Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: Zelensky open to wartime election
Date: December 10, 2025
Host: Charlotte Gallagher

Episode Overview

This episode covers major breaking stories from around the globe, focusing particularly on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s openness to holding elections in Ukraine during wartime, if security can be guaranteed. Other important topics include Donald Trump’s latest criticisms of European allies, continued violence in eastern Congo despite a ceasefire, the dangers of child labor in Sierra Leone’s gold mines, a tribute to elephant conservationist Ian Douglas Hamilton, and Nnena Kalu’s historic Turner Prize win.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Zelensky Open to Wartime Elections in Ukraine

[01:45 – 07:54]

• Context:
  President Zelensky says he is prepared to change Ukrainian law to allow national elections under martial law if Western allies can guarantee security. This is in response to criticisms, particularly from Donald Trump, suggesting Zelensky is using the war to avoid elections.

• Zelensky's Statement:

  "Look, I am ready for the elections. Not only that, but I am now asking, and I am saying this openly for the United States to help me, possibly together with our European colleagues to ensure security for those elections. Then in the next 60 to 90 days Ukraine will be ready to hold elections. I personally have the will and readiness to do so."
  — Volodymyr Zelensky ([03:01])

• Expert Analysis (Hanna Schellest, Ukrainian Prism):

  • Zelensky has previously expressed willingness to hold elections as soon as conditions allow.
  • Technical and legal obstacles exist: over a million soldiers at the front, 4 million refugees, and persistent security threats make conducting a safe vote nearly impossible.
  • Even if martial law is amended, ensuring voters' safety is the main challenge.

• Ukrainian MP (Svyatoslav Yurash):
  Stresses elections are impossible without advanced air defense and security measures, with the risk of Russian attacks at polling stations:

  "The whole point is the reality of the elections is impossible without various measures and various means such as much more advanced anti-air systems that will try and protect Ukrainians that are going to the polls."
  ([04:18])

• BBC Analysis (Will Vernon):

  • Questions how the West could "guarantee" security—would this mean no-fly zones or peacekeepers, which are unlikely.
  • Skepticism whether Zelensky is being genuine or simply posturing to appease US political pressure.

• Russian Perspective (Steve Rosenberg):

  • Putin maintains an image of Russia as hero and victim, rewarding soldiers on Heroes of the Fatherland Day.
  • The Kremlin perceives Trump’s pressure on Ukraine as beneficial, potentially leading to Ukrainian concessions.

2. Trump's Criticism of European Allies & Security Policy

[09:10 – 12:45]

• Trump’s Statements:

  • Called most European nations "decaying" and led by "weak people" unable to manage immigration:

    "Most European nations, they're decaying... They're destroying their country."
    — Donald Trump ([09:33])

  • He questions the ideological resilience of Europe in the face of migration, suggesting loss of strength and possible rupture of alliance depending on Europe's stance:

    "They’ll change their ideology... it will make them much weaker." ([10:16])

• European Pushback:

  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European MP Michael Gahler both reject Trump’s criticism, asserting European sovereignty and democratic legitimacy:

    "We do not need any lecturing from the US as far as the state of our democracy is concerned."
    — Michael Gahler ([11:22])

• Analysis (David Willis, North America Correspondent):

  • Trump’s rhetoric is classic, focusing on immigration and playing to US domestic politics.
  • European leaders are cautiously critical, stressing the need for strategic autonomy in security.

  "European leaders have to tread a careful line between responding to this harsh language... whilst avoiding alienating their strongest ally."
  — David Willis ([12:38])

3. UN Environmental Report Stalled by Political Disputes

[13:03 – 14:45]

• Report Summary:

  • The UN’s landmark environmental report warns of catastrophic risks unless fossil fuels are phased out rapidly.
  • For the first time, the report lacked a unified political summary due to objections from the US, Saudi Arabia, and Russia over calls to end fossil fuel subsidies and transition from GDP-driven economics.
  • This weakens the international resolve to act on the scientific recommendations.

• Expert Voice (Matt McGrath):

  "Governments are rowing in behind the science, they're accepting the recommendations... That hasn't happened with this report... and as a result, the report is somewhat weakened."
  ([14:25])

4. Taliban Arrests for ‘Peaky Blinders’ Influenced Fashion

[15:38 – 16:53]

• Incident:
  • Four Afghan men were detained for dressing like characters from the BBC’s Peaky Blinders series.
  • Taliban authorities argued such outfits violate Afghan and Islamic values, though jeans would have been acceptable.
  • Highlights increasing cultural restrictions since Taliban’s return to power.

5. Conflict Escalates in Eastern Congo—Ceasefire Collapses

[19:49 – 21:36]

• Situation Update (David Bamford):
  • Despite a recent ceasefire signed in Washington, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advance into the strategic town of Uvira.
  • Government forces and allied militias are retreating; civilians face terror and displacement as escape routes are cut off.
  • Up to 700,000 people could be affected as violence spreads and humanitarian corridors shrink.

