ukraine madness and re-establishing control of the donbass and and taking back crimea even so it sends a signal. so zelinsky that perhaps similar to what happened in georgia maybe has more support than what many actually does maybe microland and merkel or you you don't hear that same type rhetoric it's basically more. you know yes. so. dangerous direction and i think he thinks the us whatever is going to go with. the members of unfortunately it's going to be. ok gabriel we were all mentioned crimea ok let's make it very clear to everyone watching us here that is part of russia right now and russia treats it is a part of it softened any military action against crimea russia will unapologetically use all the means available to protect its sovereignty it's not going to be. negotiations and talk it's going to be action and lethal action at that and i think that western audiences do not understand that they don't understand the implications of the illegal overthrow of the democratic elected government in 2014 that is the consequence crimea is one of them and it is irreversible ok and we hav

if there if the donbass is attacked by ukrainian forces. russia will react is made it very clear this is a red line here ukrainian military will be damaged severely flawed annihilated ok but russia will be quote unquote dean the the aggressor ok so i mean it's kind of no matter what happens if there is a military outcome a initiative the outcome is a political defeat for russia but in between in that logic is a lot of ukrainians are could die as well here see and that's what i find really perplexing here i mean i think really willing to do that because it is the end skis standing wolf you will have lost a war he will be out ok and then you have this virulent nationalists will probably take even a stronger position of marcus' what they you know want me to do my scenario does it make any sense to go to. the americans and the british can do nothing for ukraine insolvency like they can nothing for the wealthy. of the average ukrainian man and woman what they seek in ukraine is to enclose a loss on its western borders and in a so innocent javier

or significant numbers of ukrainian forces including heavy artillery and a miss our systems to the donbass that precipitates it a current crisis over ukraine i do not believe that decision was actually made by the crimean authorities themselves i believe they were instructed to deploy its forces to the donbass by washington and london after oh ever since the coup in ukraine in february 2014 the ukrainian government has been nothing but a collaborator to both the americans and the british so i have to ask myself the question why have the americans and also the british police about this crosses over ukraine is it because washington and london is opposed the state department the national security adviser divided our ignorance about the cultural and national security significance of ukraine to russia well i believe that when and ukraine was part of the soviet union yes this state department would have been in many respects ignorance about the significance of ukraine to russia but i do not believe the state department has been ignorance about ukraine ever since the demise of the soviet union an

real risk of escalation in crimea to be attacked but at the same time any kind of offensive in the donbass region does open up the prospect of russia feeling it needs to intervene militarily in order to effectively have the backs of the separatist militias that effectively declared that they declared autonomy over the region but i think if i'm entirely honest with you i think the prospect of an out and out of ukrainian military assault without western support is frankly ludicrous in either crimea or the donbass i think unfortunately we're stuck in this stalemate where you effectively have people taking pot shots at each other you. have shelling you have this kind of progressive escalation and it's not clear that any side so not russia but equally the stage not the west wants to tug met and spoke a bit and they're very good good point to end on many thanks to my guest in london washington and in moscow and thanks to our viewers for watching us here r.t. see you next time and remember. the slogans of them so much. good who was before. much of those who heard the preview. to see him we will.

sent here to deploy significant numbers of ukrainian troops and ukrainian military hardware to the donbass to test the response of the kremlin to test the readiness of the russian military the americans and the british were not relinquish ukraine easily they are absolutely adamant that ukraine who enter nato so encircled on its western borders is a very dangerous policy the americans and the british are plain here but whilst i believe that the secretary of state and the national security adviser divide to themselves our ignorance about russian history i don't believe the people on the russia desk in the state department and also in the foreign office are ignorance about just how important ukraine is to russia you know the market and we did see a bit of a stand down i mean the exercises were going into the black sea were kind of put on hold maybe even canceled as somebody who's saying something here but i mean you look we look at the media narrative and is a really quite extraordinary they get it's real it's whoa what reacting to russian aggression is if you can be aggressive when you're mo

