VDL 2.0 — How Europe and Ukraine have changed, two years into Russia's all-out war

As we mark two years of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we take stock of how the war has changed Europe's political landscape and identity — as well as life for Ukrainians under siege. Also, we look at Ursula von der Leyen's campaign to remain European Commission chief.

Von der Leyen finally announced her intention this week to officially seek another term at the helm following the European Parliament election in June. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO's Hans von der Burchard about the not-so-surprising announcement and what we can expect from von der Leyen's campaign over the coming months. And as mentioned, Hans is part of POLITICO's new Berlin Playbook team — you can subscribe here.

Then we turn our focus to Ukraine. Executive Producer Cristina Gonzalez sits down with renowned Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev at the recent Munich Security Conference to unpack how the war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed Europe.

And finally, Sarah is joined by our reporter in Kyiv, Veronika Melkozerova, for a poignant personal account of how the war has impacted her and her fellow Ukrainian citizens. You can read Veronika's full story here: "Being Ukrainian in 2024: 'People look at me as if I'm terminally ill'".

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