  "It seems like the ceasefire, I mean it's not working. There's no point to it... I don't think realistically there ever was any prospect of a ceasefire."
  — David Bamford ([20:21])

6. Child Labor and Deadly Gold Mining in Sierra Leone

[22:31 – 25:47]

• Report (Godwin Acedeba):

  • Many children in Sierra Leone are pulled from school to work in illegal gold mines, facing frequent and fatal accidents.
  • Two boys recently died in a mining pit collapse; their stories reflect a broader trend driven by poverty and lack of alternatives.

• Local Testimony:

  "I wept and begged them to call the excavator driver. When he arrived, they cleared the debris that had buried my children."
  — Namina, mother of victim ([22:59])

• Systemic Issues:

  • Teachers also mine for income; mining towns have grown despite government efforts to restore schooling.

  "Teachers as well leave classes to go to the mines. Are there times that they go to meet some of their students there? Well, they are mining together."
  ([24:52])

7. In Memoriam: Ian Douglas Hamilton, 'Elephant Whisperer'

[25:50 – 30:41]

• Ian Douglas Hamilton (1937–2025):

  • Pioneering zoologist revolutionized the study of elephant behavior and led anti-poaching scientific work in Africa.
  • His research showed elephants' complex emotional lives and close family bonds.

  "There are very few animals that show a concern about dead animals… but the extraordinary thing is how much they [elephants] seem to care."
  — Ian Douglas Hamilton ([25:57])

• Colleague Tribute (Dr. Joyce Poole, Elephant Voices):

  • Hamilton counted mass elephant deaths to quantify the slaughter and advocate successfully for a global ivory ban.

  "Ian was counting elephants and counting elephants deaths and came up with his... carcass ratio that really documented this slaughter that was going on across Africa."
  — Dr. Joyce Poole ([27:39])

  • He was both scientifically inquisitive and personally charismatic, leaving a legacy in elephant conservation.

  "He was like an overgrown boy in some ways, but he had such a twinkle in his eye... you could never be angry with him for long."
  — Dr. Joyce Poole ([29:13])

8. Art History: Nnena Kalu Wins Turner Prize

[30:41 – 31:43]

• Milestone Win:

  • Nnena Kalu, an autistic artist with a learning disability, becomes the first of her background to win the prestigious Turner Prize.
  • Judges praised her "really compelling sculptures and drawings," made from unconventional materials.

• Celebration and Significance:

  • Her win is described as a "proper glass ceiling" shattered for learning-disabled artists.

  "Nenna winning the Turner Prize is everything. She's a real role model but has broken a proper glass ceiling for others to follow."
  — Charlotte Hollinshead, Action Space ([30:51])

Notable Quotes

• Volodymyr Zelensky:

  "I am now asking, and I am saying this openly for the United States to help me… to ensure security for those elections. Then… Ukraine will be ready to hold elections." ([03:01])

• Svyatoslav Yurash:

  "Russians have attacked everywhere… there is no reason to think they won’t attack on election day, whatever the election date may be." ([04:26])

• Donald Trump:

  "Most European nations… they're decaying… They're destroying their country." ([09:33])

• Michael Gahler:

  "We do not need any lecturing from the US as far as the state of our democracy is concerned." ([11:22])

• Matt McGrath:

  "The report is somewhat weakened as a result." ([14:45])

• David Bamford:

  "The latest report suggests that the government army is just running away… It seems like the ceasefire… it's not working." ([20:21])

• Namina (Sierra Leonean mother):

  "It's not easy for me. It's my child. He's the one that helped me." ([22:59])

• Ian Douglas Hamilton:

  "They're probably smelling emotions, smelling things that happen that we can only dimly understand." ([25:57])

• Charlotte Hollinshead:

  "Nenna winning the Turner Prize is everything. She's a real role model but has broken a proper glass ceiling for others to follow." ([30:51])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Zelensky’s Open Election Offer: [03:01]
• Technical/Ethical Barriers to Elections: [04:00–05:00]
• Trump’s Criticism of Europe: [09:10–10:16]
• EU Responses and Security Autonomy: [11:22–12:45]
• UN Environmental Report Conflict: [13:03–14:45]
• Taliban Arrests over “Peaky Blinders” Fashion: [15:38–16:53]
• Congo Ceasefire Breakdown: [19:49–21:36]
• Sierra Leone Child Miners: [22:31–25:47]
• Ian Douglas Hamilton Tribute: [25:50–30:41]
• Nnena Kalu’s Turner Prize Win: [30:41–31:43]

Conclusion

This episode navigates a turbulent world landscape: democratic values under fire in wartime Ukraine, international tensions stoked by migration and war, the deadly realities of poverty-driven child labor, the power of scientific and artistic trailblazers, and the enduring importance of pushing for inclusion and environmental action—making it a rich and multifaceted listen for anyone seeking to grasp the latest in world affairs.