and mental conservation to life with learning, like global ideas. we will show you how climate change and environmental conservation is taking shape around the world and how we can all make a difference. knowledge gross through sharing, downloading now feel free. this is did other news broadcasting from belinda in this special program? we take one step back and ask, why did vladimir putin invade ukraine? he claimed it was to denot device and demilitarised the country. but is that the real reason and what to the answers to be about 14 russia. and what about president putin himself, joe biden believes he wants to re establish the former soviet union. does the u. s . president have appoint who should say?

because they use the collapse of the soviet union was the greatest geopolitical disaster of the century. a tragedy for all russian metal stolen, that's the issue. ah, i'm british manager, welcome to this special program on russia invasion of ukraine. in the next half hour, we look at the real motivations behind vladimir proteins attack on a sovereign nation and how the events of the cold war informed the russian presidents world view. but 1st, a look at ukraine and its citizens and independent people facing a war. forced on to them. disbelief echoes will ukraine cities, an ugly wall that is destroying homes and hopes you clicked on your door. i never thought that this could happen when i never thought

this would truly happen in my life time. and you got down, you wash, we wrote poems about the 2nd world war. i switch it to her fishery thing with the service to he. i myself, am a teacher issue a credit. we studied the history for irving, but we never thought that it would happen here. you go back to work with the brother machine is indian political rito has lived in this apartment block in the city of 2. yes. in easton ukraine, it has become uninhabitable. in the capitalist, keith bombs hit this residential area where she was sleeping oak zanna gl hinkle was thrown 3 meters from her bed to the corridor, which is already through your feet. if you are young, she knew from you. i was completely confused. i didn't understand what was happening to me. it was as if i was lifted up and dropped. so y'all,

then i heard screams, sands. i got up and saw all the windows smashed broken glasses review. i quickly gathered a few things, documents i had prepared, and i ran out into the street with the he will know that that's been the story for many, those who can have rushed to leave the city. the result, thousands of keith residents stuck in traffic, especially children are traumatized. when keith resident was set with his family describes their experience was a hard moment, i would say because you always have the dilemma. what to tell 2 kids. on one hand, you don't, you know, on one hand, you don't want to scare them. but on the other hand, so you don't want to lie to them. and we decided to take it to tell them the truth . and we'll tell that the words and that we are in danger. and that's

why we need to go to our grannies because safe place this but in ukraine. hardly any place seems safe. in keith, people have been seeking projects in the metro station score, basements and pumps out of i guess this is a shelter. so here sitting in the shelter in shelter and checking the news constantly told that something might happen around 5 pm. reading other gathered in an improvised shelter in a hotel. our units are tranquil, is a cookie. but going up to work is not an option.

it's hard, but i'm holding on have is left to day fall when we were sleeping was an explosion woke us up. it was a 420 i am near our house. a missile was shut down. what happens next? no one knows certain, but it seems certain that many more ukrainians will suffer before the fighting stops. and it avenues teams are on the ground reporting on the fighting correspondent funding for john was in keith and sent us this report on what people in ukraine's capital city are experiencing. you do see the thing in people's eyes regardless whether they say that they stay poor and they want to resist with or without arms. but that fear basically results in different reactions as on people left or trying to leave ukraine. they are long, long queues that are forming are both on the highways towards the west,

long queues forming at gasoline stations. people were packing up and food and basic things at the few supermarkets that were still open. he and keith, so they are, people are really panicking and they want to leave. but then the others who are concerned as well, but they say they're not going to take the sovereignty, the freedom, the democracy of the country away. in fact, i've just seen a few hours ago, a young man on his bicycle carrying a ukrainian flag. he was the only man here, the only person here at my don at independence square. and it really was a picture to me that justice concern this fear. but there's also a sense or a bood of, of, of, of basically not, not having russia to say what the future of this country is. and 8 years back in 2014, exactly on the square of a funny was reporting from the people of ukraine decided they didn't want to be part of russia's fault. their choice reflected in their protests on that very

