Frontline: The War in Ukraine and Global Security

“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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Ukraine has said, ‘Right, if you want to do a pincer movement, you have to go through the fields, which makes you very vulnerable, and we will take you out.’” It is “thoroughly miserable” for the Russians on the frontline, as their military strategy is undermined by Ukrainian drone capabilities, says former Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have been listening to Frontline, with Kate Gerbeau, Philip Ingram, Louis Sykes and Laura Martinez-Williams, produced by Times Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The Ukrainians have a way of fighting back to scorch his economy.” Putin is “stuck” in a “dangerous place” as he finds himself fighting against a resilient and adaptive Ukraine, says Sir William Browder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have been listening to Frontline, with Kate Gerbeau, Philip Ingram, Louis Sykes and Laura Martinez-Williams, produced by Times Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have been listening to Frontline, with Kate Gerbeau, Philip Ingram, Louis Sykes and Laura Martinez-Williams, produced by Times Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You have been listening to Frontline, with Kate Gerbeau, Philip Ingram, Louis Sykes and Laura Martinez-Williams, produced by Times Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump's deal to buy Russian oil won't make a dent in the US fuel crisis even if any Russian fuel arrives in America at all, Economist Tim Ash tells Philip Ingram on Frontline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“They are using AI to identify targets in the sky, to calculate the trajectory, to calculate where it’s going. Much more efficient than the human eye.” New robot turrets positioned along Kyiv’s bridges are shooting down Putin’s drones with great efficiency, says Yuriy Sak, former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of defence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It does look like Vladimir Putin is intent on linking up mainland Russia, if you will, through southern Odesa into Moldova.” Michael Bociurkiw and Michael Bociurkiw discuss the recent Russian strikes near the Moldova border, and what they could reveal about Moscow’s ambitions in southern Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Inside the Kremlin, they know that Ukraine is able to fight back, and that’s why they’re escalating their hybrid attacks against NATO.” Russia knows it is slowly losing on the battlefield, as it is losing troops and replacing them with poorly trained men, says Ambassador Kurt Volker, former US special envoy to Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“They parachuted ground vehicles in behind enemy lines and drove them.” Journalist and British Army veteran Shaun Pinner describes how Ukrainian troops managed to drive an armoured personnel carrier right up to Russian defences as part of Operation Vivaldi in Lyman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There is a fear that, look across the border, there is an economically successful, teaming in population terms, rival. At what point does China seek to turn its economic domination into political domination.” There is “a lot of fear in Russia” as the expanse in the Far East closest to China becomes more economically deprived and loses its population, says China expert, author and journalist Ian Williams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The Russian idea of encircling the fortress belt within the next six months—that’s not going to happen.” Russia’s 25th Combined Arms Army is in “survival mode”, trying to establish a new defensive line along the Zherebets River, says The ISW’s George Barros. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lieutenant Vladyslav Polskyi has won Ukraine’s highest military honour for rescuing two wounded soldiers in the ‘kill zone’. Maxim Tucker discusses his time speaking with the former teacher and his unit in Ukraine on Frontline. Read Maxim's interview with Polskyi on The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/ukraine-dispatch-teacher-hero-xkv7qkrk3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.