Day 1,112. Today, we dive into the aftermath of the largest drone attack on Moscow during the ongoing war, marking a historic moment in the conflict. We explore its implications for the critical discussions between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, we uncover a revealing story that exposes Russian spycraft tactics and delve into the perspectives of ordinary Russians on the war. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic&...
Mar 11, 2025•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,111. Today, on the military front - Russian forces move forward in Kursk oblast and close in on the town of Sudzha while Ukraine hits another oil refinery in Russia’s Samara oblast and Ukrainian troops made some small advances in the Donbas. Meanwhile, we hear how France’s commitment to defence has played out domestically and we look ahead to several military and defence meetings happening in Paris this week. Later, we’ll hear an interview with the Governor of Kherson’s oblast, Oleks...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,108. Today, Russian forces split Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region and advance towards the border. Meanwhile, Russia targets a Ukrainian gas facility with missiles and drones just after Zelensky calls for a truce on attacks on infrastructure. On the political side, we discuss the consequences of the withdrawal of US intelligence to Ukraine, the French nuclear shield offer, and Russia’s response to the idea of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. We also look to Washington for t...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,107. Today, as former President Donald Trump takes action to block Ukrainian missiles, we provide the latest updates from the crucial defence summit in Brussels, and discuss proposals for a "sky shield" over Ukraine. Additionally, we explore the political shifts in Germany following its recent election, analysing whether the changes are truly transformative. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of D...
Mar 06, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,106. We cover Zelensky's letter to Trump, aiming to mend their relationship after Friday's heated exchange. We also explore the incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s plan to boost defense and infrastructure spending. In addition, Trump bans the UK from sharing Washington’s intelligence with Ukraine, and reports surface of Ukrainian soldiers resorting to throwing beehives after running out of grenades. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dom...
Mar 05, 2025•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,105. Today, as President Trump announces he is pausing military aid to Ukraine, we talk to a Former Counselor of the US Department of State for his reaction, as well as from those serving on the front lines in Ukraine. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dr Eliot A Cohen (former counselor in the United States Department of State). @EliotACohen on X. NOW AVAILABLE IN ...
Mar 04, 2025•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,104. Today, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says we are at a ‘crossroads in history’ we assess the fallout from Friday’s disastrous Oval Office meeting, take in the view from Kyiv, and hear from Francis Dearnley, who attended a private briefing with President Zelensky last night. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Christopher Miller (Financial Times' chief co...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast In a bonus episode recorded just minutes after one of the most extraordinary press conferences in modern political history, we react to the public row that broke out in front of the world press between President Trump and President Zelensky, and ask: who leads the free world now? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 28, 2025•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Please note: this episode was recorded before the extraordinary events at the White House on Friday afternoon. Day 1,101. Today, we return to Kursk, Russia, where fighting has intensified, consider the outcomes of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s vital visit to Washington, and hear the latest update on resistance in the occupied territories. Plus, we hear from Colin Freeman, who visits a former nuclear weapon facility in Ukraine. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). ...
Feb 28, 2025•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,100. Today, amid more drone strikes on Ukraine and North Korea deploying new troops, we return to what some are calling one of the most significant weeks of diplomacy since the Second World War, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s attempts to persuade the President to provide a security “backstop” for Ukraine. Later, we hear a training exercise involving British and Ukrainian troops, and hear the latest on kidnapped children. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio)...
Feb 27, 2025•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,099. Today, we delve into Russia's expanding drone production and the arrival of a North Korean delegation in Moscow. On the political front, we explore the complex minerals deal and the challenging negotiations surrounding security guarantees. Later, we engage with experts to discuss the deteriorating state of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X...
Feb 26, 2025•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,098. Today, we talk about a Ukrainian attack in the Zaporizhia Oblast and more hits on Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery. We also discuss Keir Starmer’s announcement to increase defence spending, President Macron’s visit to Washington, and the possibility that France could use its nuclear deterrent force to help protect Europe. Later, we sit down with Dmytro Kuleba - the former Foreign Minister of Ukraine from 2020 to 2024 - for an exclusive interview. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,097. Today, we mark the third anniversary of the full scale invasion. We hear live from Kyiv - where world leaders are gathering - talk about Ukraine’s announcement to produce missiles - including ballistic missiles - and make sense of what the German election result means for Ukraine. We also hear from what it was like at Number 10 on the day of the invasion from Boris Johnson's former speech writer, and hear an exclusive interview with the former prime minister, also in Kyiv for the anni...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,094. Today, we hear how Washington is said to be considering a deal, which – if Russia broke – would see Ukraine automatically acquire membership to NATO, hear about possible European-specific alternatives to the alliance, and return again to the subject being forgotten in many discussions at the moment: war crimes. Later, to end the week, you’ll hear a special report from Adélie Pojzman-Pontay into Ukrainian art history and culture. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Aud...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,093. Today, as Donald Trump calls President Zelensky a ‘dictator’, we look at the conundrum facing Europe: to speak out and risk fraying American support, or to stay quiet, and not articulate their sense of betrayal. And, later, we talk about the strategic options available, and dive deeper into the British plans of putting boots on the ground. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on ...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,092. Today, we look at the fallout from the first talks between the US and Russia, consider the next emergency summit taking place in Paris, and look at one of Ukraine’s less talked about sectors, and its vital importance in this war. Later, our Defence Editor Danielle Sheridan is on the ground with British troops conducting a NATO exercise and hearing their reaction to reports that they could soon be deployed to Ukraine. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @Franci...
