Invasion

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine stuns the world. At the United Nations Security Council, the Russian ambassador is in the chair when the news breaks, sparking an extraordinary exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart. We hear from the presidents, prime ministers and top officials who were in the room for the crucial moments as they grappled with how to respond.

An emotional President Zelensky has a phone call with Biden just hours after the invasion, and he makes a powerful plea to European leaders, saying, ‘this might be the last moment you see me alive.’ Key players, including Boris Johnson, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA director Bill Burns and UN secretary general António Guterres, describe how they came under increasing pressure to step up and provide Ukraine with more support but could only go so far without risking World War III. Foreign secretary Liz Truss summons the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Office, and each of them describes their side of a frosty encounter.

Western leaders, fearing for Zelensky’s safety, offer to help get him out of the country. He refuses, saying, ‘this is what we were elected for – for this day.’ We lift the lid on the ill-fated peace talks on the Belarusian border and hear from the Ukrainian officials who were among the first to visit the town of Bucha, where shocking evidence was uncovered. A few months into the war, the west is delivering more weapons to Ukraine than ever before, but Putin only looks to be digging in.