Amanpour

Former US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was sworn in just days before that now infamous phone call in 2019 where then-President Trump repeatedly asked Ukraine’s President Zelensky to investigate the Bidens in return for military aid. Esper’s new memoir, A Sacred Oath, is filled with explosive and instructive behind-the-scenes examples of what it was like working for the most disruptive American president in modern times, and he joins the show to discuss. Also in today's episode: British-American filmmaker Louis Theroux discusses his latest documentary series, Forbidden America; iPhone co-creator Tony Fadell on his new "advice encyclopedia," BUILD. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

n a historic change for a once neutral country, driven by its neighbor Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland's leaders today said their country must apply for NATO membership "without delay". They share a 13-hundred-kilometre border with Russia, and as expected the Kremlin swiftly called the move "a threat," but Finnish president Sauli Niinisto pointed the finger squarely at Putin. Meanwhile neighboring Sweden, which has an even longer history of neutrality, is also expected to make a decision on NATO in the coming days. Joining Christiane to discuss are former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb. Also on today's show: singer, songwriter, actor, activist, and new author Janelle Monáe; author Reshma Saujani. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US Senate votes today on a measure that would codify Roe v. Wade. Democratic leadership strongly backs its passage but didn’t expect it to get close to the filibuster-proof 60 votes required. The purpose is more symbolic, shining a spotlight on which senators – and which parties – are for and against abortion rights. The ACLU’s Alexa Kolbi-Molinas recently argued a case on abortion rights before the Supreme Court and joins the show. Also in today's episode: Audrey Diwan, director of "Happening," a new French film that takes a bracing look at the realities of life before abortion was legal ... Professor and author Richard L. Hasen on how to cure the disinformation that poisons politics. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Europe and the G7 plan to phase out Russian oil, could this help or hurt the struggle for green energy? Joining the show to discuss this is US climate envoy John Kerry. Also on today's show: One of the world's top Russia historians and authors, Simon Sebag Montefiore; journalist Judith Warner. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In perhaps the most anticipated Victory Day parade in recent memory, Russian military might was on full display this morning in Moscow. But President Vladimir Putin, while defiant, delivered a short speech without declaring victory in Ukraine, or formally declaring war and mass mobilization, or indeed any battlefield plans. Instead, Putin again defended his actions and again claimed that he had no other choice. Andrei Kozyrev has unique insight into the Kremlin leadership, having served as the Russian Federation's first foreign minister in the 1990s. Also in today's show: Ben Hodges, Former Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe; Eliyahu Stern, Professor of Modern Jewish History, Yale University To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Philippines is bracing for an important presidential election on Monday. Way ahead in the polls is Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also known as Bongbong, and his running mate Sara Duterte. If those names sound familiar, they should: Marcos is the son of the Philippine dictator of the same name, who became notorious for corruption and human rights abuses, as well as his wife Imelda – and her massive shoe collection. Sara Duterte is the daughter of outgoing strongman leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose rule has been defined by – and condemned for – its bloody war on drugs. Many have forgotten the sins of the fathers and are enthusiastically embracing the Marcos-Duterte ticket. But correspondent Ivan Watson found there are still some unnerved by this ‘back to the future’ prospect. His special report is followed by Christiane's interview with Richard Heydarian, author of The Rise of Duterte. Also in today's show: award-winning journalist Farai Chideya, CNN anchor and author Zain Asher. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, more women may die – that is the blunt warning from the director of the CDC, as America grapples with the fallout from the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion. For California Congresswoman Jackie Speier, abortion is a lived experience. In 2011, she became the first member of Congress to share her story on the House floor. The impromptu moment happened after she heard a male colleague discussing the issue. She joins Christiane from California. Also on today's show: authors Karen Brooks Hopkins and Kristin Kobes Du Mez. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Americans on both sides of the abortion issue are fired up following the leak of a draft opinion that shows the Supreme Court looks likely to end a women's right to choose after nearly 50 years. The issue has long split the two political parties and the country, but how did it get this way? Francis Schaeffer is an evangelical scholar whose son Frank encouraged him to campaign against Roe v. Wade with Christian literature and movies they were producing. He joins Christiane from Boston to explain why he now regrets the role he played. Also on today's show: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, author John Avlon. