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Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking is the new podcast from Chatham House.

Each week our director, Bronwen Maddox, will host conversations with leading policymakers, journalists and our own Chatham House experts to provide insight and depth on the big international questions of the week.

Independent Thinking gives you, the listener, the opportunity to engage with the high-level conversations that the institute hosts, and, for Chatham House members, to ask questions directly to the participants in each episode.

Nov 14, 2025

Nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials and analysts look at the prospects for a ceasefire, and at the military, economic and human cost that President Vladimir Putin’s campaign has inflicted on the country. 

They discuss the Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, intended to demoralise the civilian population, and what European allies should do to bolster its defence efforts, and to rebuild the country if there is a ceasefire. 

Host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former Minister of Defence of Ukraine; Daryna Marchak, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture; Olha Aivazovska, Chair of the Board of the Opora Civic Network; Simon Smith, Chair of Chatham House’s Ukraine Forum and Dominic Nicholls, Associate Editor of The Telegraph. 

The discussion came as Chatham House hosted a conference - 'War in Ukraine: The battleground for the future of Europe'

Read our latest:

Comment | Ukraine’s best defence against Putin’s energy war is more attacks on Russia’s oil refining sector

Comment | As the US eases sanctions on Belarus, is it time for the EU to rethink its approach?

Comment | Russia and the US put nuclear testing back on the table. Is time running out for arms control?

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.

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