Oliver Conway

Start listening to Oliver Berkman, Epidemics of Modern Life. Available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks.

Start listening to Oliver Berkman, Epidemics of Modern Life. Available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks.

Start listening to Oliver Berkman, Epidemics of Modern Life. Available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks.

You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. This edition is published in the early hours of Saturday, the 25th of January. Vladimir Putin says he's ready for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, but dismisses Donald Trump's threat to use economic pressure on Russia.

You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. This edition is published in the early hours of Saturday, the 25th of January. Vladimir Putin says he's ready for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, but dismisses Donald Trump's threat to use economic pressure on Russia.

UN peacekeepers in Congo say they're engaged in intense combat with M23 rebels threatening the eastern city of Goma. And Hamas has given Israel the names of four female hostages due to be released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

UN peacekeepers in Congo say they're engaged in intense combat with M23 rebels threatening the eastern city of Goma. And Hamas has given Israel the names of four female hostages due to be released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The paralysed man who's discovered new sensations with a robotic arm. Donald Trump has had a complicated relationship with Vladimir Putin. But since his return to the White House, he's been urging the Russian leader to agree a peace deal with Ukraine, saying otherwise the US would increase sanctions, tariffs and taxes on Russia.

The paralysed man who's discovered new sensations with a robotic arm. Donald Trump has had a complicated relationship with Vladimir Putin. But since his return to the White House, he's been urging the Russian leader to agree a peace deal with Ukraine, saying otherwise the US would increase sanctions, tariffs and taxes on Russia.

On Friday, Mr Putin gave his first public response, attempting to flatter the US president by repeating the lie that Mr Trump had actually won the 2020 election and suggesting that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might never have happened if, quote, that victory hadn't been stolen. On a visit to North Carolina, Mr Trump repeated his call for oil prices to be lowered to force Russia to end the war.

On Friday, Mr Putin gave his first public response, attempting to flatter the US president by repeating the lie that Mr Trump had actually won the 2020 election and suggesting that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might never have happened if, quote, that victory hadn't been stolen. On a visit to North Carolina, Mr Trump repeated his call for oil prices to be lowered to force Russia to end the war.

But President Putin rejected that logic, saying both the US and Russia needed prices that were neither too high nor too low.

But President Putin rejected that logic, saying both the US and Russia needed prices that were neither too high nor too low.

Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, gave me his assessment of President Putin's intervention.

Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, gave me his assessment of President Putin's intervention.

Do you think the reason that President Putin has come out in this way is because he might be worried about economic pressure from the Americans?

Do you think the reason that President Putin has come out in this way is because he might be worried about economic pressure from the Americans?

And what is Ukraine's position on all this? Because Vladimir Putin was saying they were the ones refusing to talk.

And what is Ukraine's position on all this? Because Vladimir Putin was saying they were the ones refusing to talk.

Vitaly Shevchenko of BBC Monitoring. And a reminder that if there's anything you'd like to ask about Donald Trump's first week as a returning US president, then we'd like to hear from you. Whether it's about his moves on cryptocurrencies, pardons, climate change, immigration, tariffs or anything else.