This episode of The Rest Is Politics opens with Andy Burnham's first foreign trip as prime minister, to Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day, and uses it to explore the state of the war. The hosts examine growing corruption allegations and talk of elections following the sacking of defence minister Fedorov, discuss how far Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies have become powerful and controversial, and note figures on desertion, absence without leave and draft evasion among Ukrainian troops. They also compare European countries' financial and military support for Ukraine, highlighting how the US has scaled back funding and how Germany and the UK now carry much of the load, before a lighter segment on a charity football event and an interview with UEFA president Alexander Ceferin.
The second half turns to Germany, where the hosts assess the AFD's likely dominance in the Saxony-Anhalt election and its potential alliance with a hard-left party, drawing parallels with Weimar-era historian Katja Hoyer's work on democratic erosion. They discuss AFD figures Björn Höcke and Alice Weidel, media shifts at publishers like Springer under Matthias Döpfner, and broader themes of populism, rule of law, and institutional trust, tying in a UK news story about a fatal crash involving police officers to illustrate declining faith in institutions.
Ukraine
Key points from the discussion
The points they raised, and the official data behind them.
The hosts said America had been generating around $50 billion a year in direct financial support for Ukraine before cutting almost all of it, shifting the burden of funding the war effort onto Europe.
~12:20Context
Ukraine has relied heavily on Western financial and military aid to sustain its war effort against Russia's invasion. The United States has historically been one of the largest contributors of both military and financial assistance since 2022.
The hosts said Germany and the UK together are now providing roughly two thirds of Western European military aid to Ukraine.
~11:03Context
As US direct financial support to Ukraine has fallen sharply, European nations have had to take on a larger share of funding the war effort. Germany, as the EU's largest economy, and the UK, as a major military donor, have become the two biggest contributors in absolute terms.
The hosts said Denmark, the top contributor of support to Ukraine as a share of GDP, is giving nine times the share that America contributes as a proportion of economic output.
~12:08The hosts said close to a quarter of a million Ukrainian soldiers are currently absent without leave.
~19:08Absent without leave (AWOL) means a soldier has left their post or unit without official permission.
The hosts said polling shows the far-right AFD roughly 20 points ahead of its rivals in the run-up to the Saxony-Anhalt state election.
~33:43Context
The AFD (Alternative for Germany) is a far-right political party that has grown rapidly in support in recent years, particularly in eastern German states. Saxony-Anhalt is one of Germany's federal states (Länder), where regional elections determine the state government and its control over areas such as policing.
The hosts said hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs in the German car industry, describing this as a major issue overshadowed by culture-war politics.
~54:09Related UK data
See Work & Pensions — Jobs by Sector →Context
Germany's automotive sector, historically a pillar of its economy, has faced significant job losses in recent years amid competition from Chinese manufacturers, the transition to electric vehicles, and broader economic pressures.