Battleground

If you're interested in supporting Sebastian and Ethan's Driving Ukraine initiative you can find their donation page here: https://donorbox.org/sebastianandethan

And you can find more information about the charity here: https://drivingukraine.org

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse examine the shifting geopolitical landscape, rising political turbulence in Europe, and escalating hostility from Washington toward Ukraine.

• French Unrest & Le Pen's Programme: The hosts analyse the political consequences of recent mass disturbances across France, Marine Le Pen's pledge to phase out French bilateral assistance to Ukraine within six months, and comparisons to Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Germany's AfD.
• Washington's Strategic Pivot: A deep dive into Donald Trump's sharp rhetoric against President Zelensky, his decision to bypass the Lindsey Graham sanctions package, pursue a diesel deal with Moscow, and effectively align with Russia.
• Starlink Restrictions & Cyber Update: Reviewing cyber expert David Alexander's report on how speed limits introduced on Starlink/Starshield severely hampered Ukrainian drone defence and military operations.
• A Modern Yalta & St Petersburg Fallout: Discussion surrounding the alarming proposal for a tripartite meeting between Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping, alongside Steve Witkoff's controversial diplomatic visit to St Petersburg.
• Listener Q&A: Patrick and Roger answer listener questions regarding the true motivations behind the diesel deal, Ukrainian targeting strategies and the Kerch Bridge, why the UK is providing jets to support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis, and whether upcoming US midterms will restrict Trump's foreign policy manoeuvres.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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Around 95% of international internet traffic, as well as vast amounts of energy and data, travels through fibre-optic cables and pipelines resting silently on the ocean floor. Despite being the invisible backbone of modern civilisation, this critical infrastructure remains largely unprotected and increasingly vulnerable to hybrid warfare and deliberate sabotage.

In this episode of The Big Picture, host Roger welcomes Elisabeth Braw, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and author of The Undersea War: Ancient Law, Modern Sabotage, and the Struggle for the Ocean Floor.

Together, they dive deep into the hidden vulnerabilities of our global maritime order, discussing:

• The Invisible Backbone: How a network of subsea cables—dating back to Victorian-era telegraph lines—powers our modern daily existence.
• Modern Sabotage & Shadow Fleets: Real-world case studies of subsea damage, including the cutting of Taiwan’s Matsu Islands cables and the "Christmas Day Massacre" in the Gulf of Finland involving the Russian-linked vessel Eagle S.
• Legal Grey Zones: Why UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) and current international maritime law struggle to hold bad actors accountable in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
• Private Tech Giants as Cable Owners: The geopolitical implications of tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon owning subsea infrastructure—and the risks of private cyber-retaliation.
• A Path Forward: Braw’s proposal for an International Seabed Protection Alliance and a tribute to the "cable surgeons" who repair damaged infrastructure under extreme conditions.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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As winter approaches, Ukraine faces escalating pressure on both the battlefield and the diplomatic front. In this episode, Patrick Bishop and Saul David unpack alarming allegations from Kyiv that the U.S. government—via Starshield speed restrictions—temporarily crippled Ukraine's ability to track fast-moving ballistic missiles and coordinate frontline operations.

The hosts analyse President Trump’s campaign to pressure President Zelenskyy into halting deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, alongside field reports on the grim conditions inside the fortress city of Sloviansk and the relentless drone threat in Kyiv.

Also in this episode:

• Cyber Warfare Update: David Alexander breaks down recent Ukrainian drone strikes hitting Russia's primary cloud service provider, Yandex, and the arrest of a pro-Kremlin disinformation blogger in Montenegro.
• Listener Q&A: Patrick and Saul answer questions on whether Europe can ever truly bridge the massive intelligence and satellite gap left by the U.S., and examine how Russia is steadily losing its geopolitical hegemony in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop is joined by Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Centre for Civil Liberties and recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

Oleksandra discusses the immense human toll of Russia's war on Ukraine, detailing how her team has documented over 100,000 war crimes while striving to return names and dignity to the victims. The conversation explores the urgent push to establish a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression to hold Vladimir Putin and his leadership accountable, the limitations and failures of existing global structures like the International Criminal Court and the United Nations, and the profound resilience of ordinary people in the face of global turbulence.

Tune in for a powerful and thought-provoking discussion on how we can forge a new architecture of international justice, why Europe must move beyond "the weakness of the powerful," and why the defence of human rights matters for the future of the entire world.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of the Battleground podcast, host Saul David catches up with intrepid Hungarian war reporter Boldizsár Győri following his recent three-week, cross-country journey through Ukraine.

From the shifting, higher-risk atmosphere in Kyiv under new high-speed drone and ballistic threats to a rare media visit inside a Western Ukrainian prisoner of war camp, Boldizsár shares firsthand accounts of what life looks like on the ground. They also dive deep into the brutal conditions in the eastern fortress belt—discussing the intense realities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and an extraordinary visit to the historic Sviatohirsk Monastery caught in the crossfire—alongside a sober look at the latest international diplomatic efforts and the realities of modern artillery and electronic warfare.

