This episode contains strong language.
On Monday night, as tensions deepened between Russia and Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin sent troops into two regions in eastern Ukraine where separatist forces are friendly to Moscow.
With dispatches from our reporters on the ground, we analyze why the crisis has deteriorated in the past few days and whether the ... Show More
Today
Do Aliens Exist? Steven Spielberg Believes They Do
Almost 50 years ago, Steven Spielberg directed “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the story of an average man who discovers that humanity may not be alone in the universe. Over the decades, Spielberg has directed several movies about what would happen if humanity made contact ... Show More
38m 38s
Jun 12
1979: How the U.S. and Iran Went From Allies to Enemies
At the heart of the current U.S. war against Iran is an inconvenient truth: that the United States is, in many ways, responsible for creating the very regime it now seeks to topple. Today, Scott Anderson, a New York Times Magazine contributor, tells the story of America’s outsize ... Show More
49m 32s
Feb 2023
How Does Ukraine Continue to Beat Back Russia?
February 24 marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin believed the country’s military would be defeated quickly and Kyiv, the capital, would fall. Instead, Ukraine’s clever, nimble — and motivated — military has fought back Russia’s forces desp ... Show More
31m 31s
Oct 2022
Putin's draft, sham referendums and the Ukrainian fight back
<p>Vladimir Putin turns 70 today. In recent weeks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen territorial losses, a shambolic partial mobilisation, sham referendums and threats of nuclear attacks. So what possible outcomes are there for President Putin’s plan?</p><p><em>This podcast w ... Show More
28m 13s
Mar 2022
Where is the Ukraine conflict heading?
<p>How long can the Ukrainians hold out? Will Vladimir Putin be stuck in a never-ending war and how would Russians tolerate that? Might western powers be dragged in? Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, discusses these questions with John Paul Rathbone, defence and security correspo ... Show More
23m 10s
Feb 2022
Emergency Pod: Brink of War in Ukraine
<p>In an emergency pod, Ben gives an update on the rapidly unfolding situation in Ukraine, the unfolding of Putin’s potential pretext for war, and how the world is preparing for a likely and looming invasion. Then Ben is joined by BuzzFeed correspondent Christopher Miller, who ha ... Show More
45m 31s