How Donald Trump’s War on Iran Helps Vladimir Putin’s War on Ukraine

In 2021, when Olga Rudenko and other journalists launched the English-language news outlet the Kyiv Independent , they were committed to making a publication that wouldn’t face political pressure from an owner. A few months later, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the Independent began reporting breaking news from the front lines, and conducting investigations of the Ukrainian government. David Remnick talks with Rudenko, the Independent’s editor-in-chief, about the challenges of reporting in wartime; President Volodymyr Zelensky’s pushback on independent journalism; how Iran and Russia have been providing military aid to one another; and why Ukraine cannot accept the peace deal with Russia that Donald Trump is insisting that it take. Further reading: “ The Assault on Ukraine’s Power Grid ,” by Michael Holtz “ What Are Putin’s Ultimate Demands for Peace in Ukraine? ,” by Joshua Yaffa “ Ukraine Has ‘Irrefutable Evidence’ of Russia Providing Intelligence to Iran, Zelensky Says ,” by Asami Terajima , of the Kyiv Independent “ China, Iran Help Russia Prop Up Economy in Occupied Ukrainian Territories, Report Says ,” by Yuliia Taradiuk , of the Kyiv Independent “ Ukraine Heads to US with Drone Proposal Trump Dismissed Before War with Iran ,” by Tim Zadorozhnyy, of the Kyiv Independent “ We Interviewed Iran’s Envoy to Ukraine and It Was Absolutely Wild ,” by Polina Moroziuk , of the Kyiv Independent The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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How Donald Trump’s War on Iran Helps Vladimir Putin’s War on Ukraine is an episode from The New Yorker: Politics and More by The New Yorker.

This episode is 35:44 long.

This episode was published on Apr 6, 2026.

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