square chaos. death and revolution on caves made on square in 2014 protesters. he won't, closer ties with europe stand against pro russian president victor young coverage. his forces killed more than a 100 then who fled to russia. the kremlin, called it a qu soon, soldiers in unmarked uniforms. so called little green men appeared in ukraine's crimea a crimea referendum on whether to leave ukraine and join. russia was rejected as illegal by the international community. but it was followed swiftly by russian annexation of crimea in march 2014. by early summer that year, an insurgency against ukrainian rule had broken out in the eastern on bass region, fell the ukrainian army and russian by separatists fought and on. thus,

a civilian jet was shot down malaysian airlines flight image. 17 had nearly 300 people on board investigation said it had been hit by a russian missile. by autumn 2014. the front lines had stabilized, despite continued shooting the you and estimates that more than 13000 people have been killed. efforts to resolve the conflict politically via the minsk process failed to make much headway. fears of uneasy deadlock were broken in spring 2021. when russia sent military hardware and tens of thousands of troops to ukraine's borders. by late april, there was relief in keith as the kremlin said, it would recall it soldiers and that russian president vladimir putin would meet you as president joe biden. but some analysts say much of the military hardware and many troops actually stayed yolo,

let him know that summer putin backed his military ideas with a long se. he claimed ukrainians. and russians were one people and said ukraine could only be sovereign in partnership with russia. but ukrainian president followed him as lensky refused to make concessions during the peace process. overdone, bath, and in november, moscow sent tens of thousands of troops back to you, cranes, borders, and into neighboring bella luce. this time, they were accompanied by enough hardware for a sustained campaign, and that campaign has led to their destruction and death. we are witnessing now to help us make sense of the russian attack. i'm joining the studio by the devil's chief international editor, richard walker, and from williams in lithuania, by d. w. russia, analyst, constantine. i got richard to you 1st. i think the question on everybody's mind is,

why did president putin invade ukraine? yeah, well very, we're going to going deep into the background, of course, in our talks today, and it's great to be on with konstantin today to talk about this as well. but i think the sort of the, the most immediate reason is that vladimir putin has decided to do what he can to dial back the clock to before the protest that we saw at the end of 2013 beginning of 2014 there, which toppled a government that was favorable towards russia in ukraine. he wants to dial back the clock to before then. he doesn't like the political direction that ukraine is taken in recent years. he's like this strategic direction. it's a can, you didn't like the social direction he's taken it taken. so he is decided to remove the government and replace it with one. it's more in the previous mode, one that he finds more clients to,

to his view of what you train should be. and that is a real that we will be discussing as we go along. richard will stay with us in the studio and constantine the pressure to stay on the line as well. because we do need to talk about president fulton who is really central to understanding the reasons behind this war. now german chancellor olaf shoulds earlier in the week called this invasion fourteen's wall as 5 turned president. shirt is a quick look at what drives him and shapes his convictions. this is how vladimir putin likes to portray himself to his compatriots, strong, loyal to his country, and adventurous at daredevil who doesn't shy away from danger. at the start of his career it was a different story. back then he was considered a blank slate as

a k g. b officer. he spent years in dresden and communist east germany after the fall of the berlin wall, shortly before the end of the soviet union. he returned to his homeland, eventually working for the administration of president boris yeltsin before becoming prime minister in 1999. in may, 2000, he was inaugurated his president. his goal was for russia to once again become a global power to little pushing his savings goes, i use the collapse of the soviet union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. narrowed a tragedy for all russians. they issued that army under putin's leadership, the country has been transformed. he's brought most of the russian media under kremlin control and disempowered. oligarchs who had grown rich during the chaotic years of yelton's reign. putin's decisive action in chechnya also brought him widespread support. there he waged an uncompromising war against separatist rebels,

a war in which many civilians were also killed. in terms of foreign policy, putin initially had a good relationship with his western counterparts. i looked the man in the i, i found to be very straightforward and trustworthy. virtually for him, but he's all was viewed nato's expansion to take in new eastern european members with suspicion. when the pro russian government in ukraine fell in february of 2014 hootin intervened the next the ukrainian peninsula of crimea and help moscow packed and armed separatists to secure control if parts of the eastern ukraine was near jolla. after a difficult, lengthy tiring journey, crimea and the pole are returning to the home harbor. i knew you were going