is different than crimea because a donbass is within ukraine russia recognizes it it's part of ukraine but not crimea that's a totally different fact on the ground continue i'll finish your answer go ahead yeah absolutely so there is a danger of course that is that has been said that the ukraine but would try and reincorporate. through force following the georgian example or more successful example of azerbaijan recently in recapturing its lost territories by force but the problem here is that in a dumbass of a urban environment and that there's simply no way that ukrainian army could attempt to be recaptured without destroying large parts of large cities and killing very large number of civilians in the process and ukrainian leadership doesn't actually seem to be aware of this and that is going to serve as something as a restraint on them because such you know such a level of destruction would almost inevitably bring in the russian army and if the russian army weren't to intervene i think ukrainian army would be destroyed in short measure and i think these russian troop movements whic

if you know victoria nuland is is that it's the godmother of the new ukraine without crimea and the donbass it's because of that it's nothing what russia had to do russia didn't overthrow the government in 2014 george. though that's exactly right i mean the united states is interested in ukraine for one reason only it wants ukraine in nature that has been the goal since the end of the soviet union and the dissolution of the warsaw pact because if you look at the map pretty much every country that is west of russia has not been scooped up within nato i mean other than serbia and bosnia herzegovina everybody else is now in. military alliance russia ukraine is the standout and this is the united states is go so really the americans don't care very much about ukraine other than say a dagger to direct at russia so that's why the americans have been kind of. encouraging the ukrainians egging them on maybe it's a mountain of bend and be written thinking that well either way to go is whether ukraine wins in and pushes back on the breakaway provinces or ukraine losers and russia was to intervene it'

the people of donbass are less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. knisley if you crane takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the muslim. which of. the kremlin is doing all this to blackmail ukraine and the west. troops are reinforced if their school ation continues even a small provocation will be enough to set things off with unpredictable consequences. russia's defenseman. history says this who teaches recent exercises if the situation escalates t.v. screens may soon be showing the real thing to bring in our correspondent yuri rachet oh in moscow yuri it was suggested in that report there that russians saber rattling as part of an effort to blackmail ukraine and the west can you explain the rationale behind. well terry the experts i spoke to says several reasons for that 1st of all they're all say the trash doesn't want to annex dong boss as it once did with crimea instead moscow sees don't buy us as a part of ukraine but on its own russian terms and to that means on the largely russian control through the politics in gone by s

the mission here he says almost and starts now there's an escalation in the donbass region it's a bunch of everyone can see it when our soldiers are attached and there are casualties obviously we must retaliate i mean if you put it that. a few days ago zelinsky paid a visit to nato secretary-general un stoltenberg selenski stressed that the western military alliance is ukraine's only way to end the war in don't pass experts in moscow say that statement would not have gone down well in the kremlin. any cooperation between ukraine and nato any help from the north atlantic alliance is a red flag for the kremlin. but that doesn't mean that all members of the alliance welcome ukraine's desire to join nato as soon as possible letting right know there are steps towards membership are not on the agenda. a clear statement that gives many in russia hope that a war is preventable. the people of donbass are less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. useful if you crane takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the muslim youth which of. kremlin is

now because of the donbass crimea could be the next issue but russia risks to get involved in a real big war with almost the entire western world because russia has no allies or even sympathizers in the west so the consequences have a lot of a putin could be absolutely unpredictable and it may be catastrophic therefore it would be better for everyone if moscow stops its separate lincoln as soon as possible and withdraw its troops will entirely maybe just before let me put in state of the nation on april 21st or shortly after that that could be at least remarkable day but until now there is no sign off any willingness for this our correspondents on the story or a chateau there and moscow david sterritt in kiev thank you both very much. ari and we have some breaking news coming into us now britain's prince philip the husband of queen elizabeth has died at the age of 99 windsor castle has just confirmed that he died this morning his health had been deteriorating in recent months with several visits to the hospital philip was a member of the greek and danish royal families before marryin

the mission here just as opposed to starts now there's an escalation in the donbass region it's a bunch of everyone can see it when our soldiers are attached and there are casualties obviously we must retaliate i mean if you put it that. a few days ago zelinsky paid a visit to nato secretary general and stoltenberg selenski stressed that the western military alliance is ukraine's only way to end the war in don't pass experts in moscow say that statement would not have gone down well in the kremlin. any cooperation between ukraine and nato any help from the north atlantic alliance is a red flag for the kremlin. but that doesn't mean that all members of the alliance welcome ukraine's desire to join nato as soon as possible right no further steps towards membership are not on the agenda. a clear statement that gives many in russia hope that a war is preventable. the people of donbass are less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. useful if ukraine takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the muslim nicholas witchell from . the kremlin is