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The leak of a draft Supreme Court ruling overturning the Roe v. Wade abortion decision is sending shock waves throughout the United States. For decades, right-wing activists kept the fight against ‘Roe’ at the heart of America’s culture wars. Carrie Severino is the president of one such organization: the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative legal advocacy group. She claims the draft ruling accomplishes many of her life's ambitions and she joins Christiane from Arlington, Virginia. Severino is followed by Gloria Steinem, who's been at the forefront of defending Roe v. Wade since the beginning. She sees the Supreme Court ruling as a threat not just to women, but to American democracy. Also on today's show: Jonathan Powell, former Chief of Staff to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who dealt face-to-face with Vladimir Putin many times; and Bill Gates, who discusses his new book, How to Prevent the Next Pandemic. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evacuations are underway from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, where dozens of civilians who were holed up in and around the Azovstal steel plant have emerged. But hundreds more remain, running out of food, water, and medicine. Mariupol’s mayor says the Russian forces are creating obstacles and making progress on evacuations difficult. Journalist Peter Pomerantsev is an expert on Russian propaganda, and he recently spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He joins the program from Lithuania. Also today: Co-founder, Afghan Peace Watch Habib Khan; Dr. Thomas Fisher, author of "The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago E.R." To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Putin is doubling down on Ukraine’s Donbas region, and the Pentagon says Moscow’s shift in strategy may be working for them. Their apparent advances on the battlefield come after Putin’s initial assault on the north two months ago was blunted by the Ukrainians in a show of force that surprised the world. Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov has been taking a close look at Russia’s failures so far, and the blame game that followed in the Kremlin, and he joins the show from London. Also on today's show: author Joel Simon, professor Darrick Hamilton, Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Russia shifts its strategy in Ukraine, so is the US shifting its tone and upping its urgency. President Biden asked Congress today for an additional $33 billion in aid, more than twice the amount he approved just last month. For more on this and how the war might end, Christiane speaks with former US officials Ivo Daalder and Evelyn Farkas. Also in today's episode: Former French President François Hollande, award-winning author and futurist Amy Webb. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today the heights of Washington paid tribute to a titan of American diplomacy, as presidents and diplomats past and present gathered at the funeral of Madeleine Albright, the first female secretary of state. Instrumental in leading the U.S. and NATO allies to ending the genocide in Bosnia, she was the one who termed America the indispensable nation. Active and incisive to the last, in February - just one month before her death - Albright wrote an essay in the New York Times about Putin and Ukraine, warning that "invading Ukraine would ensure Mr. Putin's infamy by leaving his country diplomatically isolated, economically crippled and strategically vulnerable in the face of a stronger, more united Western alliance." At 84, she was prescient as ever, and President Biden paid tribute to this trailblazing woman at today's funeral. Christiane was also in attendance, so we take a look back at some of her interviews with Secretary Albright, which could scarcely be more relevant today. Also in today's episode: US Ambassador Michael Carpenter, Russian economist Sergei Guriev, author Juliette Kayyem. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The midterm elections are just months away, and right on cue the culture wars are raging. Michigan Democratic lawmaker Mallory McMorrow found herself in the middle of this pitched battle after defending the LGBTQ community. A Republican colleague accused her of wanting to “groom and sexualize” children. McMorrow's blistering response on the floor of the state senate has been viewed over 15 million times, prompting the question of whether she's offered fellow Democrats a blueprint to navigate thorny social issues usually dominated by Republicans. Also featured in today's show: Director Heather O'Neill, whose new documentary No Ordinary Life profiles five veteran CNN camerawomen who traveled the world covering conflicts and overcoming sexism. And: author, entrepreneur and professor Scott Galloway examines the impact of Elon Musk's deal to buy Twitter. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emmanuel Macron is the first French president in two decades to win re-election, comfortably beating his hard right challenger Marine Le Pen in the second round this weekend. Despite Macron's victory, Le Pen -- who has ties to, and sympathies with -- Vladimir Putin -- herself declared a great victory last night. For more on this, Christiane speaks in Paris with Laurence Haïm, a French journalist who served as Macron’s spokesperson during his presidential campaign in 2017. Also weighing is Philippe Etienne, the French Ambassador to the United States. Also on today's show: Alina Beskrovna, a Ukrainian who fled Mariupol and is now safe in Copenhagen; and journalist Ronan Farrow. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We mark Earth Day with a special program, following efforts to combat climate change in the present and digging into why it’s taken so long to take action in the past. We begin in Chile, which has a brand new government with a serious climate agenda. Christiane discusses this with Chilean climate scientist turned environment minister Maisa Rojas. Then we welcome Dan Edge, producer of a new, three-part Frontline series, "The Power Of Big Oil," which focuses on the missed opportunities to mitigate the climate crisis. Walter Isaacson follows with an interview with Ukrainian climate activist Svitlana Romanko. And we conclude with a report on how to combat the scourge of plastic pollution. