Global News Podcast – Couples Looking for Surrogates Still Going to Ukraine
BBC World Service | May 7, 2026
Host: Ankur Desai
Episode Overview
This episode of the Global News Podcast investigates the ongoing phenomenon of international surrogacy in Ukraine, even as the country faces war with Russia. Despite the risks and chaos of an active conflict zone, Ukraine remains a major destination for foreign couples seeking surrogacy services, drawn by relatively liberal laws and lower costs. The episode explores the ethical, legal, and humanitarian challenges raised by this practice—including abandoned babies and a pending legislative ban on surrogacy for foreign parents. Additional major global stories covered include shifting geopolitics in the Middle East, the passing of media mogul Ted Turner, protests at the Venice Biennale, and odd news such as the ordainment of a robot Buddhist monk.
Key Segment 1: International Surrogacy in Ukraine
Reported by Sofia Batica from Kyiv
[01:53 – 06:56]
Main Points
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Ukraine as a Surrogacy Hub:
For years, Ukraine has served as a principal destination for international surrogacy due to its permissive laws and affordability.
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Industry Continues Despite War:
Although Russia’s invasion has disrupted many aspects of Ukrainian life, the surrogacy industry continues, with foreign hopeful parents traveling from places like the UK, Turkey, and Brazil.
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Risks Taken by Intending Parents:
Couples like Himatraj and Rajve from London describe braving the threat of explosions and drones in Kyiv to collect their newborns:
"I mean, being able to bring our son back and seeing him every day and being able to fill that dream of ours, it was worth every risk."
– Himatraj or Rajve (03:41)
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Abandoned Babies and Delays:
Not all surrogacy arrangements are successful. Some parents, fearful for their safety, delay or refuse to collect their newborns for months—sometimes almost a year.
"So you had these twins for 11 months. The intended parents just left them with you. But don't you think that leaving their babies for nearly a year is a bit selfish and a bit careless?"
– Sofia Batica to Svetlana, surrogacy agency owner (04:17)
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The Pain for Surrogates:
Surrogacy agency owner Svetlana tells of the heartbreak involved:
"I cried when I handed them over. It hurt. They felt like my own. I was watching them grow up, learning to speak, getting their first teeth. It's still painful for me."
– Svetlana (04:41)
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Children with Disabilities Left Behind:
Babies born with severe health issues, like Wei—who was born premature and with a brain injury—are often abandoned by intended parents.
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Child Abandonment and Trafficking Concerns:
According to Valeria Soruchan of the Health Ministry:
"There is a lot of children that are left behind. And it's not only children that are left behind. We don't know where the children go from there. As soon as they get picked up from this country, we don't know what happens to them... Surrogacy is one of the ways for children trafficking. It is."
– Valeria Soruchan (05:32–05:50)
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Proposed Ban for Foreign Surrogacy:
Ukrainian lawmakers are considering a law banning surrogacy for foreign parents, aiming to address abandonment and human trafficking concerns.
"We do believe that it will minimize that."
– Valeria Soruchan (05:53)
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Surrogacy as Economic Necessity for Women:
For women like Karina, 22, who lost her home in Bakhmut, surrogacy is a lifeline:
"I'm going to do as many surrogate pregnancies as it takes, as long as my health allows. This ban would ruin my plans."
– Karina (06:26)
Key Segment 2: Middle East Geopolitics – US, Iran, and Israel
[06:56 – 11:06]
Main Points
- President Trump claims US-Iran talks are progressing, yet simultaneously threatens increased bombing if Tehran doesn't relent.
- Israel launches its first strike on Beirut since ceasefire, targeting Hezbollah.
- International Editor Jeremy Bowen discusses US motivations and Iranian resistance.
"Trump wants to reverse out of a war that has become very unpopular in the United States... His problem, though, is that he needs something which he can say is a victory."
– Jeremy Bowen (07:52–08:28)
"They have a strong ethos of resistance and stubbornness in that regime. It's a really nasty, ruthless regime that kills its own people in the streets. But that also means that they're not going to be too concerned if the people of Iran are suffering economically..."
