Russia attempts encirclement in Donetsk & Ukraine ‘ready for talks with Russia if in good faith’

Day 883.

Today, we bring you updates from Ukraine where Russia is pushing forward in Donbas, we analyse the latest news from China where Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has said Ukraine is ready for talks with Russia if Moscow is prepared to negotiate in good faith and we speak to Mathieu Boulegue on his co-authored new research for Chatham house into the state of the Russian military.

Contributors:

David Knowles (Journalist). @djknowles22 on X.

Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Mathieu Boulegue. @MatBoulegue on X.

Articles Referenced & Show Notes:

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Army ‘not as strong as it could be’, says Armed Forces chief (The Telegraph)

Britain must be ready for war in three years, says Army chief (The Telegraph)

[annetteroennow]

Great report by Mathieu Boulegue, Wish the heads of EU and US would read it!.

[sycapitan]

So let's get this straight.
Russia is losing, Blinken said they had already lost, Ukraine is winning but now they want talks?
🧐

[vaultsjan]

Grim news from the front. I hope for the best - ukr army to fight back and west stopping the "escalation management"

[midimusicforever]

To open for talks with Russia in good faith is to reject talks, because Russia never does anything in good faith.

[seejaybee]

A VERY realistic and sobering report, and calls for a significant change in the West's as yet unstated strategy for victory in Ukraine

[ulfsoderberg]

What happens here. Some realistic disscusions. I am stunned.

[timothykatende]

But the 61 usd billion was released and it was all jubilation in the studios we are even Francis and Dom danced on top of the tables celebrating the 61 billion. Where has this money made impact? Which villages pr in terms of kilometres have been liberated by Ukraine... and why Should Ukraine claim to want peace talks after the money has been released?

[tibzc]

the relationship between Belarus and North-Korea has been allowed to formalize, tha war in Ukraine has been allowed for too long

[GeoDevine]

when mentioning Russia as the destroyer of the international order for invading a sovereign country, I can't stop wondering what was the invasion of Iraq, Syria, Libya, Serbia or Afganistan.

[casteretpollux]

The lesson from history that the British ruling class is insanely obsessed with invading Russia, a distant country that has never invaded the UK.

[ericaryee]

At long last a dose of reality…..too much belief in Ukrainian hype about Russian casualties.

[savaisakovic]

No more UA winning, not even stalemate? Conclusion?

[michaelwilson]

Looks as if I am going to be proven right - Ukraine should have accepted Minsk.

[annetteroennow]

Grim news from the frontline!!. Thanks guys

[savaisakovic]

Sounds like a significant shift in the tone (and content as well)...

[askeladd]

lol in "good faith", that's BS, Ukraine didn't want to negotiate with Russia whether it was in good faith or not, they are saying that now because their situation is going from bad to worse, so they are being forced to start deescalated the rethoric against negotiating with Russia, because they know they are going to have no option but to negotiate and make extensive concessions on territory and on access to NATO.

[Paulus]

When Francis starts by saying something will be very quick, I know it's time to make make a cup of tea and relax.

[casteretpollux]

The summary by your guest sounds actually insane. A " rules based order" that iz carrying out genocide and that carries out endless resource wars has no credibility or future at all.

[royhorologic]

I regard this podcast as the single most useful source of information on Ukraine and recommend it constantly. May I draw your attention to Tom Cooper's (Sarcastosaurus') substack. I think this is in a similarly useful category. Notably his recent threads on "Mobutuism" and the "great F16 debate". In the former he offers an intense critique of leadership at the upper levels of the Ukrainian defence forces. In the latter he offers what I think is the most scathing critique of the mismanagement of the "F16 project". These are not the sole focus of his work. I would be very interested to hear your commentary on what are extremely serious criticisms. For context, I am a host to Ukrainian refugees for over two years and very involved in the issues surrounding the conflict.

[AnthonyCarroll-ueuv]

We are all taking this war very personally. Perhaps we should get some context for the world sake. This is not cool.
Ps Sit on your modernity.