Feb 19, 2025•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,091. Today, as the US welcomes Russia back in from the diplomatic cold with so-called peace talks in Saudi Arabia, we ask who now speaks for Europe and we examine whether hybrid warfare could trigger Article 5. Plus, we discuss Trump’s demand for a $500bn (£400bn) “payback” from Ukraine. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. With thanks to Ilona Khmeleva (Secretary, Economic Sec...
Feb 18, 2025•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,090. Today, just as the Munich Security Conference ends, two new summits begin: in Saudi Arabia – where the US will enter peace talks with the Russians – and in Paris, as European prime ministers and defence secretaries scramble to forge a collective position. Meanwhile, attacks continue in Ukraine and Russia, and we interview again the 2022 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize at Munich. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Assoc...
Feb 17, 2025•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,087. Today, as the Munich Security Conference tops a critical diplomatic week for Ukraine, we examine the latest political manoeuvres, talk to the UN Senior Mine Action Advisor in Ukraine, and hear the latest on the underground war being waged in the occupied territories. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dr. Jade McGlynn (War Studies Department of King's College)....
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,086. Today, we discuss what many are calling a “turning point” in the war and in Western foreign policy, as the Trump administration declares definitively the US will no longer be a primary guarantor of Europe's security, and seeks a deal with Russia over the heads of Kyiv and its allies. We hear the reaction from Brussels and Ukraine, and consider the options for those Western nations that remain committed to Ukrainian independence. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Aud...
Feb 13, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,085. Please note: today's episode was recorded hours before the phone call between President Trump and President Putin. This will be covered in detail in tomorrow's episode. Today, we report on the ballistic missiles that fell on Kyiv and other cities overnight, consider the American and Ukrainian approaches to forthcoming talks, and hear from a range of experts on the pivotal issues of the moment ahead of the Munich Security Conference. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for...
Feb 12, 2025•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,084. Today, The Telegraph reveals that the Trump administration has paused its peace plan for Ukraine in order to give Europe a seat at the negotiating table. Meanwhile, the American president says that Kyiv had agreed to sign a resource deal in exchange for military support. Finally, we we discuss Wagner troops in the Central African Republic and a Ukrainian photography exhibition in London. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Narrative Podcast Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic&nb...
Feb 11, 2025•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,083. Today, we look to the Baltic Sea, where a Russian Shadow tanker exploded in “man-made incident”, as states disconnect the cables between Russia and Europe's power grid. Plus, Trump claims to have spoken to Vladimir Putin. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Narrative Podcast Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X With thanks to Tatiana Podchernin...
Feb 10, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,080. Today, we talk about Ukrainian advances in Kursk, a potential leaked peace plan from the Trump administration, and the impact of the withdrawal of USAID on Ukrainian media. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Narrative Podcast Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Hamish De Bretton-Gordon (Former British Army Tank Commander). @HamishDBG on X With thanks to Anastasiia Marushevska (editor-in-chief of Ukraїner ...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,079. Today, we mark the six month anniversary of the Kursk offensive, talk about how Russian spies may be involved in bombings at Ukrainian army recruitment offices, and discuss how politicians in Ukraine have been quietly pushing the profiles looking ahead to elections at the end of the war. We're also on the ground in Ukraine at the demining headquarters of Irpin. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Narrative Podcast Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate...
Feb 06, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,078. Today, as British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrives for talks in Kyiv we hear how a special tribunal to prosecute Russia’s leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine gets a step closer, and we hear from Finland’s Foreign Minister who says that sanctions against the Kremlin are working and ‘serious cracks’ are starting to appear in Russia’s economy. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Memphis Barker (Senior Foreign ...
Feb 05, 2025•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,077. Today, we discuss the slashing of USAID and how Trump wants to access Ukraine’s rare minerals in exchange for military support, and we report on Russia having more losses over the last two months than at any other point since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Narrative Podcast Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor, Audio). @FrancisDear...
Feb 04, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,076. Today, as Britain’s Prime Minister prepares to hold defence and security talks with EU leaders for the first time since Brexit, we report from the front line near Pokrovsk in the Donbas and, later, interview a West Point Professor who says negotiating with Moscow is a doomed enterprise. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X. Joe Barnes (Brussels Corr...
Feb 03, 2025•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,073. Today, we hear the latest acts of resistance in the occupied territories, report on new deep strikes into Russia – reaching as far as the city formerly called Stalingrad – and discuss deficiencies in military training, and how it needs to change. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X. Hamish De Bretton-Gordon (Former British Army Tank Commander). @HamishDBG ...
Jan 31, 2025•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Day 1,072. Today, we join the dots of coordinated efforts to destroy Putin's war machine, discuss the opportunities of a Europe no longer dependent on Russian energy, hear about a mysterious ship trawling the coast of Britain, and learn about another podcast about Ukraine. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X Memphis Barker (Senior Foreign Correspondant). @memphisbarker on X ...
Jan 30, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