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in India for a two day visit, some 5,000 miles from home – but it seems he can’t outrun the accelerating fallout from his ‘Partygate’ scandal. Today, the House of Commons launched a formal investigation into whether Johnson misled parliament about breaking his very own Covid-19 laws. This as Johnson kicks up a fresh controversy by announcing a plan to offload asylum seekers to Rwanda, prompting immediate backlash from opposition politicians and human rights defenders. Johnson is refusing to resign, even though a majority of Britons say he should. For more, Christiane speaks with Mark Landler, London Bureau Chief for The New York Times. Also in today's episode of Amanpour: Evgenia Kara-Murza, Project Manager of the Free Russia Foundation; acclaimed author and historian Ben Macintyre. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clashes with Palestinians in Jerusalem have deepened a political crisis in Israel. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s fragile ruling coalition lost its one seat majority earlier this month when a member of his own party defected, and now it faces a new mutiny: the Arab Ra’am party has suspended its membership in the coalition to protest the government’s handling of the clashes in Jerusalem. And rockets have once again been fired between Gaza and Israel, less than a year since the last crisis that left almost 300 dead. Bennett is trying to hold his government together all while attempting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, and he joins Christiane for an exclusive interview. Also on today's show: US Senate Democrat Chris Murphy, foreign policy expert Trita Parsi, author Justin Fenton. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden has implored western allies to stand up to Putin’s aggression in a call with partners today. It comes as both Ukraine and Russia declare that the battle of battles has begun, for the eastern Donbas region. But is the west getting enough material support to Ukraine in this crucial moment? Christiane speaks with President Zelensky’s chief diplomatic advisor, Igor Zhovkva. Also on today's show: Sarah Longwell, founder of the Republican Accountability Project; Frank Tsai, founder of China Crossroads; author J. David McSwane. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russian missile strikes continue even around Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, as Ukrainian officials say Moscow has completed its regroup and is preparing to launch the expected offensive in the east. At least seven civilians – including a child – were killed in Lviv this morning. For the latest, Christiane speaks with the deputy mayor of Lviv, Andriy Moskalenko. Also on today's show: Nicu Popescu, Foreign Minister of Moldova, which might be Ukraine's most vulnerable neighbor; Gurinder Chadha, the director of "Bend It Like Beckham," which marks its 20th anniversary this month; social psychologist Jonathan Haidt on what went wrong with Facebook and how social media could become less corrosive. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Those two words -- "never again" -- have echoed through history as a promise to the dead and a warning to the living. Never again will we allow atrocities to be committed with impunity. Never again will the rest of the world just stand by and watch. But now, Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine is testing that promise and the West’s will to stop him. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is accusing Putin of genocide, a claim also made by President Biden. Tonight, Christiane looks back at the origins of that word, “genocide,” and two men who ensured the world wouldn’t look away after the horrors of World War II: Benjamin Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials and the first prosecutor to use the term “genocide” in a court of law; and Raphael Lemkin, the man who coined the word in 1944. Also in today's show: Christiane visits Babyn Yar, the site of the murder of 33,000 in World War II; journalist Mark Follman, who's spent the past decade focusing on gun violence in America, talks about this week's subway shooting in New York. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode begins as Christiane interviews Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, who sees Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, amid separatist rumblings in the Balkans, as a threat and worries about her own country's sovereignty. Next, a special report from Nima Elbagir in Kharkiv, where Russian forces are launching the next phase of their invasion -- the war for Donbas in the east. Then, correspondent Ben Wedeman checks in from the edge of Donbas with Ukrainian defenders as the Russians build up for their coming assault. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden is up against it trying to make his economic case to a nation reeling from inflation exacerbated by rising energy prices due to the war in Ukraine. Is the political will there to maintain the pressure on Vladimir Putin? Joining the show to answer those thorny questions is Jared Bernstein, a top economic adviser in the Biden administration. Also on today's episode: A.J. Baime, author of "White Lies: The Double Life of Walter F. White and America’s Darkest Secrets"; Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, who recently met with Ukrainian President Zelensky. