they change its course to a great extent, but they should not be considered some kind of miracle waffle that alone solves all problems. as with any weapon, drones have their own sphere of effective application and their limitations. so they occupy a certain, let's say, niche at the front, no more and no less. accordingly, drones are making fairly rapid progress now, although , again, the russians are still faster. they currently produce approx. six times more fpv drones than us, but fpv drones are still far from everything necessary for this war. at the moment, there is very good news from our gun manufacturers, here is the saw bohdana, which at the time of the beginning of this war , existed in one copy, but at the moment six per month, six per month are being produced, and it is planned to increase production, six per month may also seem like it, well, we have to more, well, yes, but for example, the french company... anekter is one of

the world's leading manufacturers of weapons, manufacturers of caesars, by the way, which did a great job in our war. so now they are releasing it six caesars a month and are very proud to have been able to achieve such a rate. and our bohdana is also clean for a month. that is, well, the progress is very obvious, exactly. there are very big problems with the production of projectiles, because there is a shortage of gunpowder all over the world. there is actually a shortage of gunpowder all over the world, because everyone started. alternately produce shells that had not been produced for 30 years, and there are constant problems with certain critical components, but at the moment they are, and so on, that is, a huge amount of work is underway, but it needs to be increased many times over, and in particular everything well, here i have a question, a year ago it was announced that we should create a defense fund, i still do not see this defense fund, still all the money for defense goes... in different ways, something through

the ministry of defense, something through the ministry of statistics, something in general there in some strange way through deshspecial communication and so on. instead , there should be one defense fund, into which it would be possible to take all that money that is currently being used for various tiles, fountains, bridges, but not abstractly in the state budget, because from the state budget, you know, you can also sponsor serials, but it should be defense. a fund from which funds are directed only to the production of ibk weapons, and in this case we could not provide for ourselves in the 24th year, you will not achieve this in a year, but at least we will become much less dependent on what will be elected there at the end the year of trump or biden. well, by the way, in an interview with german journalists, defense minister rustem umyerov said that what ukraine lacks now, what it needs. he says about what is needed... means of radio-electronic

warfare, drones, artillery and a sufficient amount of ammunition, well, i asked or , that is, if everything, everything, then everything, yes, on this, mr. yevgeny, let's put an end to our conversation , thank you for participating in the program, it was yevhen dykiy, a veteran of the russian-ukrainian war, friends, we are working live on the tv channel, as well as on our youtube and facebook platforms, for those who are currently watching us on youtube and facebook , please like this video to... promote it to youtube and facebook trends, and take part in our vote, today we are asking you about the following: do you support the idea of ​​mobilizing women in ukraine, yes, no, and if you are sitting in front of the tv, you can pick up your phone and vote if you support mobilization, the idea of ​​women's mobilization 0800 211 381, no 08021382, call, all calls are for you on these numbers. are

free. next up is glen grant, retired british army colonel, military expert. mr. colonel, congratulations and thank you for being here today with us. colonel, we have been watching over the last few weeks or even months as the heads of the european defense agencies and the heads of the north atlantic alliance. talk about the danger of the russian federation for europe and for nato, vladimir putin approved a record increase in spending on the army for the next year since the time of the soviet union. according to the approved budget in the 24th year, russia should direct almost a third of its expenses for the maintenance of the army to the defense-industrial complex. that is, it is on

70% more than in the 23rd year. what do you think such militarization means for the world, a new arms race and the specter of thirds? world war? first of all, i want to say that there is nothing new in putin's actions, because he has been talking about it for a long time, and now he is actually doing what we expected from him, and yes, he has now involved himself in this game, in the game long he wants to exhaust ukraine, to exhaust the west, and that's why he's actually been talking about it for two years, so we shouldn't be surprised about this. second, he will spend 70% of their budget, or

a third of their budget to improve their defense sector. of course, you can't spend so much and not improve. will there be an improvement, is he worried about the economy , will such an economy support such an increase in spending on the military complex, well, some may say, they do that in north korea, yes, and some, maybe the people will rise up, yes, because there will be a decline in the country, if they want to have such an economy that will support the military complex, in particular with all those and those who need it. russia with such colossal sums of money, accordingly, it must be understood that yes, these are such expenses, such expenses were during the soviet era, he is actually taking a risk now, he is walking on the edge of a knife, if he spends

