War in Ukraine: what is Putin’s end game?

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its second day, we bring this special episode of the World Review podcast.

Ukraine is facing an onslaught from Russian forces on several fronts, with troops entering the northern districts of the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky reports that 137 people have been killed and 316 wounded after the first day of fighting. An estimated 100,000 Ukrainians have been displaced after fleeing their homes.

Alix Kroeger in London, Emily Tamkin in Washington DC, and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss Vladimir Putin’s plan, the crackdown on anti-war protests in Russia, and the latest sanctions.

In You Ask Us, a listener queries what the impact would be of throwing Russia out of the global Swift payments network. Would such a move drive Russia into China’s arms, and how bad would that be?

Further reading:

Ido Vock on why Belarus provides a template for Putin in Ukraine.

India Bourke on why net zero is the energy answer to Russian aggression.

Katie Stallard describes how Putin has substituted his own interests for those of the Russian state.

Paul Mason calls on the West to wage economic war on the Russian regime.

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