In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we’re diving headfirst into the geopolitical madhouse that is Russia’s last 24 hours — and trust us, it’s a ride. From backroom “peace” plans that read more like surrender terms, to drones, lasers, and a crumbling economy, this one’s packed tighter than a Kremlin press release. 

We start with the so-called 28-point U.S.–Russia peace plan that’s sending shockwaves through Kyiv, Brussels, and pretty much every capital west of Minsk. It’s the diplomatic equivalent of letting the fox guard the henhouse. Ukraine would have to recognize Russia’s control over Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, cap its military, and promise never to join NATO — while Russia gets readmitted to the G8 and a global economic makeover. Trump’s team calls it “a good plan for both sides.” Ukrainians call it “capitulation.” You decide who’s closer to the truth. 

President Zelenskyy, ever the showman and statesman, says he’s ready for “honest work” with the U.S., but he’s not signing up for humiliation. Meanwhile, the EU’s fuming that Washington and Moscow are playing geopolitical poker without inviting the house owners. And behind the scenes, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll shows up in Kyiv for what’s being sold as a “fact-finding mission.” Sounds more like a reassurance tour with a dash of damage control. 

Then it’s back to the battlefield — and it’s as brutal as ever. Putin’s making surprise visits to his front-line commanders, trying to look like he’s got control while his generals keep losing the same cities they claim to have captured. Kupiansk? Ukraine says it’s still theirs. Pokrovsk? Not so fast. Russian propaganda’s calling every muddy field a “liberation.” Meanwhile, Moscow’s drones and missiles continue to hammer Ukrainian cities, killing civilians and wrecking power grids. Kyiv’s air defenses are intercepting most of them, but the toll’s rising. 

And it doesn’t stop there. We’ve got lasers off Scotland, Russian disinformation in the Baltics, fake assassination plots involving poisoned British beer, and a Russian economy that’s starting to buckle under its own weight. Inflation’s climbing, workers aren’t getting paid, and even India’s backing off Russian oil. Add in Germany’s massive rearmament plans, Serbia’s energy divorce from Moscow, and the global patience meter flashing red — and you’ve got a regime that’s fighting fires on every front. 

Tune in for a fast-paced, unfiltered look at how Moscow’s spinning the world while the walls close in.