World of Trouble

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Volodymyr Zelensky said his country may be left more vulnerable but that the lesson of Iran is that he needs weapons to force Putin to genuine peace

Aiden Aslin, a British volunteer who joined the Ukraine’s marines, was captured and tortured by Putin’s forces and is now back fighting the Kremlin. He tells his story to the World of Trouble Podcast with world affairs editor Sam Kiley.Originally published on December 20, 2025.Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9nThe Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded.Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-IndependentFind us on social:TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@independentInstagram / https://www.instagram.com/the.independent/X (Twitter) / https://twitter.com/IndependentFacebook / https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnlineDownload the iOS & Android app: https://tinyurl.com/2s3ts5dhSign up to our newsletters: https://tinyurl.com/2bmw565xHelp to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust: https://www.independent.co.uk/donations

Fiona Hill, a Russian expert and former White House adviser, who witnessed meetings between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, tells The Independent podcast World of Trouble’s Sam Kiley that the Russian president knows how to mesmerise his US counterpart - and has no plan to give up his designs on Ukraine.Originally published on November 29, 2025.Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9nThe Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded.Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-IndependentFind us on social:TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@independentInstagram / https://www.instagram.com/the.independent/X (Twitter) / https://twitter.com/IndependentFacebook / https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnlineDownload the iOS & Android app: https://tinyurl.com/2s3ts5dhSign up to our newsletters: https://tinyurl.com/2bmw565xHelp to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust: https://www.independent.co.uk/donations

Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia and should negotiate peace terms with the Kremlin, according to Britain’s most senior army officer.Field Marshal Lord Richards said Kyiv will not be able to drive Vladimir Putin’s soldiers out of Ukraine without the help of Nato forces - who won’t get involved on the ground.Lord Richards, who was promoted to UK military’s most senior “five star” rank earlier this year and led Nato forces in during its troops surge in Afghanistan, said Ukraine’s allies have failed Kyiv.“What we have done in the case of Ukraine is encourage Ukraine to fight, but not given them the means to win,’ the former chief of the defence staff told The Independent’s podcast World of Trouble.Originally published on October 18, 2025.Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9nThe Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded.Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-IndependentFind us on social:TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@independentInstagram / https://www.instagram.com/the.independent/X (Twitter) / https://twitter.com/IndependentFacebook / https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnlineDownload the iOS & Android app: https://tinyurl.com/2s3ts5dhSign up to our newsletters: https://tinyurl.com/2bmw565xHelp to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust: https://www.independent.co.uk/donations