn

Date: November 3, 2025
Host: David Rutherford (guest hosting for the regulars, Clay & Buck)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the current state of the war in Ukraine, the motivations and strategies of both Russia and the European Union (EU), and the on-the-ground realities shaping Europe's future security landscape. Former combat veteran and international businessman Steven Eugene Kuhn offers brutally frank, firsthand insights. The discussion pulls back the curtain on EU politics, propaganda, economic interests, and why Kuhn believes Ukraine is on the losing side, with the EU heading towards a broader conflict many citizens oppose.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current Status: “Who’s Winning?”

(04:01–05:10)

• Kuhn asserts that dependable intel from both Russian and Western sources overwhelmingly indicates Ukraine is losing the war, both militarily and financially.

  • Russia's losses are overstated in Western media; Kuhn’s contacts (“ex-SF guys”) state Russia is “in a very strong position” and can sustain the war for another 3–5 years easily.
  • The EU is “betting everything” on supporting Ukraine, but is “absolutely losing it.”

• Quote:

  “Ukraine’s losing, they’re losing more… something like three to four to one soldiers.”
  —Steven Kuhn (04:28)

• The conflict serves as a massive propaganda battleground, with Russia characterized as weak in EU media, but solid and enduring in reality.

2. EU’s Motivation and (In)Ability for Peace

(05:10–06:40)

• EU leaders are heavily pushing the war, repeatedly refusing diplomatic channels:

  “On one hand, they say, ‘we want peace’…well, no, we’re not going to talk to Russians. How can you have peace without diplomacy?”
  —Steven Kuhn (05:23)

• Kuhn criticizes EU leadership as lacking credibility or legitimacy, and claims some are only in power to avoid prosecution at home.

• Russia, seeing West’s duplicity, has “no trust” left in Western negotiators, and is now fully committed to imposing its own resolution.

3. Public Sentiment and Propaganda in the EU

(07:18–08:45)

• “Most people don’t want this.” Propaganda is most effective on those whose lives are invested in current political structures.

• Notable trend: Many Germans and citizens in other EU countries are openly denouncing their governments’ war efforts online.

• Example: VW board quietly pivoting towards war production, indicating that major industry is preparing for extended conflict.

• Quote:

  “The people don’t want the war... I don’t know anybody who wants it.”
  —Kuhn (07:45)

4. Mysterious Deaths of German Politicians and the Flow of Information

(09:16–11:03)

• In the run-up to key elections, 14 German politicians died mysteriously; 7 were from the right-wing AfD.
• Kuhn’s contacts could find no official intel or explanation, indicating more is happening behind the scenes:
  • It could be a “low-level test” by powers-that-be, to see public reaction.
  • The speed of information/distraction is being weaponized to bury significant news.

5. Economic Realities: Buying Russian Fuel While Waging War

(11:03–13:25)

• Despite official sanctions, the EU continues buying Russian fuel—either directly, or via “blended” oil routed through places like Kazakhstan.

• Quote:

  “They’re basically financing their own enemy when they’re buying the fuel.”
  —Kuhn (12:18)

• Ukraine is the real victim (“My wife’s family lost their home in Kharkiv”), while EU leaders use the conflict to prop up their own political positions and shift industry toward war readiness.

• A plan is in place:

  “There’s a draft, everything’s in place by 2029 to go full out war with Russia. And now, they’re trying to speed it up.”
  —Kuhn (13:08)

6. Hungary’s Role & Central/Eastern Europe as the Next Battleground

(18:26–20:34)

• Hungary, under Viktor Orban, is seen as a bulwark against EU escalation:

  • It’s one of the last conservative, sovereign holdouts; “Homogenous…no crime, no immigrant gangs.”

• The Balkans, Slavic, and Baltic States are considered “expendables” by EU leadership, likely to bear the brunt of any large-scale showdown with Russia.

• Quote:

  “If [a large war] is fought …it will be fought in the Balkans, the Slavic and the Baltic states—because they are what the EU leadership calls ‘Expendables.’”
  —Kuhn (20:28)

7. Military Reality on the Ground

(21:46–24:34)

• Russia is “fully entrenched,” with lines unlikely to move.
• Most significant Russian strategy: Restraint rather than overwhelming advance.
  • “They could have rolled over them.” The lack of partisan resistance in Russian-held areas is because residents there are generally Russian-speaking and “OK with it.”
• Kuhn foresees a lull until early 2026, after which – with budget renewals – “expenditures are going to start exploding.”
• He also highlights the danger of “false flag” events being orchestrated to escalate the conflict and draw more outside actors in.

