Q&A: Zelensky is afraid, Russian billionaires and Europe’s strongest army

There’s lots of news from Moscow where a Russian general died on Monday morning after an explosive device planted under his car was detonated. He is the third military official to be killed in such an attack this year alone, with authorities pointing the finger at Ukraine's intelligence services. Also, Vladimir Putin said in his end-of-year press conference that there will be no more wars after Ukraine, provided Russia is treated with respect - he dismissed claims that the Kremlin is planning to attack European countries as "nonsense". The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg was in the room to ask a question. He joins Victoria and Vitaly to discuss the president's answer, and the surreal moment a Russian TV channel mistook another journalist for him. Plus, Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse is in the studio to chat about Europe's eleventh-hour deal to fund Kyiv, and all the latest on peace talks from Miami. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that his army will struggle to fight on effectively if a crunch European summit ends without a solution to an imminent deficit in Kyiv's finances. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has referred to European leaders as "piglets" as he dismissed any peace deal which does not "unconditionally" satisfy Russia's pre-invasion aims. The Russian president is yet to be presented with the latest US-led proposal on how to end the war in Ukraine, after Donald Trump spoke positively about progress made during multilateral talks in Berlin. This week, Lucy is joined in the studio by the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, security correspondent Frank Gardner, and Europe digital editor Paul Kirby, to answer your questions. Could a plan to redeploy frozen Russian assets crash Europe’s economy? Which competing visions are at play inside the White House as the US ramps up peace efforts? And what would make China speak up on behalf of Ukraine? Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings.

Volodymyr Zelensky has been in Berlin discussing peace proposals with the US, and he says they will be ready to present to Russia ‘within days’. Today, he addressed European leaders The Netherlands' House of Representatives in The Hague. We also discuss why Italy has joined Belgium in its opposition to the EU’s plan to send €210 billion of Russia's frozen state assets to Ukraine. Victoria and Vitaly are joined by BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen to discuss why there is good reason to remain wary of an imminent robust peace deal. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko The producers were Laurie Kalus and Julia Webster. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The series producer is Chris Flynn. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480 You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

After a week in which Donald Trump called European leaders "weak" and questioned Ukraine's commitment to democracy, we look at whether his views are becoming more aligned with the Kremlin's. And as America pushes for a Christmas truce, the team discuss Europe's chances of getting the US president more on side. To answer your questions, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by BBC Verify's Olga Robinson and Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. Could Ukraine really hold wartime elections? Have any western assets been frozen by Moscow? And will Russia ever pay reparations for its invasion? Today’s episode is presented by Jamie Coomarasamy and Vitaly Shevchenko.

The newly published US ‘National Security Strategy’ is being seen by some as further evidence that in the era of Trump western nations are no longer united in the way they view the world. From its scathing narrative of European decline, to an altogether rosier depiction of Russia, the document has turned longstanding US foreign policy on its head. So what can it tell us about Washington’s intentions when it comes to ending the war in Ukraine? Also today, Jamie and Vitaly are joined by Mariam Lambert, co-founder of the Emile Foundation, an organisation focussed on reuniting Ukrainian children with their families after being forcibly relocated by Russia. Experts at Yale University estimate there could be as many as 35,000 Ukrainian children being held illegally in Russia and its occupied territories. Russia insists it is protecting vulnerable children by moving them away from active war zones to ensure their safety. Today’s episode is presented by Jamie Coomarasamy and Vitaly Shevchenko.