so much on the defense sector, the minister of defense of germany, boris pistorius, mr. colonel , urged europe to prepare for a war with russia, which, according to his forecast, could ... take place in about 5-8 years. during this time , it is necessary to make up for lost time in the armed forces, the military-industrial complex, and society. pistorius stated this in interview by welt amzontak. i will quote pistorius. currently, putin is significantly increasing the production of weapons in russia. according to the decision of the duma, the increase will be more than 60%. we now have about 5-8 years to catch up, both in the armed forces, and in... industry, and in society. sometimes i get the impression that not everyone has yet realized that we need to do more to ensure our safety. in the face of a grave crisis, we need an armed force that can defend this country, even in the event of war also. well, what pistorius says about both his

country and nato is absolutely obvious, because a large brigade of german troops entered lithuania this week, and the germans are afraid that... putin can start from lithuania. 500 soldiers entered lithuania for the first time in a long time. do you, mr. colonel , think that the 5-8 years that pistorius gives in order to prepare for a possible war with the russian federation is a clear forecast, it corresponds to the reality that in eight years or in five, putin finished. will be until war with nato, or will he never start a war with nato? you have such a complex question, and first of all i want to say, let's talk about 5-8 years, and frankly, i think

we need more time to prepare, a lot of nato member countries are weak, and nato, as alliance. and the alliance, which was actually aimed at deterrence, now understands that now it is necessary to move to strength, to increase its military competence, in particular, it is necessary to strengthen the baltic countries, bulgaria and the like. i think, yes, someone needs 5-8 years, and someone needs more, pistolus is basically right when he talks about this period, yes, but i would approximate, for example, other countries, yes, some have better things, some have worse things , i certainly think that

great britain has a better system, unfortunately, there are fewer troops than necessary, and so i think that unfortunately, even some... some region of the battle, we will not last long, because we do not have enough military and of course, it is necessary to have better fighters, better air defense systems, anti-missile complex. everything and the like, so it is necessary to improve, it is necessary to modernize , and unfortunately, we can, must be exhausted, that we do not have enough resources and equipment, secondly, at the expense of the danger from russia, is putin serious, i would rather believe it is better for us to prepare, it is better for us to prepare, than to ignore it like this and in the end then be unprepared. saw what happened with the way we acted when it came to georgia and

ukraine, and now we have turned out to be such fools, because we understand that it is necessary, it is necessary to prepare mr. colonel, why in the world , well, having, in principle, good analytical centers and good intelligence, why did the world not notice for a very long time, this putin's attempt to start a war not only in... georgia, not only in ukraine, but also to go further, why, why were such consequences not predicted, because in two years, i understand that the european countries and the reserves of the european armies were not as complete as those of the russian army, that is, europe did not consider russia as a country from which it could go danger there are many reasons, first of all, you said the good ones think tanks, i think this

is kind of nonsense, because the think tanks, they are so superficial, in fact, they quote the defense departments, they somehow do not go into the depth of the research, especially they did not properly study the issue of russia, the issue of ambition, intentions putin, we forgot this one... that's how you need to comprehensively approach the assigned satellites to draw some true conclusions, problems, because sometimes, if you look at a machine or a piece of equipment like that, you can't tell how complex and complicated it is the system is internal, that is, it is necessary to consider it in detail, of course there are good centers, in particular in estonia, yes. they do great analytics, they inform our allies about it, they are very clear about

what russia is doing and what russia is going to do, but again, we are so used to peace, we have forgotten what war is all about, that what is necessary to wage war and what is necessary to win war, and frankly the politicians, they didn't really want to, you know, go beyond that kind of comfort. and go out for within the framework of what they have planned for their vacations, think in the military dimension, so yes, we need to move into this dimension, so poland now already understands that if ukraine loses to russia, ukraine, poland will be next, here even under there is not the slightest doubt, we see how putin acts, but unfortunately, we are moving so slowly, preparing, so so slowly that it is... fear. mr. colonel, a week ago, the new york times wrote that ukraine and the united

states of america are developing a military strategy for 2024. and the publication writes about that the americans convince the ukrainians that this should be the defense strategy for 2024. zelenskyi said two days ago that the mobilization of... people, or up to 500 thousand people, is possible, how do you assess the prospects of the russian-ukrainian front next year, and what do you think the ukrainian side and our partners should focus on in 24 year? i want to say that we don't know... what the americans and ukrainians are deciding there, and we don't have to, you know, invent, predict,

