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the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news". ♪ christian: hello. i am christian fraser, and this is "the context." >> two years ago shortly before dawn, russian troops marched across the border in ukraine. i couldn't believe he could easily bend the will or break the resolve of free people of ukraine >> if ukraine had been admitted into nato, that war would have never happened, because russia wouldn't have dared attack nato. today we have a war. >> the gunfire you can hear is ukrainian troops try to shoot down a suspected russian drone.

christian: the u.n. security council meets to discuss ukraine on the people of the second anniversary of the war. this is a live shot of the chamber in new york. the british foreign secretary will speak shortly. we will hear from the polish prident, who hasn't spoken exclusively tissue has spoken exclusively to this program about his concerns for european defense. andrew harding has been observing the war through the eyes of front-line soldiers in eastern ukraine. and we will focus on the meeting in paris this weekend where israel will participate in talks over a possible cease-fire in gaza. a very good evening. a year ago when we marked the first anniversary of the russian invasion, nato countries were united in their resolve to help ukraine. kyiv was beginning to retake

significance weights of territory, and hopes for the ukrainian counteroffensive were high. on the eve of this year's anniversary, it all feels very different. pressure is more dangerous, america lesser light -- russia's more dangerous, america less reliable, and there is a serious talk of the eventual russian threat to nato territory. talks in europe have shifted towardthe view that russia must be stopped in ukraine before it moves on to other targets like moldova and the smaller baltic states. as we go to air, the u.n. security council's meeting to discuss the war. these are live pictures from new york. we are expecting david cameron to speak shortly and we will bring you news of that when it happens. i spoke to the polish president yesterday in warsaw, a leader who is much closer to donald trump than most others in europe. we are two years on from

russia's extended invasion of ukraine. the ukrainian troops have rationed arms on the front line. there is a crisis of recruitment within the ukrainian army. do you think we are at a ticking point? pres. duda: when the war broke out two years ago on the eve of the outbreak just a few hours before the russian invasion started, myself and the presidents of with mania visit -- of lithuania visited kyiv to give our support to president zelenskyy and show our solidarity. back then everyone was saying that ukraine would fall and there was great fear that it would happen within hours. then they said it would last a couple of days. two years have passed. ukraine is still defending itself. ukraine has persevered and stopped the russian aggression. as i said, on the front line there are very difficult moments.

there are better ones, but there are more difficult ones. one thing is important, we still have an independent, sovereign ukraine. christian: we are sitting in a room with a portrait of the late president who of course died in a plane crash in russia back in 2008. he was in georgia on his way to the separatist south ossetia and came under fire from russian troops. in the company president xi cash really-- sakashvili. 15 years ago it was georgia, now it is ukraine how long before it is poland, estonia, lithuania? pres. duda: since you made that reference to the president, i am calling him my president, because back then i served as minister in the president's office. i was his lawyer.

we need to remind ourselves that before the russian aggression against georgia happened in august 2008, there was a summit of nato in bucharest in april 2008. at that very summit of nato and bucharest, the president supported president george bush, president of the united states, and they fought together to make sure that ukraine would receive the so-called membership action plan. in other words, the plaintiff being admitted to nato as a fully fledged member. back then france and germany blocked that and it didn't happen. the same applied to georgia, by the way, when the russian attack against georgia happened, and then in 2014 we witnessed the russian attack against ukraine and the beginning of the occupation of crimea and donetsk , luhansk. and then in 2022, a full-scale aggression.

from an historical perspective, it was the west that didn't pass the exam, as a matter of fact, because if they listen to the late president's words into thousand eight when he said that russia is attacking georgia and it has to be stopped at all costs, because if it does not stop, perhaps soon ukraine will come as the next victim, then maybthe baltic states, and then my country, poland, if those words had been listen to back then and it had been implemented, what george bush had wanted from nato, perhaps history would have taken a differen turn. if ukraine would have been admitted into nato, that war would've never happened, because i believe russia wouldn't have dared attack nato. and today we have a war. but i bieve and i want to stress this to conclude this part, because it is what you are referring to -- i do not believe that russia will attack nato countries, any nato countries,

that it will dare to have an open war against nato come with the north atlantic alliance. if you look at article five of collective defense and how far the last two years russia has been trying to conquer ukraine, it hasn't been able to deal with ukrainian nation and their heroism. christian: it's interesting you talk about collective defense, because i want to talk about donald trump and his comments a few weeks ago. you know him very well, because you chaired the nato summit here in warsaw that he attended. you signed a strategic partnership with him in 2018. perhaps you know him better than any other european leader. the point he made critically undermines the central tenet of the north atlantic treaty, and that is collective security. come what may.