Key Topics Covered:

• The New Face of Air Defence & Drones in Kyiv: How faster, AI-assisted Geran drones and new weapon systems have changed the atmosphere and caution levels in the capital.
• POW Camps vs. Russian Prisons: A stark contrast between conditions for Russian POWs in a Western Ukrainian facility and the harrowing imprisonment experienced by a Ukrainian journalist held in Russia.
• Life in the East: The perilous conditions in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, dwindling civilian populations, and the frontline work of signal intelligence, Caesar howitzers, and HIMARS units.
• The Sviatohirsk Monastery: Visiting centuries-old Orthodox monks and nuns living and surviving amid the ongoing frontline crossfire.
• Geopolitics & Ceasefires: Evaluating the feasibility of proposed energy ceasefires and the current outlook on international support.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine’s war with Russia continues to evolve. Roger Moorhouse and Saul David examine Ukraine’s latest gains around Lyman, Russia’s increasingly aggressive “grey-zone” tactics, and the growing threat of the conflict spreading beyond Ukraine.

They also discuss a major German spy scandal, the possibility of a new front in the Baltics, Russia’s costly “meat assaults”, Ukraine’s rapidly developing drone warfare, and whether the war could continue beyond Trump’s presidency.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop sits down with veteran international affairs journalist and Economist editor-at-large Xan Smiley to reflect on the shifting geopolitical landscape between Europe, Moscow, and Washington.

Drawing on his years as a former Moscow and Washington bureau chief, Xan reflects on:

• The Fall of the Soviet Order: What life was like inside late-1980s Moscow during the eras of glasnost and perestroika, the sudden collapse of the USSR, and how ordinary Russians fared through the turbulent 1990s privatisation.
• The Evolution of US-Russia Dynamics: From Ronald Reagan’s pivotal shift on Moscow’s "evil empire" to Donald Trump’s unprecedented posture toward Vladimir Putin.
• NATO and Kremlin Narratives: Unpacking the deep-seated Russian psyche of encirclement, the debate around NATO expansion, and the impact on the war in Ukraine.
• The Rise of Global Populism: The forces driving political polarisation and the rise of right-wing populist parties across Europe and America.
• Bright Spots of Progress: Why the economic and democratic transformation of Eastern and Central Europe remains one of the greatest success stories of the post-Cold War era.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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Want to support Matt's charity cycle raising money for SuperHumans? You can find his donation page here. www.justgiving.com/page/u2u

In this episode of Battleground, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse dive into the latest developments from the front lines in Ukraine, featuring a deep dive into the successful "Operation Vivaldi" counteroffensive in the Donbas. Later, Belgian war correspondent Arnaud De Decker joins to share insights from his exclusive, behind-the-scenes interview with Robert Brovdi (aka "Magyar"), head of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.

Key Topics Covered:

• Operation Vivaldi: How Ukraine liberated over 250 square kilometres in the Donbas using ground-dropping robots, heavy bomber drones, and clever deception tactics (Maskirovka).
• Inside the Underground Command: Journalist Arnaud De Decker describes his high-security journey to a secret command centre monitoring live battlefield feeds across hundreds of screens.
• Exclusive Interview Insights with "Magyar": Robert Brovdi’s take on why deep-strike drone attacks in Russia are only 5% of daily missions, the strategic goal of replacing infantry with unmanned systems, and the chilling prospects of autonomous AI warfare.
• Life in Kyiv & Winter Expectations: Frontline realities versus civil resilience in Kyiv as winter approaches under changing Russian drone tactics.
• Cyber Warfare & Mailbag: A report on Poland's Cyber Legion initiative and listener questions on the future of tanks and European missile defence systems.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Julius Strauss is joined by prominent Canadian political columnist and author Andrew Coyne to analyse the escalating trade tensions and unprecedented strain on Canada–US relations.

The discussion covers the political shift in Canada following Mark Carney's election, the collapse of recent trade negotiations, the impact of US tariffs, and the broader threat posed to Canadian economic sovereignty.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Check out both in the links below:

Substack: https://backfromthefront.substack.com/

Wild Bear Lodge: https://wildbearlodge.ca/

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Roger Moorhouse analyse the geopolitical fallout of Donald Trump signing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, his push for Ukraine to halt refinery strikes, and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal for a mutual energy ceasefire. They break down actual battlefield numbers versus Moscow’s exaggerated claims, how Australia’s Slinger counter-drone system is helping return armour to the front line, and a dire humanitarian situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky.

Plus, a deep dive into the latest cyber warfare—from the UK’s new National Centre for Information Defence to high-profile election hacks and state-sponsored cyber operations—followed by listener questions on striking Russian infrastructure, national resilience, and UK defence procurement reform.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.