Putin: European leaders are ‘pigs’ who will be replaced & the race against time to plug Ukraine’s financial black hole

Day 1,393.


Today, as EU leaders meet to decide what – if anything – to do
with frozen Russian assets, we examine just how consequential
this moment could be for the bloc and for European security more
broadly. We also analyse how Vladimir Putin has deliberately
shifted his language to appeal to Donald Trump, and track another
attack on a Russian oil tanker as Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet
appears to have blockaded itself inside Novorossiysk rather than
risk further Ukrainian drone strikes.


Contributors


Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls
on X.


Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley
on X.


Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X.


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CONTENT REFERENCED:


Putin: European leaders are ‘pigs’ who will be replaced (The
Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/17/putin-european-leaders-are-pigs-who-will-be-replaced/ 


Zelensky’s race against time to plug £48bn war black hole (The
Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/18/the-budget-black-hole-that-threatens-the-future-of-ukraine/ 


How Putin’s favourite pop star became ‘most hated woman in
Russia’ (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/16/putins-favourite-pop-star-most-hated-woman-russia/ 


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