Day 1,688.

Today, after a weekend that has surely seen America’s global moral authority fundamentally weakened, we try to make sense of the dizzying news reports and developments in the war. President Zelensky called Donald Trump’s extraordinary decision to buy fuel from Russia “weak” which, coming after he failed to secure the Nobel Peace prize – again – Mr Trump took in a typically gracious and statesmanlike manner. Then, despite claims from the US President that he’d brokered an energy ceasefire, neither side took any notice. We try to work out what it all means, and whether all that has actually been achieved this weekend is that US taxpayers' dollars will now go directly to kill Ukrainian civilians.

Contributors:

Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Producer: Rachel Porter

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan

Social Producer: Tom Steed

Studio Director: Meghan Searle

Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley

Created by David Knowles

NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:

Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Russia attacks Ukrainian power plant hours after Trump ‘ceasefire’ (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/11/donald-trump-energy-ceasefire-ukraine-russia-zelensky/

Republicans turn on Trump over Putin deal (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/11/trump-facing-backlash-over-putin-deal/

Trump: Zelensky must be ousted (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/10/donald-trump-russia-oil-deal-putin-zelensky-ukraine/

Trump threatens to cut off Ukraine’s weapon supplies (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/12/trump-threatens-to-cut-off-weapons-for-ukraine/

Paul Ronzheimer Interview w. former Kyiv Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JhpyhImRLY

Learn more about the ‘Get Reading Appeal’:

https://bookaid.org/support-us/the-sunday-times-get-ukraine-reading-appeal/

If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:

– Trump: Zelensky must be ousted

– Russia attacks Ukrainian power plant hours after ‘energy ceasefire’

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