The BBC’s only English language programme entirely dedicated to the war in Ukraine and its fallout, Ukrainecast is your go-to podcast which investigates the biggest issues around the conflict: Could Putin push the nuclear button? How could Donald Trump end the war in 24 hours? What is the price for peace? The podcast is hosted by Newsnight presenter Victoria Derbyshire and BBC Monitoring’s Vitaly Shevchenko. Ukrainecast covers the most important topics around the conflict and speaks to the real people who’ve lived through several years of war. It also brings you agenda-setting interviews with special guests each week such as UK foreign secretary David Cameron, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and pre-eminent Russia expert Fiona Hill.
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This episode delves into the assassination of a Russian general in Moscow, an attack authorities link to Ukraine's intelligence services, and explores Russian public sentiment. It dissects Vladimir Putin's annual press conference, where he expressed deep resentment towards NATO and the West, offering little hope for immediate peace. The discussion also covers Europe's eleventh-hour €90 billion funding deal for Kyiv, highlighting internal divisions among European nations regarding financial support and the use of frozen Russian assets. Finally, it examines the latest unresolved peace talks and Russia's growing confidence amidst these geopolitical shifts.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that his army will struggle to fight on effectively if a crunch European summit ends without a solution to an imminent deficit in Kyiv's finances. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has referred to European leaders as "piglets" as he dismissed any peace deal which does not "unconditionally" satisfy Russia's pre-invasion aims. The Russian president is yet to be presented with the latest US-led proposal on how to end the war in Ukraine, after Donald Trump s...
Volodymyr Zelensky has been in Berlin discussing peace proposals with the US, and he says they will be ready to present to Russia ‘within days’. Today, he addressed European leaders The Netherlands' House of Representatives in The Hague. We also discuss why Italy has joined Belgium in its opposition to the EU’s plan to send €210 billion of Russia's frozen state assets to Ukraine. Victoria and Vitaly are joined by BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen to discuss why there is good reason to rema...
After a week in which Donald Trump called European leaders "weak" and questioned Ukraine's commitment to democracy, we look at whether his views are becoming more aligned with the Kremlin's. And as America pushes for a Christmas truce, the team discuss Europe's chances of getting the US president more on side. To answer your questions, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by BBC Verify's Olga Robinson and Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. Could Ukraine really hold wartime elections? Have any western assets ...
The newly published US ‘National Security Strategy’ is being seen by some as further evidence that in the era of Trump western nations are no longer united in the way they view the world. From its scathing narrative of European decline, to an altogether rosier depiction of Russia, the document has turned longstanding US foreign policy on its head. So what can it tell us about Washington’s intentions when it comes to ending the war in Ukraine? Also today, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by Mariam Lam...
Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of attempting to stall peace talks this week, after Kremlin discussions with US diplomats ended without significant progress. The Ukrainian president said Moscow is hoping Donald Trump will lose interest in resolving the conflict, if the latest uptick in American-led diplomacy fails to deliver a decisive outcome quickly. Lucy and Vitaly are joined in the studio by the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale, and senior digital journalist Laura Gozzi. As Vla...
On Friday, Ukrainians woke up to the news that the home of presidential chief of staff and top peace negotiator, Andriy Yermak, was being searched by anti-corruption authorities. Although they didn’t accuse him of wrongdoing, by the evening he had submitted his resignation. So how damaging could the downfall of such a close ally be for President Zelensky, and what could it mean for peace talks? Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse to discuss the reaction in Ky...
The question on everyone’s minds this week is whether the war in Ukraine is any closer to coming to an end. We’ve dedicated the entire Q&A today to the US-brokered peace plan and the details that will determine whether Ukraine and Russia can agree on a number of key issues relating to territory, military numbers and the critical question of security guarantees for Ukraine. In today’s episode, James is joined by Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, Chief International correspondent Lyse Doucet and ...
Ukraine has given its support to a peace deal following talks with the United States in Geneva, but some of the most sensitive issues are still to be discussed between the countries' presidents, a Ukrainian official said on Tuesday. It followed claims that Ukraine had agreed to a deal, which look to have been exaggerated, but Zelensky could meet Trump before the end of the week. To talk through how close we really are to peace, and what it could look like, Victoria and James Waterhouse are joine...
