# Revealed: Trump backed Ukraine’s ruthless new campaign & exclusive interview with EU's first defence commissioner Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ukraine-the-latest-5108588/revealed-trump-backed-ukraine-s-ruthless-new-campaign-exclusive-interview-with-eu-s-first-defence-commissioner Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ukraine-the-latest-5108588/revealed-trump-backed-ukraine-s-ruthless-new-campaign-exclusive-interview-with-eu-s-first-defence-commissioner.md Podcast: [Ukraine: The Latest](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ukraine-the-latest-5108588) Published: 2026-06-23T15:47:28+00:00 Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/ukraine-the-latest/episodes/act-boldly-trump-backs-ukraines-ruthless-new-campaign-exclus Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6583012e715d5300169dcdcb/e/6a3aa6ac26f9b8cade62b70b/media.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ukraine-the-latest-5108588/episodes/revealed-trump-backed-ukraine-s-ruthless-new-campaign-exclusive-interview-with-eu-s-first-defence-commissioner Duration seconds: 1957 ## Resource Day 1,579. Today, as reports emerge that Donald Trump urged President Zelensky to act “more boldly” towards Russia, the clock is ticking on Ukraine’s threat to target drone relay stations in Belarus that Kyiv says are helping facilitate attacks on Ukrainian territory. We examine the Kremlin’s extraordinary demand that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko travel to Moscow for advice on protecting his country’s sovereignty – a suggestion that reveals much about the true nature of Russia’s relationship with its closest ally. We also bring you the latest Ukrainian strikes aimed at isolating Crimea, exposing the vulnerability of Russian supply routes as drones hunt convoys and pontoon crossings with increasing impunity. And later, in an exclusive interview, we speak to the European Union’s first Defence Commissioner about Europe’s plans to counter an increasingly aggressive Russia, strengthen continental security, and support Ukraine for the long haul. Contributor:  Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X. Producer: Phil Atkins Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan Social Producer: Tom Steed Studio Director: Chris January Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley Created by David Knowles NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE: Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest    CONTENT REFERENCED: The European talks to create a Nato plan B (Joe Barnes for The Telegraph) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/22/europe-rearms-european-talks-to-create-nato-replacement/   Poland tells Britain: Pay up for defence or risk global irrelevance (Adrian Blomfield for The Telegr… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ukraine-the-latest-5108588/episodes/revealed-trump-backed-ukraine-s-ruthless-new-campaign-exclusive-interview-with-eu-s-first-defence-commissioner/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/ukraine-the-latest-5108588/revealed-trump-backed-ukraine-s-ruthless-new-campaign-exclusive-interview-with-eu-s-first-defence-commissioner.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.