Frontline: The War in Ukraine and Global Security

Russia's attempt to surge to put pressure on Kyiv over peace talks is coming at a high casualty cost, says Maxim Tucker the Times' Ukraine correspondent.

“The frontline has not collapsed, despite what they want us to believe.”Ukraine’s MOD says they have taken back about 20 per cent of Pokrovsk, says former British Army Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon.

"Russia have to reckon with the fact that Donald Trump has three more years in the white House. Is he going to be a lame duck president in a year's time?"Putin's scepticism for Trump's appeal to Russia and favourable peace deals is based in his mistrust of MAGA's ability to avoid collapse, warns John Lough, Head of Foreign Policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre.

"Kyiv and the Europeans held out. They don't accept the plan and importantly, Marco Rubio, who does not like the Witkoff - Kushner plan, he's the head of the US delegation." US figures are worried about Steve Witkoff's role in peace talks after leaks suggested he had been coaching Russian representatives on manipulating Trump, Prof. Scott Lucas discusses the latest on Frontline with Louis Sykes.

“If the US, along with Europe, pressurize Russia more, and we will continue as well with our deep strikes…this may bring Russia to the negotiating table whether they want it or not.”Putting pressure on Putin’s economy could be the key to Ukraine winning the war as it's in “a very poor state at the moment” and has no hope of improving, says former advisor to the minister of defence of Ukraine, Yuriy Sak. 

“The tone of the call is viewing Russia as a partner… and Ukraine as an object...that is troubling.”The leaked transcript of Witkoff reportedly ‘coaching’ Russian officials adds to the “dysfunctionality” being shown by Trump's administration over the peace plan, says former US special envoy to Ukraine Ambassador Kurt Volker.

“The Russians are pretty largely stuck… and that’s pretty uncomfortable for Putin.”Putin may be “overstretching himself” by trying to stir up trouble in Nato countries while not making any advances in Ukraine, says former British ambassador Lord Ricketts.

"How does this plan come out when there's little chance it's going to be accepted?"Russia's "secret" peace plan drawn up with Steve Witkoff looks unlikely to succeed as the White House begins to push back against Putin's "wishlist", Prof. Scott Lucas tells Kate Gerbeau on Frontline.