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The British Prime Minister, his wife, and the UK’s second most powerful politician were fined by London's metropolitan police for attending illegal parties in government buildings, breaking their own Covid-19 lockdown rules. This means Boris Johnson is the first sitting British prime minister to be fined for breaking the law. So, what happens to his leadership now? Here to discuss is Johnson’s biographer Sonia Purnell. Also on today's show: Former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe Sir Richard Shirreff, French journalist Christine Ockrent, French Journalist Yascha Mounk, author Daniel Yergin, and Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The next phase of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine begins much as the last one did: with a massive military convoy of armored vehicles heading into the fight, this time in eastern Ukraine. President Zelensky has put the onus on America to defend desperate citizens trapped in the war zone. But can the US deliver the heavy weapons Ukraine needs in time to block Russia’s full scale attack? Leon Panetta served as Defense Secretary and CIA Director and joins the show to discuss. Also appearing in today's episode: Economist Paris Bureau Chief Sophie Pedder, International Fund for Agricultural Development President Gilbert Houngbo, Atlantic staff writer Katherine Wu. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death toll from the bombing of a train station in Kramatorsk continues to rise. Officials say it was a deliberate attack on women, children, and the elderly. Nate Mook works with Chef José Andrés at World Central Kitchen and he was in Kramatorsk, picking up supplies near the train station, when the missiles hit. He is Christiane’s first guest. Also on today’s show: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Weapons, weapons, and weapons.” That was the Ukrainian Foreign Minister’s stated agenda ahead of today’s meetings with his NATO counterparts in Brussels, as Russia regroups and puts its firepower to the south and east. Ukraine’s military commander says Russian forces are trying to wipe the southern city of Mariupol “off the face of the earth.” Reporter Ben Wedeman has been in Mykolaiv, where he witnessed the devastating impact of constant bombardment. Also on today’s show: Top UN diplomat Martin Griffiths, Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatović, the WHO’s Europe Director Dr. Hans Kluge, author Jason Stanley. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As fresh evidence of Russia’s atrocities piles up, besieged residents in Mariupol have no light, no heat, no power – and still Russia’s airstrikes continue. Today, Christiane visited one recently liberated town, Borodianka, which Ukraine says could have a worse death toll than Bucha. Her report is followed by an interview with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN. Also appearing: Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, former Commander of US and International Forces in Afghanistan Gen. John Allen, Time Magazine investigative correspondent Vera Bergengruen. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Zelensky made an impassioned plea to the United Nations Security Council today. Listing the atrocities that took place in the city of Bucha and calling for action, the president went so far as to question whether the Security Council is even fit for purpose. The speech was another reminder to the world of the brutal toll Russia’s invasion is taking on Ukrainians every day. Today's show begins with a special report by correspondent Ivan Watson, who visited a hospital and spoke with badly injured Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. Also: interviews with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, ICRC spokesperson Alyona Synenko, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, Holocaust survivor Margaryta Zatuchna. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Russian pullback near Kyiv revealed graphic images of horror that are shaking the world, prompting President Biden to label Putin a war criminal. Correspondent Dan Rivers visited the city and heard firsthand distressing accounts of rape and mass executions. His report is followed by an interview with Chile Eboe-Osuji, former president of the International Criminal Court, who weighs on the possible legal steps to hold Russia accountable. Next: Christiane, who's in Kharkiv, visits the site of a Russian strike and meets ordinary Ukrainian civilians just trying to survive. Also on today's show: Russian journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, former Republican congressman for Texas and CIA officer Will Hurd. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christiane once again broadcasts live from the Ukrainian capital. Today's show begins as she interviews two key foreign ministers: Ukraine's Dmytro Kuleba and Germany's Annalena Baerbock. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moscow's military goals in Ukraine have not yet been met — a reality Christiane saw for herself today when she travelled to the outskirts of Kyiv and met with some of the soldiers who halted Russia's momentum in the early days of the war. Following that report you'll hear her exclusive interview with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck, who had a warning for Vladimir Putin, and a message for America. Also on today's show: Chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, an organization US President Joe Biden has called "the best of humanity. Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia — a country invaded by Russia back in 2008. Journalist Mark Giglio, whose latest piece for The Intercept was a profile of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today Christiane visits Brovary on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, the subject of ongoing bombardments, while correspondent Fred Pleitgen speaks with residents and troops to find out what they make of Russia's pledge to pull back military operations. Also on today's show: President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, Pentagon Press Secretary Adm. John Kirby, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Author & Former Marine Elliot Ackerman. