Frontline: The War in Ukraine and Global Security

“He thought the whole system would fold over and collapse much quicker … the fight put up by the stoic regiments and special forces decimated the Russians.” Putin’s intelligence failed as Ukrainian forces’ “uncrewed revolution” enabled them to put up a stronger fight than he expected during his “special military operation”, says Al Carns, a former Armed Forces minister and Labour MP who fought in Afghanistan.

“They can’t keep up with that rate of loss. So they’re recruiting fewer than they are losing.”Putin cannot sustain Russia’s heavy losses after Ukrainian forces retook all its 2026 territorial gains, in some cases using only robots, says former ambassador Kurt Volker.

Filmmaker and charity founder Pritan Ambroase joins Amy Kellogg to reveal the terrifying campaign of intimidation, harassment, and violence he has faced since working on his upcoming documentary, Can I Go Home Now? Ambroase also opens up about the devastating psychological toll of interviewing over 500 Ukrainian children, sharing harrowing accounts of kidnappings, deportations, and war crimes that he says reveal a "deeper, uglier definition" of cruelty.

“Russia has run out of people ready to be killed for $2,000 a month."Author and Russia/Ukraine expert Anna Zafesova joins Frontline presenter Amy Kellogg, as she lays out the state of the war, arguing that Putin is in a domestically vulnerable state. As new rumours swirl about potential Russian-US business deals on team Trump's wish list, she returns to address the age-old question: What, if anything, does Putin have on the US President?

“By definition, it’s not going to be a limited response from Nato; it’s going to be a regional response, including strikes inside Russia and the risk to go nuclear.”It is “erroneous” to think that Russia may launch an armed attack against the alliance, as Putin does not have the capability to fend off a Nato response, says John Foreman, former UK defence attaché to the Russian Federation.

“He better strike while the iron’s hot because eventually Nato is ogling other be, without the US, able to take on Russia … and that day will come.”Putin and Trumps cosy relationship will backfire as it has only made Nato stronger says former deputy assistant secretary of defence Jim Townsend.

“I’m not sure Putin will survive into that period, but at some point they are going to look back and say this is a disaster.”The Russians are going to “pay the price” down the line as Russia loses all Western investment and falls behind in innovation in the AI race while Putin focuses on his war in Ukraine, says Lord Ricketts.

“The conditions have not been set on the ground for Putin to realise he is not going to win.” False information from Russian generals means that Putin is in total denial about the fact that all of his military objectives have failed, says former British Army colonel and Frontline host Philip Ingram.

“The war is not going in any sense in Russia’s way.”Trump does not understand Putin’s true position in this war and exaggerates Russia’s strength, says Dr Jamie Shea, a former deputy assistant secretary general of Nato.