– Jeremy Bowen (08:29)
"He wants this to be over as soon as possible. That's why he keeps hyping up the chances of a deal while backing that up with threats that he probably won't carry out, but he might. It's a terrible self-inflicted mess."
– Jeremy Bowen (10:20)
Key Segment 3: Passing of Ted Turner and His Legacy
[18:00 – 21:34]
Main Points
- Ted Turner, founder of CNN, has died at 87.
- Created the first 24/7 global television news network, forever changing journalism.
- He was also a major philanthropist, giving over $1 billion to the UN Foundation.
- Christiane Amanpour remembers Turner:
"He changed the world... Ted created the first ever global television service... It just changed the world."
– Christiane Amanpour (18:58–19:13)
"...He was the first of the post Rockefeller, Carnegie Mellon generation that said, okay, I'm going to give a billion dollars to the UN and then all the other rich people followed. Well, not all of them, but a lot of them..."
– Christiane Amanpour (20:37)
- Noted for his devotion to world peace and nuclear disarmament, and pioneering vision in media.
Other Notable Stories
Controversy at the Venice Biennale
[21:34 – 25:55]
- Russia and Israel’s participation sparks protests, resignations, and boycotts.
- Russian Pavilion shut down after Pussy Riot and FEMEN protest with pink smoke.
- Activists and critics argue Russia is using culture as propaganda amidst ongoing war.
- The "Invisible Biennale" honors Ukrainian artists killed or displaced by war.
- Ukrainian art critic Zoya explains the symbolism of protest art:
"They are all people of culture. Some of them was killed in the street. Some of them fight for Ukraine in Frontline."
– Zoya (25:16)
Unusual Human Interest: Robot Monk in South Korea
[30:37 – 32:15]
- Gaabi, a humanoid robot, is ordained as a Buddhist monk to appeal to young people and address a shortage of real monks.
- Ethical guidelines were adapted for the robot, including rules to not harm other robots, respect humans, and conserve energy.
- The role of robots in spiritual life provokes both curiosity and controversy.
Other Brief Headlines
- A record-breaking megatsunami in Alaska, caused by climate-change-induced landslides, narrowly misses tourist ships.
"We know that there were people that were very nearly in the wrong place, and it worked out just barely, and I'm quite terrified that we're not going to be so lucky in the future."
– Geologist Bret Wood Higman (15:21)
- French politics and media spotlight a "populist and princess" romance poised to affect the 2027 presidential race.
Memorable Quotes by Segment
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“You could hear explosions, you could hear drones. You could feel tremors and see smoke billowing in the skies from where the attacks were...it was worth every risk.”
– Himatraj or Rajve (03:25, 03:41)
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“Surrogacy is one of the ways for children trafficking. It is.”
– Valeria Soruchan, Health Ministry (05:50)
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"He changed the world. Ted created the first ever global television service."
– Christiane Amanpour (18:58)
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"If the Biennale began to select not works, but affiliations, not visions, but passports, it would stop being what it has always been."
– Pietrangelo Butafuoco, President of the Biennale (24:36)
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"I will devote myself."
– Robot monk Gaabi, through interpreter (31:06)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Ukraine Surrogacy Industry – [01:53–06:56]
- US–Iran–Israel War and Diplomacy – [06:56–11:06]
- Megatsunami in Alaska – [14:29–15:40]
- Ted Turner's Legacy – [18:00–21:34]
- Venice Biennale Protests – [21:34–25:55]
- Robot Monk in Korea – [30:37–32:15]
Tone and Style
The BBC maintains a measured and thoughtful journalistic tone, balancing hard news with vivid human stories and global context. First-person accounts from affected individuals add emotion and urgency to complex issues.
Summary Takeaway
Despite war and instability, Ukraine’s surrogacy market persists, leading to ethical dilemmas, proposed legislation, and difficult choices for both families and surrogates. The episode also reflects on seismic changes in world affairs—from shifting powers in the Middle East and legacies in global media, to cultural protests and the intersection of technology and spirituality. The episode’s range underscores the interconnectedness of modern challenges, whether in policy, personal dreams, or technology’s reshaping of tradition.