Ukraine: counting the cost of a long war podcast – The Guardian

World leaders are gathering in Madrid today for the Nato conference, and one issue will loom above all else: the war in Ukraine. The conflict has been described as the biggest security challenge to the west since 9/11 and, alongside practical considerations of military aid, leaders are desperate to project an image of unity.

The Guardians Dan Sabbagh, who is in Madrid for the conference, has just returned from eastern Ukraine, where he witnessed the relentless shelling of Ukrainian troops. He talks to Michael Safi about a frontline that has come to resemble the battlefields of the first world war.

Yesterday, world leaders at the G7 summit strongly condemned Russias attack on a shopping centre that Ukraine says has killed at least 20 civilians.

But amid the statements of western unity, there lies a nagging fear: will it endure? As the conflict enters a phase of attrition with both sides digging in, the conflict shows no signs of coming to a conclusion this year. And with the global food and cost of living crises hitting voters, will the worlds richest democracies stay the course as they are promising to do?

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Ukraine: counting the cost of a long war podcast - The Guardian