Has Putin Been Forced To The Table?

<p>Today, we’re looking at what’s behind a change in position from the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’s called for "direct talks" with Ukraine on 15 May.</p><p>European leaders met in Kyiv to demand a 30-day ceasefire, and spoke with President Donald Trump, on Saturday.</p><p>We also hear from the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who was on Laura’s show this morning, ahead of a week in which she’ll lay out plans to bring down net migration.</p><p>There’s also an update on when a report into the grooming gangs scandal might be published.</p><p>You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/m3YPUGv9</p><p>New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. It was made by Chris Flynn with Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The weekend series editor is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.</p>