Ukrainian forces have been making rapid and remarkable advances in the north-east of the country, regaining control of two key strategic hubs and a large swathe of territory in the Kharkiv region.

Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, Ido Vock in Berlin and Katie Stallard in Austin discuss how this success could impact Western support and how far Ukraine could go.

Next, the team turns to murmurings of dissent in Russia following Ukraine’s gains. They discuss what criticism broadcast on Russian state TV signals about Vladimir Putin’s position, his relationship with Xi Jinping, and what his options are now.

Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks why the Sweden Democrats did so well in Sweden’s election.

If you have a You Ask Us question for the international team, email [email protected].

Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.

Further reading:

Ido Vock reports on Ursula von der Leyen doubling down on EU support for Ukraine.

Lawrence Freedman writes that, suddenly, Ukraine is winning.

Katie Stallard on why China won’t ditch Vladimir Putin.

Jeremy Cliffe says Sweden’s general election could result in a far-right backed government.

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