Ukrainecast

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 th...

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 succ...

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 Ru...

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 a...

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, ...

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...

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 ...

A major incident occurred on Ukraine’s doorstep this week when at least 19 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, four of which were shot down. Despite Russia’s insistence that it had no intention of striking targets inside Poland, this is nonetheless being considered a significant test both of the durability of Nato’s eastern flank, and the resolve of its member states to defend it.

To discuss the response to this incursion, Lucy ...

After a Ukrainian government building was damaged in a Russian strike for the first time, Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House that he was ready to implement new sanctions against Moscow. So, what might ‘phase two’ of a US sanctions package look like, and could it impact the Kremlin’s ability to finance its ongoing invasion?

To discuss Washington’s options, we’re joined by Stephanie Baker, a senior writer in Bloomberg...

Emmanuel Macron and Sir Keir Starmer have once again convened the so-called ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in Paris to consolidate proposals for post-war security guarantees for Ukraine. But as Europe looks to a hypothetical future, a growing alliance led by China is focused on a new era of global leadership which Xi Jinping says has already arrived. The Chinese president welcomed a host of world leaders this week, with none more notab...

As Vladimir Putin rubs shoulders with Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi in Beijing, the West’s failure to force Russia into peace in Ukraine has rarely been portrayed more starkly. Despite sanctions threats, neither China nor India has shown any sign of curtailing trade with Russia, and in response to Donald Trump’s decision to single out Delhi for additional tariffs over its dealings in Russian energy, Prime Minister Modi appears to be...

There have been multiple civilian casualties in Kyiv after sustained Russian airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital overnight. The UK Foreign Office has told Moscow to "stop this senseless killing" and earlier summoned Russia's ambassador in the UK to protest. But will these latest attacks have any bearing on international attempts to broker a peace deal?

To examine the fallout, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by Ukraine correspondent Jame...

As Russia continues to pour cold water on the prospect of an imminent summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, efforts to end the war in Ukraine appear to have returned to a familiar holding pattern. Despite the fanfare surrounding key summits in Alaska and Washington, significant divisions remain on key issues from territorial concessions to security guarantees. So, with Trump once again restarting the clock on the de...

After headline-grabbing meetings in Alaska and Washington, members of the world’s media are on high alert, as Donald Trump talks up the chances of a summit between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin. So, has a change in tone from the US on security guarantees moved the needle? Is a temporary ceasefire now less likely? And crucially, would a face-to-face encounter with a leader he’s long sought to delegitimise, mark a clear conce...

White House talks between Donald Trump and European leaders continued into the night yesterday, with plenty on the agenda including the shape of future security guarantees for Ukraine, and the prospect of a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president made a noticeable effort to charm his US counterpart, but with disagreements over the need for a ceasefire and the issue of territory seemingly absen...

The first face to face meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin since the war in Ukraine started is over, with Donald Trump saying “we didn’t get there” on a Ukraine deal, or a ceasefire. The meeting lasted three hours, with the US president insisting progress was made, and Putin saying he is “sincerely interested” in ending the war, but without giving details. The two leaders both addressed the media at the end of the su...

A potentially historic summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is due to take place in Alaska tomorrow. So, what is really on the agenda? Could Ukraine accept any proposal which sees its territory used as a bargaining chip? And would the US demand robust security guarantees as part of a hypothetical deal?

To answer your questions on all that and more, Jamie is joined by Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse, BBC Verify’s Olg...

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are due to meet in the US state of Alaska on Friday, in what is arguably the most significant diplomatic development since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ahead of the summit, the American president confirmed reports that his administration is preparing a peace proposal involving territory swaps, despite Ukraine's insistence that it will not accept any changes to its recognised borders. So, ...

The US deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine has expired, but the prospect of new secondary tariffs has been overshadowed by a mooted meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, in what would be their first face-to-face encounter since 2019. President Trump also appeared to confirm reports on Friday that the US is poised to bilaterally agree a ceasefire deal allowing Russia to retain occupied territory. So are we...