Ukrainecast

Like many others, I feel helpless following the news. I want to create some kind of order and control, if only in my head. so I cut out bits of the paper, and sort out categories under whish to file them- Putin, Ukraine resistance, Russian money in the UK, impact on Russia, treatment of refugees. And I listen each day to Ukrainecast, the BBC podcast tracking the development of the war.

It’s an impressive venture, jointly chaired by Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse. She’s warm and sympathetic, excellent with Ukrainians under pressure, and honest about the bits she doesn’t understand. He’s obviously knowledgeable and has amazing contacts, but at times is just a little bit too pleased with his role as resident expert.

And they have Vitaly in the studio with them, who’d Ukrainian and very much aware of the detail, sympathetic with the cause. But that’s part of the problem. It’s not hard to sympathise with the Ukrainians, their bravery and defiance - particularly by contrast with the West, and their endless hedging and respect for the rules of war - which immediately gives Putin a massive advantage. It also makes for huge problems in considering how this ends. Listeners who propose some kind of no-fly zone are given very short shrift - “No way. That leads to World War 3”. But they’re equally dismissive of those who suggest that maybe the West should be pressuring the Ukrainians towards some kind of deal - “You’re kidding? After what they’ve been through? Putin’s the aggressor, not them…”

Zelenskiy will put any peace deal to a referendum, and if that’s turned down he won’t sign. Hands up if you can envisage a peace deal they would support, which Putin would sign. (And even if he did, would you trust him?). Not easy to see any way out of this, but the programme’s identification with Ukrainian resistance means the analysis isn’t as thorough as it might be.