Trump goes nuclear, Putin goes quiet

Donald Trump has been accused of nuclear posturing, after claiming that he’d ordered two US submarines to move closer to Russia. The announcement followed an escalating social media spat with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, as Washington’s deadline for Vladimir Putin to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine approaches. The Kremlin has broadly played down Trump’s rhetoric, so with US envoy Steve Witkoff due to visit Moscow on Wednesday, how delicate is the diplomatic relationship between the two countries?This week, we’re joined by nuclear physicist and arms control expert, Patricia Lewis, for her assessment of the situation. And, Jamie and Vitaly discuss the Russia TikTokers targeted by authorities for publishing a video in front of a burning fuel depot in Sochi.Today’s episode is presented by Jamie Coomarasamy and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Laurie Kalus and Polly Hope. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord