Fiona Hill: Working for Trump, Dining with Putin
Ukrainecast
BBC
4.7 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 8 March 2024
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
With one week to go until Russia’s presidential elections, former Trump adviser and foreign affairs specialist Fiona Hill tells Ukrainecast why Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is also about the future security of Europe.
She also gives her take on the implications of another potential Trump White House.
And, how she ate dinner with Vladimir Putin, served by the late Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Keiligh Baker, Ivana Davidovic and Cordelia Hemming. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.
You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:04.6 | Hello, it's 744 days since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine |
| 0:09.6 | and we're days away from Russia's presidential election, which we already know the outcome of, |
| 0:16.1 | don't we, Italy? |
| 0:17.1 | We absolutely do and a lot of people are asking if it is going to change anything. |
| 0:24.0 | No, it's not going to change anything at all that Ymer Putin is going to win and he's going to stay in power for at least another six years, but this election matters hugely to one man and that's |
| 0:38.8 | him Vladimir Vladimir which Putin because it's a way of legitimising his rule, continued rule. When he gets elected |
| 0:48.0 | he will feel more emboldened even if he needs that because he's got everything under control. |
| 0:54.3 | That's why these elections are held to create an illusion of democracy. |
| 0:59.2 | And in the lead up to that election, we'd love to hear from you. |
| 1:02.3 | Your questions, your thoughts about |
| 1:03.6 | what's happening in Russia right now you can send us an email |
| 1:06.4 | Ukrainecast at BBC.co. UK or you can send us a message of voice note. The number is plus 4 |
| 1:13.4 | 330 one two three 9 four eight zero. In today's episode we are going to talk to |
| 1:19.6 | a woman called Fiona Hill. She's advised three US presidents. She made headlines back in 2019 |
| 1:27.0 | when she testified against Donald Trump during his first impeachment and she's met Vladimir Putin on a number of occasions. |
| 1:37.3 | She really is a Russia expert and her fascination with the country, as you'll hear, began when she was a young student. She is |
| 1:45.2 | perfectly placed because she used to work for President Trump to talk to us about |
| 1:50.8 | Mr Putin, about Russia and the prospect of a second Trump White House. |
| 1:55.9 | And she has some interesting insight into Mr Putin himself because she sat next to him twice at a dinner. |
| 2:02.1 | This is a crane cost. |
| 2:03.4 | Ukraine cost from BBC News. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.