Former NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen joins Saul, David, and Patrick Bishop for an authoritative briefing from the House of Lords.

The former Secretary General also provides a stinging critique of the 28-point peace plan floated by the Trump administration, labelling the demands—which included territorial cession—a "Russian plan".

Robertson also firmly refutes the narrative of a missed opportunity to bring Russia into NATO, dismissing it as "Putin propaganda," and highlights the Russian leader's early deception by pointing to his own signature on the 2002 Rome Declaration guaranteeing European territorial integrity.

Robertson offers an assessment of NATO’s resilience, arguing the alliance is a "real bargain" for the US that is unlikely to be abandoned, but stresses the urgent need for Europeans to increase their defence spending.

He concludes with the high stakes of the conflict: "If Russia stops fighting, there will be peace. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine."

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Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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