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christiane is in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in a nation battered and bloodied, but unbowed. But it’s clear Putin's war is having a devastating impact on civilians, with the mayor of Mariupol saying, “we are in the hands of the occupiers today.” It’s unknown just how many civilians have been killed, but hundreds of thousands have been forced to leave everything behind, as Ivan Watson reports. Also on today's show: Former Russian parliament member Ilya Ponomarev. He was the only Russian politician to vote against the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and is now in Kyiv, speaking out against Putin. Former national security official Fiona Hill. Ukrainian President Zelensky's chief diplomatic adviser Igor Zhovkva. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a potentially monumental day as Russia says it’s drastically pulling back its assault on Kyiv and Chernihiv. US officials say they see a major strategy shift on the ground, as Moscow appears to be pulling its forces away. Russia’s defense minister this morning said the main tasks of their operation are completed. And Turkey’s foreign minister hailed today’s negotiations in Istanbul as the “most meaningful progress” yet. Joining the show to analyze these myriad developments are former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder and the Director General of Russia's International Affairs Council Andrey Kortunov. Also appearing in today's episode: the UN’s Matilda Bogner, who is heading up their human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine; and David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia’s onslaught on Ukraine has left widespread destruction in some of the country’s major cities. But as Ukrainians fight back, there are fears that Vladimir Putin could escalate the conflict by using even deadlier weapons. In this episode of the Tug of War podcast, Christiane talks about why Vladimir Putin’s strategy isn’t working as well as he had hoped, examines the war crimes allegations leveled against him and breaks down how battlefield losses could backfire in Moscow. To hear future episodes of Tug of War, find it and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded on March 25, 2022. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Joe Biden left for Poland, he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a joint task force to wean Europe from its dependence on Russian oil and gas. Christine Lagarde is president of the European Central Bank, and in an exclusive interview with Christiane, she warns the costs to the European and the global economy are rising. Also on today's show: US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith, award-winning Harvard Professor of Constitutional Law Tomiko Brown-Nagin, and actor Penelope Cruz. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Brussels for the emergency NATO summit, President Biden pledged another billion dollars in humanitarian assistance for people impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said the US will take in up to 100,000 refugees fleeing the war. Meantime NATO says it’s beefing up its posture to deal with the crisis and plans to reinforce its WMD defenses. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talked to Christiane on the ground in Brussels. Also on today's show: Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses the legacy of Madeleine Albright, America's first female Secretary of State, who died yesterday at 84. Former counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke addresses the alarming threat of cyberwarfare. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden is on his way to Brussels for emergency summit meetings with NATO heads of state, the European Union, and the G7. Host and European Council President Charles Michel tells Christiane in an exclusive interview that the tactics to be discussed are designed to impose intelligent sanctions that hurt Russia more than they hurt Europe, and that their ultimate goal is to ensure Putin’s defeat. Also on today's show: Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU Vsevolod Chentsov, Democratic congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, and former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden. Plus: Correspondent Richard Roth explores legacy of Madeleine Albright, the first female US Secretary of State, who has died at age 84. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode begins with Christiane's exclusive interview with Vladimir Putin's chief spokesman Dmitri Peskov, who concedes that Russia has yet to achieve any of its military goals in Ukraine and refuses to deny that Moscow could resort to the use of nuclear weapons. Also on the show: Christo Grozen, the executive director and lead Russia investigator of Bellingcat, an open source investigative organization; and Washington Post Global Opinions writer Jason Rezaian, who once spent 544 days unjustly imprisoned in Iran. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia’s relentless attacks have pummeled the southern city of Kherson, and they’ve occupied it for around two weeks. But it's still the only city Moscow controls. Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh got rare access to the front line as Ukrainian forces fight to re-take Kherson, and he brings us his eye-witness report. Also on today's episode: Ukraine's chief diplomatic advisor Igor Zhovkva, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas, and Danish director Jonas Poher Rasmussen. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Though Putin's invasion of Ukraine has jolted the west into decisive action, will the American-led liberal world order remain intact? Or will China replace the US as the dominant world power? Christiane seeks answers from American political scientist Francis Fukuyama and former Chinese foreign ministry official Victor Gao. Also appearing in today's episode: photojournalist Lynsey Addario. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Survivors are emerging from the rubble of Mariupol’s theater, which was bombed by Russian planes last night despite clear signs that it was sheltering children. As many as 1,200 people are believed to have been inside. Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh has details of the relentless attacks on this besieged city. Also on today's episode: Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand, Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, US Senator Tim Kaine. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In her first major TV interview since her live protest on Russian state TV, Marina Ovsyannikova tells Christiane that even her own mother believes the Kremlin’s disinformation and explains how she overcame her fears to act. Also on today's episode: House Democrat Seth Moulton, a former Marine who served four tours in Iraq, reacts to Ukrainian President Zelensky's remarkable speech to Congress Australian mining titan Andrew Forrest, who says now is the time to reject Russia's oil and gas Russian-born American journalist Julia Ioffe To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Still reverberating around the world is Monday's remarkable moment when an editor of Russia state TV news dashed daringly onto the set, waving a sign in English and Russian: “No war. Stop the war. Do not believe the propaganda. They tell you lies here.” Marina Ovsyannikova was found guilty today of organizing an "unauthorized public event" and fined 30,000 rubles ($280). Her bravery is part of an apparent ramping up of dissent inside Russia. Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar knows all too well what it’s like to go against the Kremlin propaganda machine and joins the show to discuss. Also in today's episode: Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, and David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö has known Vladimir Putin for a decade and is among a handful of world leaders who continue to call the Russian president, trying to stop the war. Christiane speaks with him in London to get a sense of what might be Putin’s endgame. Next, Christiane discusses the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine with the UN's emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths. Also in today's episode: Correspondent Jim Sciutto reports on the thousands of foreigners who've answered President Zelensky’s call for a foreign legion to help repel the Russian invaders. And, Michel Martin interviews veteran war crimes investigator David Scheffer to evaluate the chances of convicting Putin and his henchmen. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vladimir Putin's propaganda machine is in high gear. The Kremlin is pumping out propaganda that no civilians are being hurt and the war is going according to plan, despite thousands of Russian casualties. And everyday Russians aren’t seeing many of the atrocities being committed in their name. Twisting narratives and silencing independent journalists is an age-old ploy, and tonight Christiane speaks to those on the information frontlines. Tikhon Dzyadko recently had to flee the country after his independent TV channel was banned, while US journalist Danny Fenster was imprisoned for 176 days by Myanmar’s military junta after their coup last year. Plus: Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist Carole Cadwalladr, and director Guillermo del Toro. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The White House is warning Russia may up the ante in Ukraine, and is declassifying intelligence in a bid to deter President Putin from possibly using chemical weapons. US Vice President Kamala Harris is in Poland, using her presence to shore up western support for Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees. Christiane speaks with Poland’s Ambassador in DC. Also joining today's episode: Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (Ret.), and NY Times magazine editor-in-chief Yevgenia Albats. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite repeated promises, Russia’s so-called humanitarian corridors are not fully working, and Ukraine civilians are bearing the brunt of the artillery attacks on their homes, schools, shops, and hospitals. For more on this, Christiane speaks with the country’s former prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk ... What are Russians being told about the war next door? Christiane speaks with Leonid Volkov, chief of staff to Russia’s jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny ... Also joining the show: Bosnian journalist Aida Cerkez, and Michele Flournoy, former US Under Secretary of Defense. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two million refugees have reportedly fled Ukraine, half of them children. They're pouring across borders like Moldova's, where correspondent Ivan Watson files a report on their stories. Meanwhile, the independent Norwegian Refugee Council has announced plans to support 800,000 victims of the conflict both inside and outside Ukraine, and its secretary general Jan Egeland joins the show from Oslo. Russians are also looking for their relatives in Ukraine - but in this case, the soldiers whom Putin and his generals sent into battle, as correspondent Alex Marquardt reports. Also featured in today's episode: Olesya Khromeychuk, director of the Ukrainian Institute London; Afghan activist Orzala Nemat; and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (Ret.). To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices