As the US and Russia negotiate an end to what President Donald Trump calls a “ridiculous war” in Ukraine, Europe faces a critical question. 

Can it still depend on Trump’s America for protection, or is this the moment to have a massive rethink on defence – and can the UK afford it? 

Mark Austin guest hosts this episode of the Sky News Daily and is joined by former NATO deputy supreme allied commander General Richard Shirreff to discuss the future of European defence and what this means for Ukraine.

Donald Trump promised throughout his election campaign that he would end the war in Ukraine, now following a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is the conflict closer to ending than ever before? 
 
On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by Sky's International Affairs Editor Dominic Waghorn to discuss the fear among European allies about what the costs of peace in Ukraine could be. He also discusses what wider implications rewarding Putin with land could have on a geopolitical scale.  
 
Plus, Security and Defence Editor Deborah Haynes joins Niall from the Munich security conference to discuss what the reaction has been from Ukrainian President Volodymyr  Zelenskyy.  

Latest figures show 73% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&E last month - up from 71.1% in December - but still well below the NHS target of 95%. 
  
Doctors have told Sky News the winter crisis in the health service is being made worse by patients who are demanding urgent and immediate care when it is not always what they need. 
 
On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by health correspondent Ashish Joshi to discuss what is behind the rise in health anxiety and he also talks to Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, about how to improve A&E waiting times. 
 
Producer: Alex Bishop 
Editor: Wendy Parker

Two months on from the fall of the Assad regime, Syria is still uncovering the depths of the horrors inflicted on its own citizens during his rule.
 
On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay and senior foreign producer Dominique Van Heerden, who have been inside a notorious prison complex in Homs, near Damascus. 
 
They have been examining the hundreds of thousands of burnt documents left behind, which reveal the extent of Assad’s crimes.
 
Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse 
Editor: Philly Beaumont

It is 50 years ago this week that Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party and it’s a testament to her legacy that she’s being invoked by both Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch. 

When she became Prime Minister in 1979 she drove through radical policies like council house sales, privatisation and a crackdown on trade unions which continue to shape Britain today. 

On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by Chief political correspondent, Jon Craig to discuss how Margaret Thatcher’s legacy is still driving today’s politics. Plus he speaks to Caroline Slocock, former private secretary to Mrs Thatcher during her final 18 months in office on what she was like to work for. 

Producer: Alex Bishop
Editor: Wendy Parker

Arguably one of the best football sides in the world were knocked out of the FA Cup over the weekend by struggling Championship side Plymouth Argyle. 
 
On the Sky News Daily Niall Paterson is joined by sports correspondent Rob Harris to discuss whether bigger priorities are making these magic-of-the-cup moments rarer, as well as Joe Bell from the Argyle Life podcast – who saw it happen.  
 
Celtic fan Niall also has to mention the other big cup upset of the weekend and applaud the follow up to one of the greatest headlines of all time. 
 
Producer: Alex Bishop 
Editor: Philly Beaumont

The US is back in the race to the moon but this time, the competition is China. Determined not to lose, President Donald Trump is pushing for America to return to the moon, backed by billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. But as costs rise and delays mount, could the focus shift from the moon to Mars?  

On the Sky News Daily podcast, Tom Cheshire speaks to Science and Technology editor Tom Clarke and space journalist Eric Berger about the escalating price of securing America's place in the space race - and whether Mars could be the next "MAGA mission". 

Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse  
Editor: Philly Beaumont and Paul Stanworth

Elon Musk and the Trump administration have agreed to shut down USAID, the world's largest single donor to international aid programs, with thousands of staff being withdrawn as Mr Musk says it is "beyond repair". The decision follows a wave of government cuts since Mr Trump's return to office last month.
  
On the Sky News Daily, Tom Cheshire speaks to Sky's Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir - reporting from Johannesburg - where the effects are already being felt, as sexual health clinics are closing and life-saving HIV drugs are no longer available.
 
Producer: Alex Bishop  
Editor: Philly Beaumont 

Donald Trump has proposed the US should take over Gaza and that the two million Palestinians living there should be resettled elsewhere. 

The US president argued that Gaza was a "demolition site" and that it could be turned into a "Middle East Riviera" under US control.   

His comments break decades of US foreign policy which has emphasised a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. They have been described as "dangerous" by multiple countries.  

On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn to discuss the fall-out in countries in the region.  

Plus, Alistair Bunkall gives us the reaction from Israel and explains the significance of Gaza to Palestinians.   

Producer: Alex Bishop 
Editor: Wendy Parker

A Sky News investigation has discovered elderly people in care homes across the country are being left unwashed in soiled sheets, unable to reach food and water, and suffering falls when left alone.
 
The investigation also uncovered huge problems with how concerns about care homes are investigated – and the way these homes are rated by the Care Quality Commission.
 
On this episode, Niall Paterson speaks to social affairs correspondent Becky Johnson, who explains the issue of neglect at care homes and explores whether the system designed to support better care is broken.
 
Producer: Alex Bishop  
Editor: Philly Beaumont