Putin challenged to new ceasefire by Zelensky & fears NATO 'disintegrating' as Trump pulls thousands of US troops from Europe

Day 1,531.


Today, after a weekend in which Zelensky joined more than 30
European leaders – along with the prime minister of Canada – at
the European Political Community summit in Armenia, a country
Moscow considers a close ally in the South Caucasus, and Ukraine
calls Russia’s bluff over “ceasefires”, we report on further
shadow fleet sanctions activity – from new regulations to
unexplained explosions. And later, we look ahead to May Day
celebrations in Russia and ask whether a Ukrainian drone
penetrating Moscow’s layers of air defence suggests the parade
could go off with a real bang.


Contributors:


Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on
X.


Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley
on X.


Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz
on X.


With thanks to Yuliya Sotska of Ukrainian charity ‘Children of
Heroes’.


NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD
FOOTAGE:


Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly
after the release of the audio version. You will find it here:
https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest  


CONTENT REFERENCED:


Learn more about ‘Children of Heroes’:


https://childrenheroes.org/en/ 


Francis’s Long Interview with Silicon Curtain:


Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vopvERNHGtg 


Audio: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qwPAXSkPTvScvGtdKa2rm


Zelensky challenges Putin to new ceasefire (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/04/zelensky-challenges-putin-to-new-ceasefire/ 


Starmer to lobby Macron for closer EU ties (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/03/keir-starmer-join-eu-defence-fund-loan-ukraine/ 


Zelensky has scrapped open-ended military contracts to attract
new recruits (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/01/zelensky-scraps-indefinite-contracts-soldiers-recruits/ 


Europe fears Putin’s ‘window of opportunity’ is now (Politico):


https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-fears-valdimir-putin-window-opportunity-nato-test/


EMAIL US:


Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to
read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in
our newsletter as possible.


HIGHLIGHTS:


 Putin challenged to new ceasefire by Zelensky

 Fears NATO 'disintegrating' as Trump pulls thousands of
troops from Europe



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