World Review from the New Statesman

As the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine continues, the Baltic states continue to call for sustained pressure on Vladimir Putin. Megan Gibson speaks to the Estonian president Alar Karis about his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky days before the war, the importance of Nato membership and how best to support Ukraine.Further reading:Iceland’s prime minister: “My opposition to Nato has not changed”A no-fly zone over Ukraine risks igniting war between Nato and RussiaThe Ukraine crisis is about more than just Nato membership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, US president Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and gas imports in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The European Union opted to phase out gas imports only. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC and Ido Vock in Berlin are joined by the New Statesman’s environment and sustainability editor, Philippa Nuttall, in Brussels to discuss the EU’s more cautious approach, the spike in fuel prices globally, and how green energy technologies may offer a solution in the scramble for energy. Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks what we should make of the argument that a Nato intervention in Ukraine would lead Vladimir Putin to respond with nuclear weapons. Does this allow Putin to do whatever he wants and undermine the whole basis of Nato?Podcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for just £1 a week. Further reading: Emily Tamkin interviews former Russian foreign minister Adrei Kozyrev Ido Vock on why a no-fly zone over Ukraine risks igniting war between Nato and Russia Philippa Nuttall writes that switching off Russian gas could put the planet on the road to a green economy Philippa Nuttall on the risks of nuclear power in an increasingly destabilised world Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to France Elects, an in-depth look at the 2022 French election. As Russia’s siege on Ukraine continues, the New Statesman’s Europe correspondent, Ido Vock, examines how the crisis is dominating the presidential campaign, and may benefit President Emmanuel Macron after he officially announced his re-election bid last Thursday (3 March).He is joined once again by Tara Varma from the European Council on Foreign Relations and Jeremy Cliffe, the New Statesman’s writer-at-large.Podcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for just £1 a week. Further reading: Emmanuel Macron bids to win by positioning himself as Europe’s elder stateman. Why Putin is running out of options. Ukraine’s former finance minister Natalie Jaresko on how to stop Putin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its third week, the former Portuguese Europe minister and New Statesman contributing writer Bruno Maçães speaks to Ido Vock, Europe Correspondent, about how we got here and what could happen next. They discuss Russia’s increasingly indiscriminate bombings of Ukrainian cities, whether Putin misread Ukrainian strength and morale, and what action Western governments could take to support Ukraine militarily.Further reading: Why Putin invaded UkraineWithout more planes from the West Ukraine can’t defend itselfOur addiction to oil has paid for Putin’s war Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian attacks on a number of Ukrainian cities continued on Saturday, as President Zelensky pleaded for Nato to introduce a No Fly Zone. Emily Tamkin in Washington DC is joined by Writer-at-large Jeremy Cliffe in Marseille and Managing Editor, International, Alix Kreoger on the Slovakian Ukrainian Border.They discuss why Nato is resisting a No Fly Zone, whether Europeans yet understand the true impact of the sanctions and Alix shares her reporting with refugees on Ukraine’s borders with the West.Then in You Ask Us, they answer a listener’s question on whether this war will force us to reevaluate the legacy of Angela Merkel.Further reading: A no-fly zone over Ukraine risks igniting war between Nato and RussiaAlix’s video reporting from the borderThe exemplary resilience of Volodymyr Zelensky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UN reports that 136 civilian deaths have been recorded since Russia invaded Ukraine seven days ago, although the real number is likely to be "far higher". Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and its second largest city, Kharkiv, are braced for further violence from Russian troops after missile strikes on Tuesday (1 March) that could amount to war crimes. Last night, the US president Joe Biden’s State of the Union address included a standing ovation in support of Ukraine, while China has offered to be a peacemaker with Russia. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington DC discuss the international response and whether Vladimir Putin’s fiction that this is a war of liberation will hold up as the Ukrainian people resist and Russia heads for economic collapse. Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks whether, considering the consequences of Russian investment and money being so entwined in the British economy, the UK should be far more cautious over Chinese inward investment.If you have a You Ask Us question for the international team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.ukPodcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for just £1 per week.Further reading:Emily Tamkin writes that while the state of the US's resolve on Ukraine is strong, the state of the union is unclear.Ido Vock on why a no-fly zone over Ukraine risks igniting war between Nato and Ukraine.Jeremy Cliffe on the exemplary resilience of Volodymyr Zelensky.Katie Stallard on the truth about Vladimir Putin’s attempt to rewrite history. Lyse Doucet’s diary from Kyiv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As another refugee crisis unfolds in Europe, the former UK international development minister Rory Stewart speaks to the New Statesman’s US senior editor, Emily Tamkin, about his call for a new global coalition on asylum seekers.They discuss what can be done to support Ukrainians leaving their country, the continuing Afghan refugee crisis, and how to share the migrant impact without undermining border security.If you have a You Ask Us question for the international team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk.Further reading:Ido Vock reports on how Russia has escalated the war on Ukraine as blitzkrieg calculations fail.Olia Hercules shares how Putin’s war in Ukraine has torn her family apart. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth day, the New Statesman’s Executive Editor, Foreign, Megan Gibson, interviews the Russian security expert, Mark Galeotti. Galeotti is an honorary professor at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, and the author of The Weaponisation of Everything and We Need to Talk About Putin: How the West Gets Him Wrong. The two discuss the latest developments of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, what miscalculations Vladimir Putin has made so far and why experts failed to predict the scale of the conflict. If you have a You Ask Us question for the international team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.ukPodcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for just £1 per week.Further reading: Ido Vock reports “Scared, hopeless and silent”: anti-war Russian’s are pessimistic about mass protests. Jeremy Cliffe on the exemplary resilience of Volodymyr Zelensky. Katie Stallard on how Putin has substituted his own interests for those of the Russian state. Mark Galeotti on the dark evolution of Vladimir Putin’s regime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its second day, we bring this special episode of the World Review podcast. Ukraine is facing an onslaught from Russian forces on several fronts, with troops entering the northern districts of the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky reports that 137 people have been killed and 316 wounded after the first day of fighting. An estimated 100,000 Ukrainians have been displaced after fleeing their homes. Alix Kroeger in London, Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss Vladimir Putin’s plan, the crackdown on anti-war protests in Russia, and the latest sanctions. In You Ask Us, a listener queries what the impact would be of throwing Russia out of the global Swift payments network. Would such a move drive Russia into China’s arms, and how bad would that be? Further reading: Ido Vock on why Belarus provides a template for Putin in Ukraine. India Bourke on why net zero is the energy answer to Russian aggression. Katie Stallard describes how Putin has substituted his own interests for those of the Russian state. Paul Mason calls on the West to wage economic war on the Russian regime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has ordered Russian troops to cross the border into eastern Ukraine on what he claims is a “peacekeeping mission” in defence of the breakaway states of Donetsk and Luhansk. Western leaders have condemned the move as the beginning of an invasion and imposed a first round of sanctions on Moscow, which have been widely criticised as not being punitive enough.Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington, DC are joined by Ido Vock in Berlin to discuss this dangerous new phase of the conflict, where China stands, and what might happen next.Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks if, retrospectively, we will see any difference between this invasion of Ukraine and the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and whether there are any lasting reprisals that would destabilise Putin or cause him to withdraw.Further reading:Jeremy Cliffe reports Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s Donbas is a grotesque parody of humanitarian intervention.Ido Vock on Putin ordering Russian troops into Ukraine.Andrew Marr on why London’s response to Vladimir Putin is pathetically inadequate. Michael Colborne on why silence won’t make the Ukrainian far right go away.Katie Stallard reports how Putin is confronting Ukraine and the West with a terrible choice.Paul Mason in Kyiv calls on the left to stand with Ukraine against Putin’s aggression. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.