Description
US officials & media got the Ukraine war wrong—and I’m calling it out.
I’m Patrick Lancaster (https://yourbizecard.com/c/Patrick Lancaster ) I’ve given 12 years of my life to reporting on this war. I’ve interviewed people living through it and reported from the places being fought over. Now listen to how senior US officials and a major broadcaster explain what it is about. How are the people who should be working towards peace still getting the territory wrong?
Donbass means Donetsk and Lugansk. Kherson, Zaporozhye and Crimea do not disappear because someone reduces the discussion to Donbass. These are real places, with real people whose futures are at stake. Getting them right is a basic responsibility.
In this report, I put Marco Rubio’s statements, Steve Witkoff’s confused list of regions and CNN correspondent Kevin Liptak’s Donbass-focused explanation on screen. You can hear their original words, including the negotiating context, and see why I challenge their framing.
If you are helping shape a peace deal, learn the regions you are talking about. If you are explaining the war to millions, give them the whole picture. Shame on politicians who expect to decide these people’s futures without getting the basics right.
Watch the full statements. Tell me where you agree—or show me where I’m wrong. The people living through this war deserve better.
Get Your DIGITAL BUSINESS CARD (YourBizEcard)
I made it for US
Free card, $0 forever, no credit card needed: https://yourbizecard.com/free
See my card as an example: https://yourbizecard.com/c/patrick-lancaster
Pro (logo, AI designs, unlimited links, analytics) $7.99/mo: https://yourbizecard.com/pro
Pro yearly, $59/yr: https://yourbizecard.com/pro-year
SUPPORT MY INDEPENDENT REPORTING
https://buymeacoffee.com/plnewstoday
EXAMINE THE SOURCES
Marco Rubio — India Today Global interview, 22 October 2026:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2vkvYKR2k
Marco Rubio — separate press answer, Forbes Breaking News, 21 October 2026:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_wogAQ8M-o
Steve Witkoff — The Tucker Carlson Show, 21 March 2025:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acvu2LBumGo
Kevin Liptak — CNN News Central, 23 January 2026, archived broadcast:
https://archive.org/details/CNNW_20260123_180000_CNN_News_Central
UN General Assembly record on the 2022 annexation claims:
https://press.un.org/en/2022/ga12458.doc.htm
CHAPTERS
00:00 Why the Donbass wording matters
01:14 Rubio’s full Ukraine question and answer
02:34 My response to Rubio
03:16 What Rubio said about negotiations
04:01 Rubio’s separate press answer
05:00 Donetsk, Lugansk and the other regions
06:15 Witkoff names the regions and invokes referendums
07:06 CNN’s Kevin Liptak on the negotiating obstacle
09:05 Your thoughts and my closing assessment
SUPPORT MY INDEPENDENT REPORTING
One-time support: https://bit.ly/OneTimeSupportPLnewstoday
Monthly support: https://bit.ly/MonthlyPLnewstoday
Join Team PLnewstoday for more premium content: https://plnewstoday.onfastspring.com/subscribe
Like, share and subscribe for more interviews, studio analysis and reporting from the ground. Not one source has all the information—research for yourself.
#UkraineWar #Donbass #PatrickLancaster