Welcome back to The Restricted Handling Podcast — where geopolitics meets adrenaline. In this episode, we dive into a wild 24 hours of Russian drama, diplomatic chaos, and drone-fueled fireworks. From Moscow to Miami to Delhi, world leaders are spinning their versions of “peace,” but beneath the polished soundbites, the global chessboard is heating up fast. 

We start in Russia, where Vladimir Putin is back to his old-school tough talk — rejecting the latest U.S. peace plan and doubling down on his claim to seize all of Ukraine’s Donbas region. He’s calling it “liberation,” but to anyone watching, it looks a lot more like imperial nostalgia in overdrive. Putin’s now using his state visit to India as a propaganda showcase, shaking hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pretending that global isolation is just a Western myth. The duo’s defense talks include fighter jets, submarines, and missile systems — a reminder that the Moscow–Delhi bromance still has teeth. 

Meanwhile, the Trump envoy tag team — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — are still trying to sell their “reasonably good” peace plan after Putin’s cold shoulder. The sequel to the Kremlin talks plays out in Miami, with Ukraine’s negotiator Rustem Umerov in the mix. But spoiler alert: no breakthroughs, no ceasefire, no end in sight. 

Over in Europe, things are equally spicy. Brussels is fighting itself again over how to fund Ukraine’s survival. The European Commission wants to tap nearly €290 billion in frozen Russian assets, but Belgium’s not feeling it — terrified of Putin’s legal wrath. Germany’s Friedrich Merz and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen are working overtime to keep the plan alive before the December 18 summit, framing it as Europe’s “moment of truth.” 

Back on the battlefield, Ukraine’s drones are putting on a show. Major strikes hit Russia’s chemical and fuel infrastructure — including a fiery explosion at the Nevinnomyssk plant and hits near the Azov Sea. Putin’s air defenses claim big numbers, but the smoke columns tell a different story. Russia answered with its own massive wave of Shahed drones and Iskander missiles, plunging Ukrainian cities into darkness. 

On the intelligence front, the UK just slammed the entire GRU with sanctions after confirming Putin personally okayed the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury. And in the digital trenches, France exposed over 200 fake Russian “news” sites mimicking its own media — a disinformation op straight out of a spy thriller. 

It’s hardline politics, cyber chaos, frozen cash, and literal firestorms — all in one day’s work for the world’s favorite would-be superpower. 

Tune in to The Restricted Handling Podcast for your daily dose of sharp insight, dark humor, and no-BS coverage of Russia’s latest moves on the world stage.