make wise, that's a fact. yes, they can, what, they could already solve something and can, in the end, and change your decision, taking into account what will happen in the winter, because certain opportunities will appear for both ukraine and russia, which may become problems, so there is no need to make such prejudgments now, there are clearly... it is also clear that it is necessary to improve, refresh the situation on the front line, so there is no need to conduct rotations for soldiers, they are tired, yes, when... we are talking about mobilization, it is better to recruit new personnel, because it is necessary to refresh the personnel , they must be taught, it must be done constantly, it is not possible just like that, you know, banging your head against the wall and hoping that something will happen, you need to act, you need to change your thinking, you need to think a few steps ahead, understand

how to act tactically and strategically, that is, there can't even be a question here. what will happen when you have newly arrived soldiers? yes, of course, you can't immediately throw them into the crucible of war, but then again, you have to think, yes, the motivation will also be less than those who were in the front lines, at the beginning of a full-scale invasion, but of course, it will be, you have to do this , to be those with positive-minded soldiers who will be among the new arrivals and... will strengthen their team spirit, because ukrainians, they believe that what they are doing is right, it is very important to maintain motivation, because from motivation, because motivation is interchangeable with quality on the battlefield , of course, can we see any changes next summer, i hope and hope that there will be some changes, i hope it will be

because russia will lack manpower, they also have problems... with morale, with military leadership, and we hope that concrete changes will take place in the summer, of course, i can't make forecasts, even, well, others can't make true forecasts, but we need to carry out mobilization, we need to carry out reinforcements. mr. colonel, french president emmanuel macron, in an interview with tv channel 5, said that in some countries, doubts began to appear about the expediency of supporting ukraine, they also exist in the united states of america - said macron, but this is a mistake, ukraine must be supported until victory. let's hear and see what macron said. we need a peaceful europe, and we know very well how to achieve this on our own soil, but as long as there is a country on our continent whose government wants

to assert itself by taking pieces of their territory from its neighbors, then we will not have such a peaceful europe, that is why... we we have no right to allow russia to win in ukraine. mr. colonel, can there be a peaceful europe without the complete defeat of putin? i don't think so, no, there is no such agreement or agreement with russia that could be. putin expressed himself clearly, and if anyone thinks that it is possible somehow agree it will not work, putin needs to win, because we understand that when the war started, we know, if we talk about macron, for example, yes, then we know how reluctant he was to help ukraine when everything just started, and he has so double thinking, yes, but now

i am sure that ukraine has a chance to do it successfully. offensive, and after all, macron is speaking now, it’s great, these are words, but ukraine needs weapons, ukraine needs equipment, ukraine needs ammunition, it has again to have that morale boost for soldiers to feel that, because what i 'm hearing from soldiers right now is that they don't feel that support, unfortunately, especially when we talk about what's going on in the united states, so people now have have more understanding, more interest in moral support, soldiers, ukrainians, not only with words, but with actions, it is very necessary to act quickly. anthony blinken, secretary of state of the united states of america, mr. colonel, at a press conference dedicated to annual results, said about the support

of ukraine's allies. according to him, putin thought that the unity of the west should have cracked a long time ago, but he was wrong. let's hear what antony blinken had to say. in recent weeks , president putin has boasted that, and i quote: ukraine has no future. he thinks that his wait-and-see strategy, when he sends many waves of young russians into the meat grinder he himself has already created, will pay off. i agree with putin on one single point, which is that you have constant support from america. value in order to the brave soldiers and citizens of ukraine could continue their struggle, and for russia's war to be a strategic defeat for putin. mr. colonel, is a strategic defeat of putin possible without the more active participation of western countries, well, maybe even military participation. no, i

don't think so, yes, but i believe that ukrainians need to do more than what they are doing now, the government should do everything to put the country on the war footing. now... it turns out, it is not like that, they want peace, they are doing something, but it is necessary to do much more, and it is necessary to do it faster, more rigorously, therefore, unfortunately, for some reason the verkhovna rada is moving very slowly, they should not have any vacations at all, they should work without interruption, the defense sector should be strengthened, there should be a positive increase in the results of arms production and things like that, so recently... they didn't pass the medical cannabis law, so that 's great for people with cancer, but again, it's not the most urgent law to pass right now, because there are so

many in the queue right now there are laws that are actually related to the military sphere, so yes, of course, we need new laws, we need to quickly adopt laws, in particular, regarding mobilization and the like, we need to spend our time on this first and foremost, mr. colonel, in ukraine they count on the fact that through some time... ukraine will still become a member of the north atlantic alliance, but we see how difficult the decision to start negotiations with ukraine on joining the european union was. hungarian prime minister viktor orban, who was then against starting such negotiations with ukraine, now says that he is afraid of ukraine's accession to nato, since members of the alliance commit themselves. of the north atlantic alliance to send its troops there the next day. he does not want hungarians to fight in ukraine as well. let's hear what orbán said. if you want to really help

