Putin instates new ‘bloodthirsty’ general & first direct Ukraine-Russia peace talks in 3 years

Day 1,178.

Today, as Ukraine and Russia hold their first direct negotiations in over three years today in Istanbul, we bring you live coverage from two major political and defence conferences in Europe, featuring key NATO and EU figures. How united is Europe in its stance on security and support for Ukraine? Plus, we speak with a former senior U.S. official to assess whether Donald Trump’s influence in American politics is beginning to fade, and hear about the new commander of Moscow’s ground forces: a man nicknamed ‘General Blood’.

Contributors:

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

Dom Nicholls (Associate Editor for Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X.

With thanks to Professor Eliot Cohen (writer at the Atlantic, former counselor to the head of the US State Department). @EliotACohen on X.

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Content Referenced:

Ukrainian and Russian delegations begin negotiations (The Telegraph Live Blog):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/16/russia-ukraine-peace-talks-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news/ 

Eliot A. Cohen’s Articles for The Atlantic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/author/eliot-a-cohen/ 

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