on the street yet he says of course when it starts and there's an escalation in the donbass region it's a budget everyone can see it when our soldiers are attached and there are casualties obviously we must retaliate i mean if you put it that. a few days ago zelinsky paid a visit to nato secretary-general un stoltenberg selenski stressed that the western military alliance is ukraine's only way to end the war in don bass experts in moscow say that statement would not have gone down well in the kremlin. any cooperation between ukraine and nato any help from the north atlantic alliance is a red flag for the kremlin. but that doesn't mean that all members of the alliance welcome ukraine's desire to join nato as soon as possible letting right no further steps towards membership are not on the agenda. a clear statement that gives many in russia hope that a war is preventable. the people of donbass are less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. usually if ukraine takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the muslim nicholas witchell from . the

the people of donbass are less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. if ukraine takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the muslim. kremlin is doing all this to blackmail ukraine and the west. troops reinforced if this collation continues even a small provocation will be enough to set things off with unpredictable consequences. russia's defense ministry says this footage shows recent exercises if the situation escalates t.v. screens may soon be showing the real thing. or the number of refugees fleeing the violent military crackdown in is rising india shares a 1600 kilometer border with me and with strong ethnic and cultural ties between local communities science so india might seem like a natural destination for some people forced to leave their homes but those who end up there feel doubly one family who settled in the indian capital delhi some viewers may find this report. for the last 6 years and how girls have felt safe here in delhi but it didn't come easy to get here they had to leave everything behind in their need of man much h

well vladimir's lenski is once a meeting with vladimir putin last week invited putin to meet him in donbass this is this region of ukraine being currently controlled by separatists russian backed separatists lansky said to putin come and meet me here and we'll talk putin's office last week said well putin is going to meet him in donbass but he's willing to meet him as a lansky to discuss bilateral issues by saying that that excludes discussion of donbass and crimea but the landscape has moved it forward a bit it seems in the last in this last. in this last half hour by saying he's told his office to contact the kremlin to try and arrange a date and a time and selenski says he's he's got a positive feeling that this meeting will happen. brought us with reporting live from moscow but many thanks indeed some breaking news for you now iran's revolutionary court has sentenced the british iranian woman nuts nene's a gotti radcliff to a year in prison with a ban on leaving the country for a good after that's according to the website the british iranian charity worker was appeared to was ordered to

the mission here just as of last season starts now there's an escalation in the donbass region it's a budget everyone can see it when our soldiers are attached and there are casualties obviously we must retaliate i mean if you put it at. a few days ago zelinsky paid a visit to nato secretary-general un stoughton bad selenski stressed that the western military alliance is ukraine's only way to end the war in don't pass experts in moscow say that statement would not have gone down well in the kremlin. any cooperation between ukraine and nato any help from the north atlantic alliance is a red flag for the kremlin. but that doesn't mean that all members of the alliance welcome ukraine's desire to join nato as soon as possible letting right know better steps towards membership are not on the agenda. a clear statement that gives many in russia hope that a war is preventable. the people of donbass are less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. useful if ukraine takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the muslim. kremlin is doing all this t

or significant numbers of ukrainian forces including heavy artillery and of miss our systems to the donbass that precipitates it become a crisis over ukraine i do not believe a bad decision was actually made by the crimean authorities themselves i believe they were instructed to deploy its forces to the donbass i washington and london after hope ever since the coup in ukraine in february 2014 the ukrainian government has been nothing but a collaborator so both the americans and the british so i have to ask myself the question why have the americans and also the british police about this crosses over ukraine is it because washington and london is opposed the state department the national security adviser to our ignorance.

