How Donald Trump’s War on Iran Helps Vladimir Putin’s War on Ukraine
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is The New Yorker Radio Hour, a co-production of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Welcome to The New Yorker Radio Hour. I'm David Remnick. Ukraine has been fighting off the Russian army and the brutal calculations of Vladimir Putin for more than four years now, longer than the United States fought in the Second World War. Donald Trump has been reluctant at best about defending Ukraine since the start. And he said that he'll withdraw American support unless Ukraine makes enormous concessions of territory. And over the last month, America's war in Iran has only strengthened Putin's hand. The oil crisis in the Middle East has raised the value of Russian oil exports. Again and again, Donald Trump threatens to pull the United States out of NATO, which also must really please Vladimir Putin, even if Trump can't actually do it on his own.
Russia is now sending drones to Iran and has provided intelligence to be used against American forces. All of this was reported recently in the Kiev Independent, an English-language news site. The editor is Olga Rudenko, who founded the Independent with fellow journalists in Ukraine. I met Rudenko with some of her colleagues in New York late last year, and we spoke again recently. She was in her office in Kiev.
What challenges does Ukraine face in its war against Russia?
Olga, it's very good to see you. How has life been for you?
Well, it's gotten pretty tough in January. So January and February were the toughest winter that we've had ever.
Tough because it's the most bombing you've seen in Kyiv since the beginning of the war.
It is by far the most bombing. And it's been this way since early 2025. Since early 2025, things changed dramatically for people in Kyiv. But it's since, you know, a few months ago when Russians really succeeded in targeting the energy facilities. And we were facing blackouts. And for many weeks, we were on maybe like one, two hours of electricity supply a day.
How has Donald Trump's stance affected Ukraine's military support?
which is suboptimal, especially when combined with what was, I think, like the coldest winter in 16 years, something like that.
Do you feel forgotten by the West, particularly now that the war in Iran has taken up all the headlines?
I wouldn't say forgotten because, you know, we've been through this, obviously, with the October 7 attack, because that was the first time when we've experienced this attention shift. So I wouldn't say forgotten. I think... Everything that's been happening since Donald Trump took office and started his sort of peace talk process has been quite surreal for us. Yeah, forgotten is not the word, but sometimes I do see, I wouldn't say that necessarily I feel like that, but Ukrainians increasingly feel betrayed by the West, particularly by the U.S.
Why more so now than before?
Well, because, I mean, I want to be very, very frank. I think that a lot of things that the current US administration is doing is effectively siding with Russia. And I think in the beginning of 2025, maybe spring 2025, we became independent. We wrote an editorial saying that the US has switched sides in this war, effectively. Because when you read what's happening lately, and especially, I think yesterday was the first time, even though we kind of had wind of this for a while, but yesterday was the first time when President Zelensky said publicly that the U.S. is only ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. if Ukraine surrenders more ground to Russia.
Even more ground than it has.
Yes, yes. It is such an insane thing because it means surrendering to Russia the most fortified part of Ukraine. This part of Ukraine that Russia wants, that it hasn't been able to take in 12 years, This is now our security guarantee, this fortified belt of the Donbass of eastern Ukraine that is standing in between where the fighting is now and the rest of the country. And this is what Russia demands to get in order to sign any sort of peace agreement. And to hear now that the U.S., our ally, supposedly our ally, is making this a condition, It is insane if you think about it, because it is so not in the interests of the U.S. as well.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–1:30
2
What challenges does Ukraine face in its war against Russia?
1:30–2:19
3
How has Donald Trump's stance affected Ukraine's military support?
2:19–8:55
4
What is the significance of the Kyiv Independent in wartime journalism?
8:55–10:28
5
How has life changed for journalists in Ukraine during the war?
10:28–37:05
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The New Yorker Radio Hour
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