Ukraine names territory ‘Donnyland’ to appease Trump & ‘breakthrough’ as EU approves €90bn loan for Zelensky
Ukraine: The Latest
Louisa Wells / Francis Dearnley
4.8 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 22 April 2026
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Day 1,518.
Today, after months of back-room negotiations, delays and doubts, we go live to Brussels as the EU finally approves the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. How significant is this decision for Kyiv’s war effort – and what happens now that the funding is secured? We also report on the proposal of “Donnyland”, a suggested name for territory in Donbas Ukraine may dedicate to Donald Trump. Then we round up the latest headlines from Russia and Central Asia.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X.
James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.
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:
Ukraine to launch EU-funded weapons spending spree after Orban defeat (Joe Barnes in The Telegraph):
The Ukrainian negotiator who can silence Russia’s guns with one call (Joe Barnes in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/20/ukrainian-peacemaker-swapping-prisoners
Ukraine proposes creating ‘Donnyland’ to satisfy Trump (The Telegraph):
A banking crisis made in the Kremlin is gripping Russia (Melissa Lawford in The Telegraph):
Putin closes major oil pipeline to Germany (The Telegraph):
Russian economy is faltering despite oil windfall, Sweden warns (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/04a9d05d-2502-44d4-b7e0-041aaa4f83cd?syn-25a6b1a6=1
‘Donnyland’? Ukraine Proposes Naming Part of the Donbas in Trump’s Honor (New York Times):
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/us/politics/donnyland-ukraine-donbas-trump.html
Russia and North Korea Celebrate Joining of First Road Bridge (Moscow Times):
New biography on author Mikhail Bulgakov labeled under 'drug propaganda' law in Russia (Kyiv Independent):
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- EU approves €90 billion loan for Ukraine.
- A territory in the Donbas region of Ukraine may be named ‘Donnyland’ in tribute to Donald Trump.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph. |
| 0:05.0 | I'm Francis Dernley and this is Ukraine, the latest. |
| 0:13.0 | Today, after months of backroom negotiations, delays and doubts, we go live to Brussels as the EU finally approves the 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine. |
| 0:24.9 | How significant is this decision for Kiev's war effort? And what happens now that the funding is |
| 0:30.6 | secured? We also report on the proposal of Donnyland, a suggested name for territory in |
| 0:36.3 | Dombas, Ukraine, may dedicate to the American |
| 0:39.1 | President. And we round up the latest headlines from Russia to understand how developments |
| 0:43.8 | are being portrayed in Moscow. |
| 0:46.6 | bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory. |
| 0:56.3 | The Russia does not want peace. |
| 0:58.1 | First, we're fighting, with our help for the Ukraine, |
| 1:01.5 | also our freedom and our European values. |
| 1:06.8 | If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours. |
| 1:10.7 | We are with you, not just today or tomorrow, but for a hundred years. |
| 1:15.6 | We can't, as European, let's gain the Russia in Ukraine. |
| 1:19.6 | Nobody's going to break us. |
| 1:21.6 | We're strong. |
| 1:22.6 | Where Ukraine is. |
| 1:24.6 | It's Wednesday, the 22nd of April, four years and 57 days since the full-scale invasion |
| 1:31.5 | began. |
| 1:32.5 | And today I'm joined by our Associate Editor of Defence here at the Telegraph, Dominic Nichols, |
| 1:36.5 | our Brussels correspondent, Joe Barnes, and our Russia analyst, James Kilner. |
... |
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