Sep 6, 2026 · 31 min
Ukraine sets red lines as Trump envoys pursue Russia talks
US brings 'proposal to end war' to Russia and Ukraine
The episode tests whether diplomacy can address Ukraine’s demand for a ceasefire and credible security guarantees without forcing territorial concessions.
- 1Ukraine backs a ceasefire along the current front line but rejects territorial concessions without credible security guarantees.
- 2A dossier reported by The New York Times adds allegations of chlorine-based chemical-weapons use by Sudan’s military.
- 3The episode pairs urgent conflicts with stories about wildlife, cultural memory, political games, and the rituals of death.
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Oleksandr Merezhko lays out Ukraine’s refusal of territorial concessions alongside its support for a ceasefire and demand for security guarantees.
The brief
US envoys meet Vladimir Putin as Washington pursues a path to end the war in Ukraine, but Kyiv’s red lines make any settlement far from straightforward.
Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko says Kyiv supports a ceasefire along the current front line while opposing territorial concessions and seeking credible security guarantees.
The reporting widens to allegations that Sudan’s military developed and used chlorine-based chemical weapons, with evidence of concealment, US sanctions, and an official denial.
A report from the occupied West Bank examines settler violence, lost land and homes, and the tension between US condemnation and continued settlement activity.
The lighter dispatches find wildlife entering Australian homes, a boa constrictor winning a Metropolitan Opera role, and Oman’s bagpipe tradition carrying memories of displacement.
The episode closes with Trump-themed video games and a Hungarian gravedigging competition, two strange arenas where politics, work, and public spectacle collide.
Featuring
Vladimir Putin
The New York Times
BBC World ServiceListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.