8. Social & Familial Impact Inside Ukraine

(24:34–27:57)

• Ukrainian society is deeply fractured.
  • Propaganda is total: alternative narratives are suppressed.
  • “Almost everyone in Ukraine has Russian relatives”—family rifts are common.
  • Ukrainians largely want peace, but are getting only one narrative.

9. Geopolitics: The Real Stakes

(30:44–32:59)

• The conflict is less about territory and more about global hegemony:

  “The biggest powers in the world can never work together, only two at a time… British crown drives the wedge all the time.”
  —Kuhn (31:21)

• Suggests true power games are driven by global elites above overt national players, with ordinary people largely powerless.

10. The Impossibility of Mustering a War Army

(33:00–34:35)

• When polled, young people across Europe show almost no willingness to “go fight in Ukraine.”
• Kuhn bluntly states the EU has no real plan for mobilizing mass armies; future wars may be “technocratic,” involving AI, drones, and automation instead.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Ukraine’s losing, they’re losing more… something like three to four to one soldiers.”
  —Kuhn (04:28)
• “How can you have peace without diplomacy? It just doesn’t work.”
  —Kuhn (05:23)
• “They’re basically financing their own enemy when they’re buying the fuel.”
  —Kuhn (12:18)
• “[The] war that will be fought, if it’s fought…it will be fought in the Balkans, the Slavic and the Baltic states—because they are what the EU leadership calls ‘Expendables.’”
  —Kuhn (20:28)
• “I see Putin saying, look, I’m holding off here, I’m restraining myself.… Let’s just end this and let’s keep it right here. But I’m not backing down.”
  —Kuhn (23:48)
• “Without soldiers, without people, there’s no emotional connection to war. There’s no heroes. There’s no stories…it’ll be sort of a technocratic war, and it won’t mean anything to anybody, which is almost worse, because then no one pays attention to it.”
  —Kuhn (34:01)
• On Orban and Hungary:

  “He nationalized private pensions…paid off the IMF and kicked them out. That’s why he can do what he does.”
  —Kuhn (32:12)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 03:11 — Introduction to Steven Kuhn, setting up Ukraine discussion
• 04:01–05:10 — Who’s really winning the war? Kuhn’s intelligence sources
• 05:10–06:40 — EU’s refusal of diplomacy & why Russia doesn’t trust the West
• 07:18–08:45 — Public sentiment, propaganda, and rising industry war-readiness in Europe
• 09:16–11:03 — Mysterious deaths of opposition politicians in Germany, media distractions
• 11:03–13:25 — The EU’s economic hypocrisy: still buying Russian fuel
• 18:26–20:34 — Analysis of Hungary, Orban, and Central/Eastern Europe’s danger
• 21:46–24:34 — Battlefield realities and Russia’s “restraint” as strategy
• 24:34–27:57 — The impact of war and media narrative on Ukrainian families
• 30:44–32:59 — Hot war ambitions, great power rivalry, and "citizen leadership"
• 33:00–34:35 — The impossibility of a European mass mobilization for war; rise of technocratic/AI warfare

Tone & Style

Grim, direct, and unsparing, but with moments of dark humor and a sense of urgency. Kuhn blends blunt assessments (“It’s all a farce”), personal stories (his Ukrainian wife’s family), and unapologetically challenges mainstream Western narratives, while also critiquing both sides’ propaganda.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Contrary to Western mainstream narratives, Ukraine’s position is far weaker than reported—the EU is not prepared for a protracted war, and is internally conflicted.
• The broader European public largely opposes war, but industry and government are nevertheless barreling toward escalation.
• Central/Eastern Europe—especially the Balkans and Baltics—are at greatest risk in future escalations, being viewed as “expendable” buffer zones.
• Russian strategy is characterized by “restraint,” not lack of capability; a negotiated settlement seems far off.
• Larger geopolitical stakes—energy, rare minerals, shifting world order—undergird the conflict well beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Where to Find Steven Kuhn

• All social media as “Steven Eugene Kuhn”—TikTok, Instagram, X, LinkedIn.
• Author of Unleash Your Humble Alpha (curriculum in US universities like Harvard and Stanford).
• Runs a capital growth advisory, raises funds for various international projects.

Final Words

Kuhn urges: “We need citizen leadership… The world needs citizen leadership.” He stresses integrity and authentic information over partisanship, and expresses hope—albeit with caution—that people in Europe and beyond can resist the push toward another devastating war.

For those who want a skeptical, firsthand look at the Ukraine conflict and Europe’s political-economic games, this episode is essential listening.