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine faces "a very difficult choice" amid reports of American pressure to accept a leaked peace deal apparently drawn up by the US and Russia. Europe is also thought to have been blindsided by the proposal, which includes several conditions previously rejected by Kyiv. So - as Donald Trump's reported Thanksgiving deadline approaches - could this document provide any kind of framework for negotiations involving Ukraine? Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Ukraine corr...
What do kids want to know about the war in Ukraine? On this special edition of Ukrainecast, we’re teaming up with Newsround (the BBC's children's news programme) to find out. To mark World Children’s Day, we took a panel of BBC experts to Hammersmith Academy, a secondary school in London, to respond to questions from a live audience. Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko are joined on this episode by Newsround presenter Ricky Boleto, and Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse. Why did the wa...
Nataliia Richardson won the hearts of viewers on this year's edition of the Great British Bake Off. Now, the fan-favourite is in the Ukrainecast studio to discuss starring on the show. She also talks about growing up in Ukraine, moving to the UK six months before the full-scale invasion, and keeping in touch with family and friends in the occupied territories. Plus, Victoria and Vitaly run through the weekend's events - from Poland's claims of "foreign" sabotage on a key Ukrainian aid route, to ...
Ukraine has been rocked by a major corruption scandal surrounding the country's energy sector, amidst ongoing Russian attacks on electricity infrastructure. An alleged $100m scheme, involving money laundering and kick backs, has led to the resignation of senior ministers and engulfed prominent allies of Volodymyr Zelensky. But despite the president's public backing of the probe, questions are being asked about what government officials knew, just months after mass protests against controversial ...
Maria Alyokhina, founding member of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot, joins Vitaly in the Ukrainecast studio to talk about her experience in detention and her escape from the country disguised as a delivery driver. What does she make of the current Russian opposition movement, and will Russia always feel like home? She also talks about her book, Political Girl. Also this week, Victoria and Vitaly discuss reports of a rift, denied by Russia, between Vladimir Putin and one of his most loyal adviso...
While Russia makes advances on the strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russian oil have begun to impact how some countries source their energy. And as Ukraine continues to ask its allies for more money and weapons, some are left wondering what’s happening with the frozen Russian assets in held in Belgium. Plus, why doesn’t Ukraine obtain nuclear weapons? And what would happen if the country ran out of people who are willing to fight? To answer those questions and ...
Sophia Yanchevska is a nineteen-year-old combat medic working on the frontline in Ukraine. She has been speaking to Lucy about seeing the war close up, the friends she has lost, and her hopes for the future. Plus, what it was like to feature in a new film ‘She’ directed by Evgen Matvienko which recently premiered in London. Also this week - Victoria, Vitaly, and Lucy discuss the situation in Pokrovsk, the city Russia has been attempting to seize for more than a year, as it looks to strengthen it...
After an EU decision to use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine was postponed until December, discussion among European leaders returned to plans for a ceasefire this week. And the latest example of so-called nuclear 'sabre-rattling' by Vladimir Putin, forced Donald Trump to respond with a vague commitment of his own to resume US nuclear testing for the first time in decades. On this edition of Ukrainecast, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by BBC Verify's Olga Robinson and senior digital journalist ...
This week, Moscow's top general has claimed that Russia has tested a low-flying experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile. It is said to be powered by a nuclear reactor and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with a potentially unlimited range. Russia calls it Burevestnik, Nato have codenamed it ‘Skyfall’, and others have said it’s a ‘tiny flying Chernobyl’. Western experts have previously cast doubt over missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having successfully tested it. But h...
In the last week, Volodymyr Zelensky failed to secure long-range Tomahawk missiles from Donald Trump during a reportendly heated meeting. Then, a planned summit in Budapest between the US and Russian presidents was called off by Trump who said it would have been a ‘waste of time’. But, the White House has now increased the pressure on the Kremlin announcing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, a first for the Trump administration since his return to office. But will these sanctions b...
