My story from travels in ukraine over the past few weeks on what feels like the hardest winter yet. Most people want peace but not in the way it’s being offered. Exhaustion is everywhere, and there and no easy answers.

Latest from sources in Kyiv: US officials tell NATO nations that Zelenskyy will be pushed to sign the “peace plan” this week or face an even worse deal in future

A few thoughts on the current alarming moment

I feel like there are a lot of as-yet-unknown twists to this story - one to keep an eye on. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

Thought this was an interesting point made by Polish foreign minister Sikorski in Kyiv this weekend - a good summary of what could be the problem with all the discussions of boots on the ground and the "coalition of the willing".

My long profile of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s former army commander and current ambassador to London, who many see as Ukraine’s next president, with plenty of new info from behind the scenes: www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

Wrote this on the past two weeks of politics and protests in Kyiv www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

I spoke to perpetrators and investigators in the grim trend in Ukraine of Russians recruiting teenagers online and turning them into unwitting suicide bombers www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

My story about a newish phenomenon of deportations from the occupied areas of Ukraine. Russia tells people they are banned from “Russia” for 40/50 years, drives them 20 hours under guard to the border with Georgia and pushes them across www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Will be talking with the amazing David Hoffman next Thursday for anyone in DC who might be interested… carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...

Wrote this on Lana Estemirova’s new book Please Live, about her mother Natalia, the rights activist murdered in Chechnya in 2009, her work and their relationship. It’s a powerful, beautiful read - can’t recommend highly enough. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

I spoke to the Crimean Tatar legend Mustafa Dzhemilev on a life of two exiles, turning down Putin’s money, and his views on Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff (“I’ve seen a lot of stupid diplomats in my life, but one like him, that’s a first.”) www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

London: there are a few tickets left for Thursday’s Guardian event when I’ll be talking to Christo Grozev and Daniela Richterova about Russia’s modern espionage programmes and Christo’s work to uncover them Non-London: online tix also available www.theguardian.com/guardian-liv...

“If you don’t engage in good faith we’ll have to abandon our support for your adversary” is quite a negotiating position.

My analysis from a week in Kyiv that had lots of gambits, ultimatums, counter-offers and threats but didn’t change much when it comes to the fundamentals, as everyone puts on “a theatre play with one audience member” - Trump. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

After Euro ultimatum in Kyiv today, Putin's going to do a surprise video address at midnight Moscow time (in 45 mins). Is he going to agree to ceasefire? Would be big surprise for him to cave under ultimatum... Double down? Go on a random history rant? Feels quite unpredictable.

NEW: Our exclusive deep dive into a suspected Russian-led cell behind the parcel bomb plots with the first interviews with those directly involved, revealing how the sabotage campaign unfolded on the ground With @shaunwalker7.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

“These people are disposable.” I’ve been working for a while on this story about how Russian intel services recruit (often unsuspecting) Ukrainians and Belarusians for their sabotage offensive in Europe, and how Western services are trying to counter it. www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

Yesterday we published our investigation into torture & death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna. Now, what I & several Guardian colleagues have been working on for past few months: inside one of Russia's worst torture prisons for Ukrainians www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

The Viktoriia project launches today- our first story. Our deep dive into Russian detention centres, with @shaunwalker7.bsky.social and @forbidden-stories.bsky.social consortium to follow tomorrow. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

“Carpet. Plane. Siberia.” An adapted short extract from my new book The Illegals: on how the KGB used its deep cover spies to get close to the leading lights of the Prague Spring. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

My book The Illegals, on Russia's deep-cover spies, is out in UK & US this week... Please consider picking up a copy if you're interested in Russian history, crazy spy stories or both. A nice review in today's NYT: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/b...

London: I'll be talking on Wednesday at Waterstones Gower St about my new book on the history of Russia's illegals programme, with the best possible conversation partner: @gordoncorera.bsky.social, who has himself written a (brilliant) book about illegals t.co/zwbJCwCy84

Ahead of my book on the history of Russia's Illegals programme coming out next week, here's a taste in Guardian Longread form. ‘I am not who you think I am’: how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ap...

I spoke with @christogrozev.bsky.social about his feelings on being trailed by the Bulgarian spy ring jailed in London last week for spying for Russia, and the effect it has had on his life: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

I wrote this story on a young man from Kharkiv who was kidnapped by Russian troops from his home village while trying to rescue his mum, and on his mum’s two-year quest to find him and bring him home. With striking photos by Julia Kochetova www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

Spent an hour chatting with Zelenskyy yesterday about his upcoming mission to persuade Trump to stay on Ukraine's side. If not, Ze thinks Europe won't be able to fill the gap. "Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

“Never in the postwar period has remembrance been as important as now … We are at an enormous turning point. Everything’s changed very quickly... In these times we need some tangible points of reference." My interview with Auschwitz museum director www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

I’m really excited that my book on the history of Russia’s “illegal” spies comes out soon. It’s taken me years of work and covers a century of Soviet/Russian history... Below, a short thread about the book, as well as info on how to pre-order a copy.

Some analysis of the upcoming year for Ukraine - cautious hopes that Trump might bring something positive (underpinned by grim admission that it's probably unlikely) www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Latest on Baltic cable saga, as Finns find 100km drag mark on seabed. It all points to deliberate sabotage. Estonian official: "If you’re dragging an anchor, it can’t be that you don’t notice it, because the ship would go off course. It’s not possible." www.theguardian.com/world/2024/d...

Wrote this on Ukraine’s really hard dilemmas as it faces a military personnel shortage. Increasingly older men in the trenches and alarming signs such as trained air defence units being depleted to send people to the front www.theguardian.com/world/2024/d...

A letter I've signed, along with a few dozen current and former international correspondents of the Guardian and the Observer, expressing alarm over the plans to sell the Observer without consultation, and solidarity with our colleagues there. www.theguardian.com/media/2024/d...

First Bluesky post... Spent some time, with @pjotrsauer.bsky.social speaking to people in Kyiv, Moscow and Washington about Trump's plans for peace and how "negotiations" might look: www.theguardian.com/world/2024/d...