to russia was excluded from the t h group of countries, and the u. s. and the e u. impose strong economic sanctions over a year. but put in a stuck to his course governing in an increasingly authoritarian manner. he has quite a protest against his policies. russian opposition, members live in fear me, hold to ski, spend 10 years in prison, and was then sent into exile. bar east new himself was murdered in front of the kremlin. alexi, nev only was poisoned, he recovered, and is now in prison. the kremlin actively supports anti democratic movements across europe. russian hackers attempt to influence elections in russia. putin as regarded by many as the eternal president. he is held under power through 4 controversial elections. and in 2020, he changed the constitution, allowing him to rule even longer was that vladimir

putin took over his country at a difficult time. but he's let it with an iron hand. and now you get is thrust europe into an unprecedented crisis. you're doing, stroke grain and back now with the russian affairs, i miss constantine exit and wellness and in studio and the international editor, richard. walk constantly and i'd like to go to you 1st. a lot has been written about president 149, his time as a kid you these by during the cold war in your view, how much does that shape him and president fulton's worldview? morning. not so good morning for the speaking. i think that the person essential thing is not to describe the reason why it was never spy. the case would be with a huge political police organization, in which only one director is the 1st chief direct. it was actually occupied the

spying. but you never served in it. the actually seemingly aspired to go. but he was sent to east germany, the g d r. as an officer or a different director under the come of director of the russian cultural rather the time of the cultural center in germany. and it seems that his, his occupation was to watch the internal is german opposition and to probably monitor the activity of the salyers person. now that position that was there was, i would like to remind you with a 1000000 strong saw the contingent army confusion stations and germany. so i suppose that the key g b is such a course influence. it was the time when he thought he's going to make a fantastic area because being a k to be officer, was extremely prestigious in,

in the soviet union gave you a lot of perks about additionally huge power people would, dear you, if you were a kid to be agent. so i teach the officer. so i think that this impacts it him hugely. and his desire if you wish to have this power on said paula. intimidating power is very much part of the i think k to be thinking another thing that's important and full disclosure i said 3 translator for the sort of admin permission, me least i was doing just my national army service. but of course, and because from my job, i've seen quite a few people from the k to be and what actually characterized them is a belief in conspiracy theory. and secondly, this understanding that and this sort of union doesn't what,

but it doesn't work because people do not have enough sausage. you put the sausage back in the shops and for some private enterprise and you can run it. wonderful. and i think that the cynical view of the, of human nature, you know, actually in not very important thing to understand. i'd like to go back to the point that you made about power. and i'd like to tie that in with what president 14 has said in the past. he has said, and we just played that report as well. he said that the collapse of the soviet union was a tragedy for all russians. so what you're saying is that this is not so much about russian pride, but personal power for president fulton. well, definitely, and actually he didn't even stronger time. he called the collapse of the soviet union, the biggest joke political capacity of the 20th century. and i think that it's true that he is how to look thing is that

occasion the office. so i was always brought up on this saying, i think there's risky, the founder of the check and see or to get from the that the page of the office is the security. so all the knights in shining armor of the revolution and that breeds this understanding all on the one hand you belong to a very elite organization or the other hand you fulfilling the national destiny. putting that light into one thing. it is essentially like yes him because he is defending a normal course and it is pretty much indistinguishable. personal power and conviction, but also to stay on the line to like to talk to you richard. just based on what constantly was saying and going back to the point that you were making about. he wants ukraine to be in a sense, observant to him and to go back to the time before 2014. when i was,