ukraine, why not use another tool, a strategic partnership, which can be immediate. in short, it consists of the most important elements for ukrainians. support them just like that, not through membership, which looks like a nice political gesture, but in fact, to ukrainians. will not help at all, so why is a strategic partnership not a better alternative to these challenges than this distant prospect of membership, which we all understand is many, many, many years away. mr. colonel, some of the leaders of eastern europe speak, or, let's say, protest against the movement of ukraine to europe and euro-atlantic structures, giving the impression that they have never been under the military. union, or they forgot what soviet troops are and how they entered the eastern europe. in your opinion, will they be

a trojan horse on ukraine's path to europe, including nato, or will europe demonstrate that it is strong and organized in the face of danger, because putin is a danger not only for ukraine, but and for everything. of the european continent and for the world. i want to say that this is how orbán works according to the agenda of the kremlin, so there is no sense in what he says there, the arguments he uses, no one will pay attention to them, after all, he claims that no one will accept ukraine to nato, not yet... part of such an educational

these are all just words, now he wants to become part of the process, because the main, main players in nato, yes, they are clear in their position, they want ukraine to join the union, perhaps even better and faster than if we compare the process of joining the european union, of course, all countries should prepare for ukraine to become a member of nato, i do not even doubt it, nato needs ukraine, needs its experience, military experience . colonel, the year was 2023 quite difficult for ukrainians, because we were waiting'. offensive, were waiting for the results of this counteroffensive, and, as some analysts and high-ranking officials predicted, even an attack on the crimean peninsula, these expectations did not

come true. in your opinion, what awaits the world and ukraine in the next two years, i , well, let's take such a period, because limiting ourselves to only the 24th is obviously already wrong, because when the great war began, we all thought that it would be a few months, now we we understand that it will be several years, and so do people in ukraine must understand what and how it can be. what are the factors that can influence, here are the essential factors that will simply change the course of the war and ukraine will win the victory that the west so desperately wants. i see two such two things. the first is the support of the event. unless support for the measure is improved and strengthened,

it will not be more targeted. then, unfortunately, ukraine will have big problems, and secondly, the need for the country to focus on the battle, on the war, this is very important, that is, such an internal understanding for ukrainians as well, that they are protected by soldiers on the front line, we should not forget about them, and of course we are talking about strengthening the defense military-industrial complex, because it is necessary. morale should not be taken for granted, it is one hundred percent in everyone, if things are not going well and there is no proper support, the soldiers get tired, and this shows their weakness, and therefore they

cannot fight as they should.. .could, they are human beings, we are all human beings, we know how it works, and so the soldiers should know that the country is with them, everyone, civil society, political government, and that they feel this support stably, unfortunately, there is no such thing now, they also need military from other countries that will support them as well. mr. colonel, i thank you for the conversation and we will meet in the next one. last year on our air, it was a retired british army colonel and military expert glen grant. friends, we continue to work live on the espresso tv channel, as well as on our youtube and facebook platforms. for those currently watching us on those platforms, no please give this video a like to promote it on these platforms. also, subscribe to

our facebook and youtube pages. and take part in our vote. today we ask you the following: do you support the idea of ​​mobilizing women in ukraine? yes, no, everything is quite simple on youtube, on tv we see the results, well, i mean just voting on tv, we see the results of this vote 19% - yes, 81% - no, on youtube, on youtube we have 26% , so 74%. no, keep voting i will remind you once again that the telephone numbers are 0800 211-381, if you support this, if you do not, 0800 211 382. all calls to these numbers are free. in the second part of the program, we will continue this vote. see you in 15 minutes. in the second part of the program, we will have people's deputies of ukraine fedir venislavskyi, yaroslav zheleznyak and maria ionova, we will talk about...

the strategy of ukraine's victory over russia. don't switch, stay with us. greetings, on the bbc. ukraine. he works in a studio in london jafer umerov, and today in the program. in the second reading, the verkhovna rada voted for the law legalizing medical cannabis. who will be able to get such drugs and when, and how generally? so, the verkhovna rada legalized medical cannabis: the bill passed in the second reading, which must be signed by the president, talks about the legalization of medical marijuana in ukraine began in 2016, however, according to experts, the approval of the law was influenced by a full-scale...