Despite suggestions of an agreement on the supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles, President Zelensky went back to Kyiv empty handed after his meeting with Donald Trump on Friday. So what happened? Victoria and Vitaly speak with Christopher Miller, the Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times, which has been reporting details of swearing from Donald Trump in the room, and the ‘tossing’ of battlefield maps. Vitaly also speaks with acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy about the nuclear threat an...
As Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to make his latest pitch to Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, the US is yet to announce a decision on the delivery of long range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Could Washington have given the green light behind the scenes already? Are Ukrainian claims of frontline counteroffensives being exaggerated? And which side is coming out on top when it comes to drone technology? To answer your questions, Lucy is joined by BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson and Mikey Kay fro...
After a peace agreement in the Middle East, is President Trump now turning his attention back to the situation in Ukraine? Victoria and James are joined by BBC filmmaker Jane Corbin to ask what, if anything, has changed when it comes to peace efforts in Europe. And - we hear about some of the more unfamiliar jobs created by the war in Ukraine. Journalist Richard Pendry has been embedded with military recruiters pursuing draft dodgers, and one of the men responsible for informing families of the ...
How might Russia respond to the potential delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine? What can Europe do to win round Hungary's Viktor Orbán? And what would a drone wall to protect Europe actually look like? To answer your questions, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse and BBC Verify's Olga Robinson. The team also discuss proxy wars, foreign troops and false flag operations. Today’s episode is presented by Jamie Coomarasamy and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers wer...
Vitaly’s home village of Verkhnya Krynytsya in the Zaporizhzhia region was occupied by Russia shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Now, in a Ukrainecast exclusive, he tells Victoria why it’s likely his childhood home is being used as a base by the Russian military. Plus, BBC Verify has revealed a surge in Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries in recent months. Olga Robinson joins us in the studio to break down how the impact of these attacks is being f...
Is Ukraine seeing an exodus of young men? Why does Russia have veto power over UN resolutions? And would Moscow defend Minsk if Nato allies invoked Article 5 in response to an attack by Belarus? To answer your questions, Lucy Hockings is joined by senior digital journalist Laura Gozzi, and Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse. The team also discuss US aid, China’s role in the conflict, and whether Vladimir Putin is grooming a successor for the top job in the Kremlin. Today’s episode is present...
As a solution to the conflict remains elusive and casualties mount, what is it like to treat those injured while defending their country? This week we are speaking with two surgeons, Dr Danylo Turkevich and Dr Shehan Hettiaratchy, who have witnessed the consequences of the fighting in Ukraine close up. Plus Victoria is joined by our correspondent Sarah Rainsford to discuss a pro-EU election victory in Moldova, amid allegations of Russian interference. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Der...
There was widespread surprise at the UN General Assembly this week, when Donald Trump appeared to drastically alter his tone on the war in Ukraine. His new insistence that Ukraine could win back all of its territory on the battlefield marks a significant departure from what has become the consensus view among military observers, and President Zelensky welcomed his comments as a "big shift". So, even as Russia dismisses the claims as "erroneous", could this change of rhetoric lead to a policy res...
As world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, repeated Russian violations of Nato airspace have prompted warnings from some Nato countries that Russia should expect jets to be shot down if they continue. Secretary general Mark Rutte has insisted allied nations are ready to defend "every inch" of Nato's borders. Victoria and Vitaly discuss how serious they are, and, they’re joined by the Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavský, who gives his perspective on Nato's response to the i...
As Donald Trump is afforded a royal welcome by the United Kingdom, many are seeing his unprecedented second state visit as a test of whether soft power diplomacy still works. The trip comes as Washington insists it will only apply additional sanctions against Moscow if Europe stops buying Russian oil. So can Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer get the US president to change his position? This week, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale, who has been observin...
Russia and Belarus have been staging joint military drills in an apparent message of strength to the West, but the relationship between US President Donald Trump and authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko seems to be warming. Dozens of political prisoners have been freed from Belarusian prisons as part of a deal between the two countries, and some sanctions on Belarus have been eased. President Trump even sent Mr Lukashenko some cufflinks as a birthday gift. The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rose...
