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Ukraine: The Latest

Putin declares ‘shock’ ceasefire in 'critical week' in Ukraine-Russia peace talks

Day 1,160.

Today, as Vladimir Putin announces a sudden three-day ceasefire in May, we assess just how meaningful it really is, and ask: why now? Then we analyse another extraordinary weekend of diplomacy at Pope Francis’s funeral, before learning more about the history of the Donbas: a region where much of the war’s fiercest fighting has taken place.



Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X

With thanks to Victoria Donovan (Professor of Ukrainian and East European Studies at the University of St Andrews). @vsdonovan on X.



Content Referenced:


Victoria’s Book: ‘Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East’:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Spite-Everything-Tales-Ukrainian/dp/1917092148


Freefilmers - a collective of filmmakers and artists, originally from Mariupol:

https://help-freefilmers.network/ 


Behind the scenes at Trump’s most extraordinary meeting yet (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/04/28/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-war-ceasefire-latest-news529/ 


The Russian Military Moves That Have Europe on Edge (Wall Street Journal):

https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-military-nato-europe-finland-ff53b912 


The ugly task of Putin-proofing your border (The Economist):

https://www.economist.com/international/2025/04/22/the-ugly-task-of-putin-proofing-your-border



NOW AVAILABLE IN NEW LANGUAGES:

The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them, or click the links below.

Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest

Learn more about the tech: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/24/ukraine-the-latest-podcast-russian-ukrainian-ai-translation/



Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest

Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

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    47:51|
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  • Trump says Putin ‘kept his word’ over ceasefire after Russia’s ‘most devastating’ strike of winter

    46:13|
    Day 1,441.Today, as Donald Trump claims Vladimir Putin has “kept his word” by not striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, we report on the resumption of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi involving the US, Ukraine, and Russia. We examine whether French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for Europeans to “restore their own channels of communication” with Moscow will deliver any tangible results, and assess whether the recent drop in the price of gold could weaken Putin’s war economy. And later, we speak to Sir Bill Browder about Europe’s continued failure to seize and use frozen Russian state assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort, the significance of the €90 billion loan agreed in Brussels instead. Is it enough?ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Sir Bill Browder. @Billbrowder on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:The gold bubble has financed Putin’s war machine – but that may be over (Ambrose Evans Pritchard in The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/02/03/gold-bubble-financed-vladimir-putins-war-machine-over/German warships ‘sabotaged by workers’ (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/03/german-warships-sabotaged-workers-hamburg-port/For Peace, More Ukrainians Consider the Once Unthinkable: Surrendering Landhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-donbas-region.htmlLISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk
  • Putin waits until Kyiv hits -20C before knocking out power with missiles & FIFA president calls for lifting Russia sports ban

    49:47|
    Day 1,440.Today, as Ukrainians endure temperatures of minus -20 degrees Celsius and Russia marks the end of its so-called “energy ceasefire” with a new mass aerial attack, we ask what is stopping Donald Trump from simply urging Vladimir Putin to spare Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for another week. We report on NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s address to Ukraine’s parliament, examining what he meant by the “difficult choices” Kyiv may face in pursuit of peace. And later, with the START nuclear treaty due to expire this month, Adélie speaks to two researchers about nuclear signalling – and how to interpret what Moscow and Washington really mean behind their public statements.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Frontline Club event in London on Wednesday:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/screening-qa-kharkiv-war-diaries-tickets-1979708915659 Maiu Sandu Interview:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRnZUTGo1MI Putin waits until Kyiv hits -20C before knocking out power with missiles (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/03/putin-kyiv-power-coldest-temperature-missile-drone-attack/ EU demands Britain pays fee to join weapons fund (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/02/eu-demands-britain-pays-fee-to-join-weapons-fund/ Ukraine agrees multi-tier plan for enforcing any ceasefire with Russia (The Telegraph):https://www.ft.com/content/0f26d56d-98cd-4999-8908-4a851a2de773 Russia’s Nuclear Signaling in the War Against Ukraine: A Chronology of the Biden Era, (Peace Research Center Prague):https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1448b4d0e62862b5a5a0e7/t/693eaa34207a1646b8b562aa/1765714484234/Horovitz_Smetana_et_al-Russia_Nuclear_Signalling_Chronology_Dec25_SMALL.pdf Barack Obama’s X Post:https://x.com/BarackObama/status/2018323947230540249 Napoleon stopped short soldiers from being sacked (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/02/napoleon-bonaparte-stopped-short-soldiers-being-sacked/ LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk