Luke Harding

Yeah, it's really been hotting up on several fronts, political, military, internationally, on the battlefield. I visited recently in the northeast Kharkiv region, a place called Kupinsk, and also another front line near Sumy, where Ukraine has since August occupied a chunk of territory inside Russia.

Yeah, it's really been hotting up on several fronts, political, military, internationally, on the battlefield. I visited recently in the northeast Kharkiv region, a place called Kupinsk, and also another front line near Sumy, where Ukraine has since August occupied a chunk of territory inside Russia.

Yeah, it's really been hotting up on several fronts, political, military, internationally, on the battlefield. I visited recently in the northeast Kharkiv region, a place called Kupinsk, and also another front line near Sumy, where Ukraine has since August occupied a chunk of territory inside Russia.

There is full-scale fighting going on. It's... Loud.

There is full-scale fighting going on. It's... Loud.

There is full-scale fighting going on. It's... Loud.

In Kupinsk, where I was, the Russians were a couple of miles away. They are sending drones into the streets to chase and hunt civilians. And Russia is winning the war in the east of Ukraine purely because of mass. It's got more of everything. It's got more men. It's got more tanks. It's got more warplanes. And, you know, meanwhile, of course, the other big development is Donald Trump.

In Kupinsk, where I was, the Russians were a couple of miles away. They are sending drones into the streets to chase and hunt civilians. And Russia is winning the war in the east of Ukraine purely because of mass. It's got more of everything. It's got more men. It's got more tanks. It's got more warplanes. And, you know, meanwhile, of course, the other big development is Donald Trump.

In Kupinsk, where I was, the Russians were a couple of miles away. They are sending drones into the streets to chase and hunt civilians. And Russia is winning the war in the east of Ukraine purely because of mass. It's got more of everything. It's got more men. It's got more tanks. It's got more warplanes. And, you know, meanwhile, of course, the other big development is Donald Trump.

What that means, Kiev, the presidential administration of Volodymyr Zelensky is bracing for impact.

What that means, Kiev, the presidential administration of Volodymyr Zelensky is bracing for impact.

What that means, Kiev, the presidential administration of Volodymyr Zelensky is bracing for impact.

And interestingly, opinion in Kyiv about what Trump will mean for Ukraine is mixed. There's quite a strong faction, group of people who think that Trump might just be good news for Ukraine, that he might somehow bring about an end to the war.

And interestingly, opinion in Kyiv about what Trump will mean for Ukraine is mixed. There's quite a strong faction, group of people who think that Trump might just be good news for Ukraine, that he might somehow bring about an end to the war.

And interestingly, opinion in Kyiv about what Trump will mean for Ukraine is mixed. There's quite a strong faction, group of people who think that Trump might just be good news for Ukraine, that he might somehow bring about an end to the war.

And managed to cut a deal with Vladimir Putin, because by now there was an enormous frustration with the Biden administration, with its policy of incrementalism, everything too little too late, with its caution, with the fact that it freaks out whenever Putin says the nuclear word. And some people think that Trump might just be the person to kind of change all this.

And managed to cut a deal with Vladimir Putin, because by now there was an enormous frustration with the Biden administration, with its policy of incrementalism, everything too little too late, with its caution, with the fact that it freaks out whenever Putin says the nuclear word. And some people think that Trump might just be the person to kind of change all this.

And managed to cut a deal with Vladimir Putin, because by now there was an enormous frustration with the Biden administration, with its policy of incrementalism, everything too little too late, with its caution, with the fact that it freaks out whenever Putin says the nuclear word. And some people think that Trump might just be the person to kind of change all this.

There are other more cool-headed Ukrainians who think that Trump will be a disaster, that he will sell out Ukraine, to Russia and essentially enforce a kind of capitulation light, some kind of deal where Ukraine gives up territory, makes a commitment not to join NATO, and so on. But the countdown is on until January the 20th. We don't really quite know what's going to happen.

There are other more cool-headed Ukrainians who think that Trump will be a disaster, that he will sell out Ukraine, to Russia and essentially enforce a kind of capitulation light, some kind of deal where Ukraine gives up territory, makes a commitment not to join NATO, and so on. But the countdown is on until January the 20th. We don't really quite know what's going to happen.