let's just say within the russian folder was at least pro russian in many ways up. how do you see the current situation in light of that and the fact that for president put in personally power and national pride conflating to one yet will it's been really interesting to watch what vladimir putin has been saying during the course of this week as well. so it's been a week after the dense with events, of course, but at the beginning of the week, he made this extraordinary address to the nation at the time where he announced that in this, for the 1st intensification of the crisis this week that he was recognizing these breakaway regions of easton ukraine as independent states. and the speech that he gave was really and it would be fascinating to hear some constant 100 take on it as well. it was an hour, long 7 and a half 1000 words in the english translation. and it took this historical sweep in

an effort to justify what he was about to do. and now in retrospect, what he's done a week as well with this malaysian. and he completely de, legitimize the idea that ukraine is a sovereign states instead, regarding it as something that is an appendage of the russian empire essentially. and going way back even before the soviet union and accusing soviet leaders such as lenin and style. and even of making mistakes with regard to ukraine. so taking an even kind of grand, a long sweep view of russian history. and giving the strong impression that he feels off to 20 plus years in power. and perhaps with another decade and a half in power. but certainly beginning to think about his legacy is a russian leader that he wants to undo some of what he sees as the mistakes of the past. and essentially re unite. what he sees essentially is

a part of the russian empire notices over an independent state. let's just take this to a constant and constantly recruiting richard. talk that he talked about this historical treat the president potent referred to in his televised address. can you give us some context on this? what prompt a russian need to think that ukraine, which is recognized as a sovereign nation, does not essentially a whole sovereignty and needs to bend to russian will well, for that you need from the to live side by side, the present, futons understand what prompted this amazing turn in, which basically now it's for the whole world to see that there's only one issue with which is, well, frankly speaking, upset, and this is your crime. ah, to put it in the why the context? judging by this, a speech to which region alluded 7 last 1000 words, plot the piece or he wrote for the current website, $5000.00 words plus the do explain or well, judging by them,

it seems that he sees essentially getting back ukraine as a way of writing the role of the unjust collapse of the study, and then just treatment of the saw the and then russian states by the west. and this is a way of saying we are still strong. we have our own sphere of influence. but i think it's very sorry. i think it goes further, judging by some, by the text, and that is by quite a few russian experts and actually at people getting in till origin history put has been impacted by the very strongly by the ideas of cure russia. to lots of our yvonne in he was a white and gray philosopher up to the bolsheviks on the civil war in russia in early 20th century. so some people say that if the boss makes lawsuit,

he would have been the philosophical founder of kind of russian corporate. this states allow saline, this idea that russia needs one strong leader, no matter what is the name of the president governor, whatever. and that's russia can only survive if it keeps the 3 slavic name together . russians of the other russians and ukrainian, this is a very, very strong on that sort of threat that goes through the writings of this man in the end. it seems that putting took him on board. he quoted him several times if you speech us before, and i suppose no no no,

no, no, but who mom and you half is anyway that to her mom at least i'm hoping that they will see the value of family and yet a yakima dominican rebel. you have what and if a man who led them into what it hazard, i'm the time will you martha? yeah. why don't me it. happy holiday left. a letter wasn't her balance to lead them will. how can yeah, bill and him with a kid that women and all now i live, i live on the see if her many said the better clarice. equally heather, talk to you. he faddie heather unless you do miss obviates, if even his close is team around him are in the kremlin where she was belittling the head of his foreign intelligence service on live television. there's no one in russia in a position of power. it appears to act as any kind of check on his behavior. and as we're seeing in ukraine, he's willing to go into very serious risks. so concerns about how far disc

untrammeled power the he has, what he could lead to, richard will have to ended there. thanks so much for joining us in the studio. constantine. thank you so much for being with us. that's the end of this program, but coverage of russia's and vision of ukraine continues on di da da news. you can always check out our website for the latest or on facebook and twitter pages. that's with, with

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d w. ah, ah, this is g w. news live from berlin. civilian targets under fire in russia is war on ukraine. an apartment block suffers a direct rocket strike is russian forces to attempt to seize control of a key suburb. moscow says it is using cruise missiles against ukraine, seeking refuge from russia's aggression ukrainians. make it to safety in poland including children whose fathers turned back to fight for their country. while chancellor olaf sholtes meets with the.