Putin 'shares pain' of Russian soldiers' mothers

President Putin has promised that fallen Russian soldiers won't be forgotten as he faced a group of mothers whose children have been sent into Ukraine as part of his invasion.

He acknowledged that nothing could replace the loss of a child, but claimed they hadn't died in vain. We'll hear from the BBC's Russia editor about this event

Also in the programme: Two and a half months after the death of Mahsa Amini, anti-government protests in Iran don't show signs of letting up. But will these protests lead to lasting change inside Iran? There have been much talk lately about the UK's economic problems, What’s the situation like in other similar economies? Our correspondent has been out and about in Germany's capital Berlin to see how festive the country is feeling.

Joining Celia Hatton to discuss these and other issues are Golnar Motevalli, she's senior reporter with Bloomberg based in London and Jeremy Shapiro, research director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank based in Berlin.

(Photo shows Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting the mothers of soldiers fighting in Ukraine on 25 November 2022. Credit: EPA)