‘Put Putin on trial’: pro-Kremlin hardliner turns on president & interview with Britain’s leading military expert
Ukraine: The Latest
Louisa Wells / Francis Dearnley
4.8 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 19 March 2026
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Day 1,484.
Today, as Russian casualty figures continue to climb, we ask whether Moscow’s long-anticipated spring offensive has already begun. We also return to the situation in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin has been absent from public view for several days, as a formerly loyal supporter issues a dramatic call for the Russian president to step down. Then we examine the significance of comments by the CIA director on Moscow’s involvement with Iran, before speaking to one of Britain’s leading historians of strategy about where the war now stands – and the key mistakes made by both Russia and Ukraine.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
With thanks to historian Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman.
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:
Sir Lawrence Freedman’s book, ‘On Strategists and Strategy: Collected Essays, 2014-2024’:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strategists-Strategy-Collected-Essays-2014-2024-ebook/dp/B0F7GFDDNF
Jürgen Habermas, eminent philosopher who sought to help Germany overcome its postwar spiritual ruin (The Telegraph):
Ukraine agrees to pump Russian oil to Hungary to secure EU loan (The Telegraph):
‘Put him on trial’: pro-Kremlin loyalist turns on Putin in rare outburst (The Guardian):
Russia unveils plans to resettle occupied Ukrainian territories, media reports (Kyiv Independent):
Two shipments of Russian oil and gas head to Cuba in defiance of US (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/bdb055d0-62c3-445c-ba89-349c63c82c1f?syn-25a6b1a6=1
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph. I'm Francis Dernley and this is Ukraine, the latest. Today, as Russian casualty figures continue to rise, we consider whether Russia's spring offensive has begun, before returning again to the situation in Moscow, |
| 0:22.9 | with Vladimir Putin absent from the stage for several days and an explosive call for him to leave |
| 0:27.9 | office by a formerly loyal supporter. We also consider the significance of the intervention |
| 0:33.4 | by the director of the CIA as to the involvement of Moscow in Iran before speaking to Britain's premier historian of strategy |
| 0:40.3 | about where we are and the mistakes made by both sides. |
| 0:44.3 | Brewering takes you through the most unimaginable hardships |
| 0:50.3 | to finally reward you with victory. |
| 0:53.3 | The Russian does not want peace. First, we're in our history, to finally reward you with victory. |
| 0:56.0 | The Russian does not want peace. |
| 0:59.2 | First, we're fighting with our help for the Ukraine, |
| 1:01.9 | also our freedom and our European values. |
| 1:04.8 | If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, |
| 1:07.8 | 24 hours. |
| 1:08.7 | We are with you, not just today or tomorrow, but for 100 years. |
| 1:13.8 | We can not as European, let's be gained the Russia in Ukraine. |
| 1:18.3 | Nobody's going to break us. |
| 1:20.3 | We're strong. |
| 1:21.6 | Where Ukraine is. |
| 1:24.2 | It's Thursday, the 19th of March, four years and 23 days since the full-scale invasion began. |
| 1:31.0 | And today, I'm joined by my co-host and associate editor of defence here at the Telegraph, Dominic Nichols, and later Sir Lawrence Friedman. |
| 1:37.6 | But first, over to Dom for the latest in the military realm. |
| 1:41.3 | Well, thanks, Francis. So two big things today. |
... |
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