the people of donbass all. less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. if ukraine takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the. kremlin is doing all this to blackmail ukraine and the west. if truth be reinforced if this relation continues even a small provocation will be enough to set things off with unpredictable consequences. russia's defense ministry says this footage shows recent exercises if the situation escalates t.v. screens may soon be showing the real thing. well for games in european football on thursday night as the europa league quarterfinals got underway austin all could only manage a draw at home while manchester united won away at. last at home to roma spanish side very well meanwhile want to weigh in zagreb now the return legs will be played next week. there's some people who manage to stay young at any age like british design of if you know westwood from her early days selling orographic t. shirts to becoming one of the top names in high fashi

not long ago but the statement is still relevant today that those who would try to start a new war in donbass will destroy you crime as well has a short timeline of events leading up to this point in ukraine in favor 2014 the so-called my down revolution saw the russia friendly president viktor get a call of its deposed and the opposition winning par the next month russian forces an excuse me a from ukraine prompting a series of western sanctions in april of 2014 pro russian separatists seize parts of the eastern donbass starting the internal military conflict in ukraine in 2019 t.v. comedians' autumn is alinsky is elected ukraine's president he and russian president putin agreed to exchange prisoners and commit to a ceasefire most recently a ceasefire with donetsk separatists was agreed to in july that's close to breaking news ukraine acknowledges an escalation in fighting there peter is the mayor of is a political commentator in kiev and executive director of the eurasia democracy initiative he says the build up is partly an effort by putin to distract russians from domestic issues. this is

there's an escalation indeed in the donbass region we can see it servicemen can see that commanders in chief and commanders can see that we understand that our boys are targeted by snipers who are 26 killed ferguson. the military do everything possible to defend our country and to hold ceasefire but when our soldiers are attacked and when there are casualties it is clear to everyone that the army responds. russian equipment and thousands of personnel are on the horizon russians are tearing out military drills along the border and pro russian rebel fighters are taking up positions in urban areas who have both sides seem primed for war the united states is increasingly concerned by recent escalating russian aggressions in eastern ukraine including russian troop movements on ukraine's border russia now has more troops on the border with ukraine than at any time since $24145.00 ukrainian soldiers have been killed this week alone these are all deeply concerning signs. in a phone call with russian president vladimir putin german chancellor angela merkel tried to deescalate tensions and asked

border of the crimean peninsula here and moscow of trade of blame for the worsening situation in the donbass region ukrainian troops have fought progress in separatists it's 2014 clashes in the region have become more frequent and there are fears the unresolved conflict between the 2 sides could flare up again. a russian military camp set up suddenly close to russia's border with ukraine witnesses have reported seeing rows of tanks in the area and artillery being moved by train and leaders in europe in the us are trying to find out what. russia is not denying the troop movements but says it's not threatening anyone. else but overheard somebody seeing the questions are being asked what is it that the russian federation is doing on the border with ukraine got the answer is very simple we live there it is our country some kremlin figures have gone further setting out conditions for a possible russian intervention against its neighbor which is beginning of military actions is the beginning of the end of ukraine. the build up seems to be russia's biggest along the ukrainian border in 7 years. but

your opening statement refers to the creeping alex ation of the eastern ukrainian region of donbass in fact an all out invasion is. not generally moscow style until now. infiltration hybrid warfare has been their preferred methods so do you think that is changing would you expect to see a true military offensive here. i would not exclude that but i think it's about 80 percent or 70 percent and. muscle flexing. and threatening ukraine and the west and what 20 or 30 percent maybe military escalation i don't believe in a full scale invasion just like we saw in korea mere for them for several reasons i think. a strategic aim of putin and russia is to weaken ukraine to prevent it from joining nato and e.u. probably to divide ukraine into several states and to to create a new ukraine so which would be a russia friendly this is i think that's a russian strategy but at the moment on the technical level i think russia is trying to negotiate with america with the new administration of president biden and this is i would say russian style invitation to a conversation we should remember that just

part of the overthrow of the legal government in 2014 as a result of crimea left and then you have the donbass that went into revolt and now they want the same b. team from the obama team to come and help ukraine some more i mean they keep talking about its sovereignty but it's because of these people that the sovereignty of ukraine is changed and not to you obviously to the betterment of camp i mean why do they keep trying the same failed policies go ahead in washington well i think they were they were essentially put down this path by george w. bush to promise ukraine to get into nato and i think you know you ukraine it's very important historically to russia and i think there's a big lack of empathy. in the united states for russia and i agree that vladimir putin has been excessively demonized because then it becomes difficult to work with him on a certain issue right now as i mentioned did they did do that with the strategic arms. treaty and that's very important i think for for the whole world but i think you know this is this demonization biden start that you know. it's been going on eve

