Vanity Fair revelations on the Trump team

Day 1,392.

Today, as Russia attempts to insist that one of its $400 million submarines was not destroyed by a Ukrainian sea drone — in a manner that appears to prove the opposite — we bring you inside reporting from the American and Ukrainian negotiating teams at this pivotal moment. We also look ahead to a crunch European vote on whether to unlock and use frozen Russian state assets.

Contributors

Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Michael Weiss (Editor of The Insider). @michaeldweiss on X.

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Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Russia: US has promised us Ukrainian territory (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/16/russia-us-promised-ukrainian-territory-war-sergei-lavrov/ 

Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the “Junkyard Dogs”: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Vanity Fair):

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1 

Ukraine Support Tracker (Kiel Institute):

https://www.kielinstitut.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/ 

How Europe Can Defend Itself with Less America (CSIS Report):

https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-europe-can-defend-itself-less-america 

Canadian military intelligence officer allegedly shared classified information with Ukraine (Globe & Mail):

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canadian-forces-intelligence-officer-classified-information-ukraine/?intcmp=gift_share 

Swedish Navy spots armed Russian military personnel aboard shadow fleet tankers in Baltic Sea (Euromaidan):

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/12/16/swedish-navy-spots-russian-military-aboard-shadow-fleet/ 

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The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest

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