In today’s episode we do something slightly different. You’ll be familiar with some of the names and voices of the correspondents who’ve covered the Ukraine war for the last three years - James Waterhouse, Lyse Doucet, Sarah Rainsford and more - who regularly appear on this podcast. But you’ll be less familiar with the people doing the work behind the scenes. Today, we hear from one of them. Kate Peters spent more than 30 years with BBC News and she spent a lot of time producing and running bure...
Apr 17, 2025•28 min
An old friend of the podcast, Viktoria Kovalenko, joins us in the studio. Viktoria has experienced the horrors of war first hand. Her husband and elder daughter were killed in front of her when they tried to escape the city of Chernihiv in 2022. Three years on she’s forging a new life with her four-year-old in the UK. She tells us how she’s adapting to life here, what she thinks about Donald Trump and how she remembers the family members she’s lost. Plus - the BBC’s security correspondent, Frank...
Apr 15, 2025•31 min
Where are we with the peace talks on the Ukraine conflict? What’s the situation on the battlefield? And how seriously should we take reports of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia? Vitaly, Lyse and BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson joined up with presenter Leila Nathoo on BBC 5Live to answer these questions and many more. The producers were Peter Karlsen, Julia Webster and Laurie Kalus. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham....
Apr 11, 2025•26 min
President Zelensky says two Chinese citizens have been captured while fighting for Russia in the Donetsk region. But how did they end up in Ukraine and what does this mean for the future of the conflict? General Sir Nick Carter, former chief of the UK's defence staff, is in the studio to discuss this latest development, as well as whether the world order as we know it has changed for good, and if the UK would ever consider compulsory military service. Also, how has President Trump’s tariffs anno...
Apr 08, 2025•24 min
Could Putin ever agree to peace? Would an election help Zelensky consolidate power? What’s happened to North Koreans fighting Ukraine? Vitaly is joined by BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson, security correspondent Frank Gardner and Global News Podcast presenter Oliver Conway, to try and answer these questions and more. Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ryan Johnston, Ben Carter and Peter Karlsen. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walk...
Apr 04, 2025•32 min
On Sunday, NBC reported that Donald Trump was ‘very angry’ with Vladimir Putin over his approach to a ceasefire in Ukraine. So is he changing his mind on the Russian President? Vic and Vit talk to Kurt Volker, Donald Trump’s former special representative for Ukraine about the current state of negotiations, the threat of sanctions and golf diplomacy. They also discuss how Trump’s comments were received in the Russian media. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko...
Apr 01, 2025•29 min
What’s President Trump’s next move in the ceasefire negotiations? What would happen if Russia launched a missile from the Black Sea into Ukraine? And what is President Putin up to in the Arctic? James is joined by BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson and diplomatic correspondent James Landale to answer these questions and more. Today’s episode is presented by James Waterhouse. The producers were Ryan Johnston and Ben Carter. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The...
Mar 28, 2025•27 min
The White House says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to ensure safe passage for commercial shipping in the Black Sea and stop military strikes. But could it work? Today we talk to Martin Griffiths, former Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations. He played a key role in the Black Sea grain deal in 2022 and he gives us an insight on how to negotiate with the Russians. And we fact check claims made by President Trump's special envoy, St...
Mar 25, 2025•24 min
What are Ukraine’s options for getting proper security guarantees? What actually happens when world leaders speak on the phone? And how are the Putin, Trump and Zelensky discussions and negotiations being viewed by ordinary Ukrainians? Those are just a few of your questions that have landed in our inbox and today Lyse, Vitaly and Olga Robinson from BBC Verify joined presenter Matt Chorley to answer them on BBC 5 Live. The producers were Ryan Johnston and Ben Carter. The series producer is Tim Wa...
Mar 21, 2025•25 min
After a lengthy phone call with Donald Trump, the Kremlin says Vladimir Putin has agreed to a mutual pause on attacks on Russian and Ukrainian energy infrastructure - but stopped far short of accepting a full ceasefire. We get instant reaction from Fiona Hill, who previously served on the National Security Council as an advisor on Russia under President Trump. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ben Carter and Ryan Johnston. The technical...
Mar 18, 2025•21 min
What’s to stop Russia from escalating the conflict? Who is Steve Witkoff? Can Trump stop Ukraine from joining Nato? These are some of the questions you’ve been sending in - and today, Lyse, Vitaly and Matthew Savill from the Royal United Services Institute think tank, joined presenter Christian Fraser to answer them on the BBC News channel. The producers were Ben Carter and Ryan Johnston. The series producer is Tim Walklate. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can a...
Mar 14, 2025•21 min
Vladimir Putin has said the fighting must end in Ukraine, but that a ceasefire should lead to "enduring peace and remove underlying causes of this crisis." Responding to the Trump administration’s plans to end the war, the Russian president says the idea of a ceasefire is "good and we absolutely support it but there are issues that we need to discuss." So what should we make of his comments? Shashank Joshi, defence editor at The Economist gives his reaction. Today’s episode is presented by Victo...
Mar 13, 2025•14 min
Ukraine says it is ready to accept a US proposal for an initial 30-day ceasefire with Russia, in a joint statement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says “the ball is now in Russia’s court", and he will take the offer to Moscow. Sir Laurie Bristow, former UK ambassador to Moscow joins us to give his reaction and thoughts on what Russia might do next. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ben Carter and Ryan Johnston. The technical producer...
Mar 11, 2025•17 min
Is this the week the war changes? On the battlefield, Russian forces are reportedly trying to encircle thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region, where they recaptured three settlements on Sunday. Meanwhile, talks are taking place on Tuesday between Ukrainians and US officials in Saudi Arabia, at which Kyiv is expected to push for a truce with Russia in the sea and sky. So is this a potentially pivotal moment in the war in Ukraine? Lyse and James are joined by Karolina Hird from the In...
Mar 10, 2025•22 min
The Ukrainecast team join the Global News Podcast to answer listener questions. We discuss Donald Trump’s latest threat, the prospects of peace in Ukraine, and that minerals deal. Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet, James Waterhouse, Vitaly Shevchenko and Jackie Leonard. The producers were Ben Carter and Ryan Johnston. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The assistant editor is Ben Mundy. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or vo...
Mar 07, 2025•32 min
President Zelensky says Ukraine is "ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership" to negotiate a peace deal and is ready to sign a minerals deal. His comments come after the US decision to pause military aid. We get reaction from Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova and ‘Neo’, a soldier currently fighting in Donetsk region. And we speak to Mark Galeotti, Director and CEO of the consultancy firm, Mayak Intelligence. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko....
Mar 04, 2025•24 min
President Macron has proposed a one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine "in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure." These comments follow a meeting over the weekend in which European leaders tried to deal with the fallout from President Zelensky’s disastrous trip to Washington on Friday. Presenters Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko are joined by Matthew Savill, Director of Military Sciences at RUSI to discuss whether there is a road towards a peace deal. The producers were Ryan...
Mar 03, 2025•21 min
There were unprecedented scenes in the White House this afternoon when President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and President Zelensky clashed in an extraordinary shouting match in front of stunned reporters. Lyse and Vitaly are joined by former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts to get immediate reaction, and what this all means for the future of Ukraine. The producers were Clare Williamson, Ryan Johnston and Ben Carter. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Ti...
Feb 28, 2025•30 min
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump have been meeting at the White House, with the war in Ukraine top of the agenda. Lyse joins diplomatic correspondent James Landale, Newsnight’s Nick Watt and Newscast presenter James Cook to discuss how the visit has gone.
Feb 27, 2025•30 min
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says a "dangerous new era" is behind his decision to boost defence spending and cut the aid budget. But will it impress President Trump ahead of Sir Keir’s visit to Washington later this week? And could this move help Ukraine? Shashank Joshi from the Economist joins us to discuss this and answer listener questions on rare earth minerals. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producer was Julia Webster. The technical producer...
Feb 25, 2025•24 min
What was going on in the corridors of power when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine took place? A senior US diplomat and UK politician look back on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, and look ahead to what happens next. We hear from Julianne Smith, former US permanent representative to Nato, James Heappey former UK armed forces minister and Dmytro Kuleba, former Ukrainian foreign minister. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producer...
Feb 24, 2025•29 min
Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion. Three Ukrainians reflect on how their lives have changed in the last three years, and discuss the prospects for peace in Ukraine. We speak to Vitalii from Lutsk, Anastasiia in Kyiv and Pavlo in Lviv. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ben Carter, Julia Webster and Ryan Johnston. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The assistant...
Feb 23, 2025•27 min
The Ukrainecast team answer listener questions on BBC Radio 5 Live Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet, James Waterhouse, Nick Eardley and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producer was Ryan Johnston. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The assistant editor is Ben Mundy. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480 You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server he...
Feb 21, 2025•28 min
The past week has seen international diplomacy turned upside down as the US began talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The decision to exclude Ukraine - and Europe - from these talks led to an emergency summit in which European countries sought to establish some influence over the process. But with the US and Ukrainian presidents embroiled in a dispute that led to President Trump calling President a “dictator”, is their relationship beyond repair? And will Ukraine have any say over the t...
Feb 21, 2025•32 min
President Trump has launched a fresh attack on President Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and saying he has done a "terrible job". Zelensky earlier accused the US president of "living in a disinformation space" created by Russia. Victoria and Vitaly analyse how this diplomatic row is playing out. And Victoria speaks to Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ben Carter and Elliot Ryder. The serie...
Feb 19, 2025•40 min
The US and Russia have been holding high-level talks in Saudi Arabia for the first time in years. General Sir Richard Shirreff, a former Nato commander, is in the studio to give his reaction. And Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia editor, joins us to explain why the Kremlin is “cockahoop” about the news. Today’s episode, recorded on Tuesday afternoon, is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ben Carter, Julia Webster, Ryan Johnston and Stuart Denman. The technical p...
Feb 18, 2025•25 min
European leaders have met in Paris for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine. Leaving the meeting, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called discussions on sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine "premature" and "inappropriate". Earlier UK PM Keir Starmer said he was ready to send such troops from the UK if and when the war ends. So could we see European boots on the ground in Ukraine? Matthew Savill, from RUSI, is in the studio to discuss whether it’s possible, and what this might look like. We a...
Feb 17, 2025•25 min
The Ukrainian president and US vice-president have been meeting at the Munich Security Conference. Vitaly and James chew over what was discussed, and what it all means for the future of Ukraine. Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko and James Landale. The producers were Ben Carter and Ryan Johnston. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The assistant editor is Ben Mundy. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also...
Feb 14, 2025•13 min
What’s been the reaction in Ukraine to President Trump’s plans to end the war, following his phone calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky? We hear from Kyiv mum Iryna and 27 year old account manager Andrew. And we assess what role Europe could play going forward, following a busy day of diplomacy at a Nato defence chiefs summit in Brussels. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ben Carter and Ryan Johnston. The technical producer ...
Feb 13, 2025•19 min
In a pivotal day for the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump has agreed to ‘work together’ with Vladimir Putin to end the conflict. Immediately after the call with Putin, Trump spent an hour on the phone with Volodymyr Zelensky. Earlier in the day, the new US defence secretary Pete Hegseth told a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels that it was unrealistic that Ukraine could return to its pre-2014 borders and he ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine. BBC Security Correspondent, Fran...
Feb 12, 2025•17 min