him pushing his military to go attack the donbass and to recapture crimea which is russian sovereignty right now and we get all these added boys attaboys go after i mean it can't continue this tension cannot continue something happens so it's an escalation or deescalation and both are losing propositions go ahead jeremy. you know well we've seen the fighting in ukraine is resuming right now and you know that conflict was barely covered in the western media and united states but it was you know a tragedy for the people the region something like 14001 people were killed over a 1000000 were displaced the ukrainian military committed horrific atrocities including torture and it was you know it's kind of like a vietnam for them i mean that's why they had to rely on these private militias because a lot of ukraine didn't want to fight their own people and this war starting up again so you know this this in itself is a tragedy and there's the broader risk of nuclear war you know the u.s. and russia and between them have 90 percent of the nuclear weapons in the world so this escalation is very

prosecution returning his networks to the airwaves is a key kremlin priority if selenski wants progress on donbass putin insists he should go and talk to these to the leaders of the separatists in eastern ukraine financed and armed by russia it's all part of the kremlin line that russia is just a mediator an internal ukrainian conflict not an active participant selenski were to agree to direct negotiations with the separatists russia would be off the hook diplomatically and ukraine's president would himself being extremely hot water at home potential win win let's go all day w. our correspondent marina strauss in brussels welcome marina so what can the european parliament to do if it decides that russia does need to be punished for exactions against ukraine especially given that russia is already under sanctions by the e.u. and others. members of european parliament are preparing a so-called resolutely to impose new sanctions on russia this time if russia for the escalates a situation at its border with ukraine or even considers an invasion but it's actually not the parliament that decides it's e.

on the shia just zamost starts and there's an escalation in the donbass region it's a budget everyone can see it when our soldiers are attached and there are casualties obviously we must retaliate i mean if you put it that. a few days ago zelinsky paid a visit to nato secretary-general un stoltenberg selenski stressed that the western military alliance is ukraine's only way to end the war in don't bass experts in moscow say that statement would not have gone down well in the kremlin. any cooperation between ukraine and nato any help from the north atlantic alliance is a red flag for the kremlin. but that doesn't mean that all members of the alliance welcome ukraine's desire to join nato as soon as possible letting right know there are steps towards membership are not on the agenda. a clear statement that gives many in russia hope that a war is preventable. the people of donbass are less optimistic though the pro russian separatists insist they don't want war either. useful if ukraine takes the 1st step nobody knows where it will end the muslim nicholas witchell from . the kremlin is d

russian president was ousted in a popular uprising moscow back separatists have occupied the eastern donbass region and crimea ever since russia says its recent military buildup is a response to nato threats and ukrainian provocations. ukraine is gearing itself up for battle the country's military is in better shape than it was july war in 2014 but its firepower is no match for russia's military might. move. most of we are preparing we have a saying if you want peace always be prepared for war we are ready to meet an enemy on an island. the current buildup of troops along the ukrainian russian border has been described by the u.s. and nato as the largest there since 2014 a cause of great concern for the ukrainians. because there is no split between danger or intimidation war and danger or physical usually russians combine both surats and now we see because tension is the reason. why it's hard to boyce. is also became more dangerous we've grown answer a direct threats president zelinsky has appealed to european leaders to call on russia to pull its troops back from the ukrainian border it's n

and your opening statement refers to the creeping alex ation of the eastern ukrainian region of donbass in fact an all out invasion is not generally moscow style until now. infiltration hybrid warfare have been the preferred method so do you think that is changing would you expect to see a true military offensive here. i would not exclude but i think. it's about 80 percent or 70 percent. muscle flexing. and threatening ukraine and the west and what 20 or 30 percent maybe military escalation i don't believe in a full scale invasion just like we saw in creamier for them for several reasons i think. a strategic aim of putin and russia is to weaken ukraine to prevent it from joining nato and e.u. probably to divide ukraine into several states and to to create a new ukraine so which would be a russia friendly i think that's a russian strategy but at the moment on the technical level i think russia is trying to negotiate with america with the new administration of president biden and this is i would say russian style invitation to a conversation we should remember that just a few weeks ago at