Luke Harding

What you have to understand is that war has changed.

I mean, forget the Second World War movies you've seen, brave soldiers kind of running across fields and things like that.

I mean, the Russians still do that, but with very little success.

We go on about talks and resolution and negotiations.

It's kind of pseudo-diplomacy.

The reality is that Putin doesn't want to stop this war.

I would say actually the mood in Ukraine is definitely more positive, a bit more optimistic than the last time we spoke, Lucy.

I mean, for a start, the power is back.

You can see the lights behind me in my hotel in Kiev.

So Russia's attempt to basically freeze Ukraine out in the winter failed.

And meanwhile, as you say, on the battlefield, the Russians have...

really been making very slow progress.

In fact, no progress at all practically in March with Ukrainian forces even having some kind of tactical success in the south where they've been recapturing a few smashed up villages in the gray zone.

And the sort of international picture is complicated, but it's mixed.

But there is good news for Ukraine as well.

This loan, 90 billion euros,

Two thirds of it for Ukraine's military, a third to pay salaries for the economy.

It's been stalled and stalled and stalled, blocked late last year by Viktor Orban and with a huge row between Hungary and Ukraine, which is, I mean, there are still tensions, of course, but there's a new prime minister in the shape of Peter Magyar.

And it looks like this money is coming soon.

Yeah, I mean, I think that's right.