Putin's negotiators ‘soften hardline stance in private’ & Trump links security guarantees to Zelensky ceding territory

Putin's negotiators ‘soften hardline stance in private’ & Trump links security guarantees to Zelensky ceding territory

Day 1,433.

Today, amid increased Russian military pressure in the Donbas, and as Ukraine faces what the NATO Secretary General calls its “harshest winter for a decade”, we bring you the latest from the Ukraine peace talks, where the United States is understood to be increasing pressure on President Zelensky’s government to concede territory to Russia before Washington grants any security guarantees. But is Moscow’s position under Vladimir Putin softer than it appears, as some allege? Then we discuss civilian resilience in Ukraine with an expert from Harvard University.


Contributors

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

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

With thanks to Dr Emma Mateo (Harvard University’s Ukrainian Research Institute). @emm_mateo on X.


SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter

Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.


CONTENT REFERENCED:

Learn more about Harvard’s Ukrainian Research Institute’s ‘Solidarity Within and Beyond Ukraine Conference this Friday and Saturday:

https://www.huri.harvard.edu/tcup-conference


France opposes EU plan to buy British Storm Shadows for Ukraine (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/26/france-opposes-eu-plan-to-buy-british-storm-shadows-ukraine/


Exclusive: Russian negotiators soften hardline stance in private, US officials say. Ukrainians urge caution (Kyiv Independent):

https://kyivindependent.com/kremlin-negotiators-drop-hardline-stance-behind-closed-doors-us-official-reveals


US links security guarantees for Ukraine to peace deal ceding territory (Financial Times):

https://www.ft.com/content/8ca0d4fd-fdfd-4aa3-a3a2-90be00d55b9d


NATO boss Rutte slaps down calls for European army prompted by Trump fears (Reuters):

https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-boss-rutte-slaps-down-calls-european-army-prompted-by-trump-fears-2026-01-26/


Commission approves second wave of SAFE defence funding for eight Member States (EU):

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_211


‘Bread and War: A Ukrainian Story of Food, Bravery and Hope’ by Felicity Spector:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bread-War-Ukrainian-Story-Bravery/dp/1914613783


LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:

The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest


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Episoder(1074)

Ukraine ‘torches’ key Russian oil facilities & the motorway to save NATO from invasion

Ukraine ‘torches’ key Russian oil facilities & the motorway to save NATO from invasion

Day 1,344.Today, as the situation around the frontline city of Pokrovsk continues to worsen, we examine Ukraine’s latest wave of deep strikes targeting Russia’s military infrastructure. Then we turn t...

29 Okt 202543min

Russian troops ‘forced to swim’ after Ukraine blows up dam & 15 armoured vehicles destroyed in fierce battle outside Pokrovsk

Russian troops ‘forced to swim’ after Ukraine blows up dam & 15 armoured vehicles destroyed in fierce battle outside Pokrovsk

Day 1,343.Today, as the fierce battle for Pokrovsk rages on – with Russian troops now inside the city and 15 armoured vehicles destroyed on its outskirts – we report on the dramatic destruction of a d...

28 Okt 202552min

Putin tests 'invincible' nuclear missile & Serhii Plokhy on the new arms race

Putin tests 'invincible' nuclear missile & Serhii Plokhy on the new arms race

Day 1,342.Today, after a weekend of Russian bombardments on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities – with fires killing multiple civilians – we examine Moscow’s failed diplomatic bid to block Donald Trump’s ...

27 Okt 202547min

SPECIAL: ‘We are all in danger now’ - Putin's brutal invasion three and a half years on, with General Sir Richard Barrons and Orysia Lutsevych OBE

SPECIAL: ‘We are all in danger now’ - Putin's brutal invasion three and a half years on, with General Sir Richard Barrons and Orysia Lutsevych OBE

In this special live episode recorded at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, we take stock of the war as it grinds into its fourth calendar year. Joined by General Sir Richard Barrons – former...

25 Okt 20251h 19min

NATO scrambles fighter jets after Russian planes violate Lithuania’s airspace & deal collapses to hand Kyiv €140bn in frozen Kremlin assets

NATO scrambles fighter jets after Russian planes violate Lithuania’s airspace & deal collapses to hand Kyiv €140bn in frozen Kremlin assets

Day 1,339.Today, as President Zelensky meets the Coalition of the Willing in London, we discuss the shock felt in Brussels after European countries failed to come to a deal on the use of frozen Russia...

24 Okt 202555min

Trump sanctions ‘an act of war’, says Moscow, as US lifts restrictions on long-range European missiles

Trump sanctions ‘an act of war’, says Moscow, as US lifts restrictions on long-range European missiles

Day 1,338.Today, as Donald Trump unveils sweeping new sanctions on Russia’s energy giants, we analyse what recent developments reveal about the shifting power dynamics between Moscow and Washington. W...

23 Okt 202540min

Children rescued from kindergarten hit by drone & Putin defies Trump to wreck Budapest peace talks

Children rescued from kindergarten hit by drone & Putin defies Trump to wreck Budapest peace talks

Day 1,337.Today, after Vladimir Putin defied Donald Trump to wreck the proposed Budapest peace talks, we report how overnight attacks ended with children having to be evacuated from a burning kinderga...

22 Okt 202538min

Trapped Russian troops 'blown apart' fleeing by boat & Trump's summit with Putin in Hungary threatened as Europe pulls rank

Trapped Russian troops 'blown apart' fleeing by boat & Trump's summit with Putin in Hungary threatened as Europe pulls rank

Day 1,336.Today, amid growing signs the planned Trump-Putin summit in Hungary is already in jeopardy, we assess a breakthrough in Europe that could see finally frozen Russian state assets loaned to Uk...

21 Okt 202547min

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