What Britain learnt from the Ukraine war & Germany's east-west election divide

This week, following unsuccessful attempts by Volodymyr Zelensky to repair the damage done during last week's Oval Office row, Donald Trump cut all American military aid to Ukraine. It was a huge move that made clear once and for all that Zelensky is no longer in favour in Washington. The decision divided America, provoked widespread criticism in Europe, and was heartily cheered by Russia. So what has led to this? Trump's apparent dislike for Zelensky has not come out of nowhere, nor has his embrace of Vladimir Putin's view of the war in Ukraine and NATO.There is a long and hugely contested history that's crucial to understanding the events of the last few weeks, and whatever will unfold in the coming months and years of Trump's presidency. On today's episode Venetia Rainey speaks with Orysia Lutsevych from Chatham House about the history of Trump's relationship with Zelensky, from Hunter Biden to the mysterious server, and Roland Oliphant looks at Trump's embrace of Putin, from KGB asset rumours to the Mueller investigation.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following President Trump and JD Vance's public row with Volodymyr Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer hosted the Ukrainian leader and vowed to put together a coalition of 'the willing', saying we are at a 'crossroads in history'. So what must Britain do now to survive in Trump’s new world order? The Telegraph's David Blair, former foreign policy speech writer at No10, talks us through the six steps the British Prime Minister should take to adapt.Plus: As the first stage of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire expired over the weekend, The Telegraph's Israel correspondent Henry Bodkin speaks with the sister-in-law of hostages Iair and Eitan Horn. Iair was recently released but Eitan is still in Gaza. She talks about her fears for Eitan's life if the ceasefire collapses.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As US President Donald Trump reshapes the Pentagon, Roland Oliphant speaks with Missy Ryan, National Security Correspondent at The Washington Post, to uncover the reasons behind the dismissal of top military officers and the potential impact of an 8% Pentagon budget cut. Plus: The Telegraph's Jerusalem correspondent, Henry Bodkin, talks us through the controversial AI-generated video envisioning "Trump’s Gaza."Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today marks three years since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine began. As Europe prepares to boost its defence in preparation for a future possible war with Russia, we ask: what has the British army learned from the Ukraine war? To find out, Venetia Rainey went to visit one of the host camps for Operation Interflex, a mammoth operation that has seen the UK and 13 partner nations train up tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers since June 2022. Plus: James Rothwell brings us the election results from Germany and explains what Friedrich Merz's upcoming leadership means for European defense and what the East-West election divide reveals about German society today.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week a very public spat erupted between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Vlodomoyr Zelensky after Washington took the unprecedented step of starting peace negotiation talks with Moscow - but without Kyiv. After Zelensky accused Trump of disinformation, Trump retorted by branding Zelensky a dictator, something that has been roundly condemned by European leaders. So why has Trump turned against Zelensky, what is behind his embrace of Russia and is his view shared by Americans?Plus: How do you end a war? Do they always end in negotiations, as the cliche goes? And is there a fair way to do it - particularly if neither side has been militarily defeated?Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, the Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London, looks to history to discuss all these questions and more.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire-hostage deal enters its final weeks, the region is on tenterhooks to see what will happen next. Will the rest of the hostages be released and aid continue to enter Gaza? Or will the deal be blown up and fighting restart? And as we mark 500 days since the October 7th massacre, we’ll be asking to what extent Israel has achieved its original war aims. Plus, we go behind the scenes at the most dramatic Munich Security Conference yet, and look at why deputy US vice president JD Vance’s speech left European leaders speechless.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a recent address to NATO in Brussels, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the U.S. is no longer "primarily focused on Europe's security." He emphasised that the U.S. would not send troops to Ukraine and would 'no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency'. With the American commitment to global peace since 1945 now over, what does this shift mean for European security? Can Europe defend itself without American troops, funding, and intelligence support? Plus: is the Trump administration signalling a move towards a multipolar world, where global power is divided into three distinct spheres of influence?Roland Oliphant is joined by Ed Arnold, Senior Research Fellow for European Security at RUSI, and by Michael Ignatieff, the former leader of the Canadian Liberal Party and leader of the Opposition.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

USAID is dead. From Ukraine to Vietnam, the knock-on effect from Donald Trump and Elon Musk's dramatic shuttering of one of the largest aid agencies in the world is being felt around the world. Why has it been shuttered and what does it mean for American soft power?Roland Oliphant speaks to Sera Koulabdara, CEO of Legacies of War, about the halt of de-mining work in southeast Asia and why it is essential for American influence in China's backyard. Plus he talks to The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Memphis Barker about why Kyiv is especially worried and whether this might prompt a rethink of the international aid system.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a shock announcement this week Donald Trump said he would ‘take over’ Gaza, ‘own’ it and called for Palestinians to be 'resettled' in neighbouring countries, prompting concerns over ethnic cleansing. Venetia Rainey catches up with The Telegraph’s woman in Washington Katie O'Neill about it and asks military expert Linda Robinson about the feasibility of Trump’s proposed plan.Plus: The Telegraph’s former Beijing correspondent Sophia Yan explains why China retaliated to US tariffs and what lessons were learned from dealing with Donald Trump in his first term.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid news of Iran developing new ballistic missiles and unveiling an underground missile city, we look at the truth behind this show of force. With its axis of resistance across the Middle East in tatters and ongoing internal issues over women's rights, the economy and the environment, we ask - can the Iranian regime survive 2025?Plus: We catch up with exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof about his new film The Seed of the Sacred Fig and ask what he thinks will happen to the Iranian regime.Contact us with feedback or ideas:[email protected] @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.