and yet he is saying if you don't pay, i am not going to protect you. surely you see that. first of all -- pres. duda: first of all, we have to bear in mind two things. there is an election campaign going on in the united states. in campaigns different words are said and you often use a sharper language than you normally use in politics. donald trump right from the start since he was first elected president of the united states of america was clearly saying he expected nato members to live up to their commitments. we as part of nato, all of us have committed ourselves to spend no less than 2% of our gdp on defense. no less. therefore donald trump is saying i expect every nato member, since there is such an obligation, to commit to present on defense. and he says it somebody does not commit 2% of their defense, then i'm sorry. what are we waiting for, for the

u.s. to defend them? the american taxpayer is going to pay for their security? christian: but he said specifically you have got to pay. if you don't, i would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. quite categorically undermining what the treaty is all about. pres. duda: i have one experience with the former president of the united states donald trump, when he was serving as president of the united states. everything he agreed with me on back then wasn't amended -- was implemented. chstian: does it work two ways? will you go to washington next month to market the 25th anniversary of poland's accession to nato? will you tell donald trump and house republicans that they need to unlock this moneyor ukraine? pres. duda: i hope that the assistance will be admitted. christian: he is blocking it. it is mr. trump that's blocking it. pres. duda: now it is in the house of representatives.

there is a politicalebate in the united states f please bear in mind that no one else but the united states of america has so far given a bigger amount of assistance to ukraine. without that assistance from the united states, i'm not sure if ukraine would be able to defend itself until today. of course america has a democratic state. debates are going on. discussions are going on. however, right now and $95 million is in play in the house of representatives, and i hope it will be donated for ukraine by the american authorities. of course i'm appealing all the time to assisting ukraine, because ukraine does needed to resist effectively the russian invasion. christian: i want to ask you about discussions ongoing now with brussels about how we respond to what is going on in ukraine. do you think there needs to be a pandemic-style response to the

defense problem in europe, perhaps a recovery find that drives -- recovery fund that drives procurement? pres. duda: first of all, i think the sanctions policy is good, and i believe it is effective. although there are some voices saying that the sanctions policy is not working and so on and so forth, as a matter of fact this is not true. sanctions are having an effect on russia. they are painful for russians. they bring huge losses to the russian economy and bring relatively low living standards. they are painful for russian oligarchs. they are very heavily limiting the possibilities for the russian defense industry to develop good of course they are being circumvented. this is always the case. russia tries to circumvent those sanctions in many different ways, but the sanctions are being implemented. the russian financial market needs to be had. the russian banking sector needs to be had.

that is why i believe that europe should be going in this direction. it should implement more sanctions against russia, hitting those soft spots such as exports of different raw materials from russia. christian: should it appropriately russian funds that are frozen? pres. duda: yes, i also believe that those proposals, that the frozen russian assets which are kept in different funds and banks across the globe, could be earmarked for the restoration of ukraine. generally, i think we need to overcome the barrier which stops everything today. some might say we cannot use it, that there are legal obstacles and so on and so forth. i believe that has to be overcome. there are huge russian assets stored in current accounts all over the world. these have been blocked, and i believe they should be used in order to restore ukraine. however, irrespective of this, i believe that we need to start within the framework of the european union.

we need to start conducting an efficient policy of rebuilding the european military potential, production potential. that is why we need production of ammunition within the european union, ammunition which we have big show. . we need discussions of rebuilding of the european defense industry, joint construction of different kinds of armaments. christian: president duda, it's been very good to talk to you. thank you. christian: president duda speaking to me yesterday in warsaw. we will get into some of that with our panel in the second hour of the program. expressing frustration abo opportunities missed and the state of european defense. while you are listening to him, you see the secretary-general in new york talking.

>> and it is undermining the shared norms and values that make us all safer. the conflict accelerated the surge in food prices come economic shocks, and the global cost-of-living crisis, hitting developing countries still recovering from covid-19 the hardest. in addition, the prospect of this war resulting in a nuclear accident chills spines around the world. both sides to the conflict must take all possible measures to prevent that from happening at all nuclear sites across the country. the international atomic energy agency will continue to support these efforts. and we will also keep pushing for freedom and safety of navigation in the black sea, and that badly needed ukrainian and russian food and fertilizers reach the global market. christian: antonio guterres

spelling out some of the impacts of the war in ukraine over the past two years. we will continue to watch that. we are expecting the british foreign secretary lord cameron to speak shortly and we will bring you some of that when he speaks. coming up after a short break, our correspondent andrew harding has been to the front line in ukraine to revisit a medic he met at the start of the war. around the world and across the u.k., you are watching bbc news. for our u.k. viewers, a quick look at some stories making headlines here today. britain signed an agreement with the eupean union's border agency do cooperate more closely on tackling irregular migration and boost the exchange of information on smuggling patents. but it will not seek joint for trolls -- joint patrols and does not provide for the return of migrants from britain. a government review interjecting political violence is to recommend that police should be able to shut down protests outside mp's offices, counsel

buildings, and the houses of parliament. the issue of mp safety was used to justify controversial handling of debate on the israel-gaza war on wednesday. according to has been set for hearing that will determine whether a child serial killer can appeal ainst her convictions for the murder and attempted murder of babies. the nurse's case will be considered by a panel of judges at a public hearing in april. you are watching bbc news. at the two-year mark, ukraine is not defeated, which in itself is extraordinary when you consider that the kremlin ordered the murder of the entire executive branch and takeover of the parliament. that is not happening. the ukrainians have fought with courage and cunning, but it is ongoing. the troops are exhausted, ammunition supplies are running low, and this past week the country suffered a

morale-boosting defeat. the bbc's andrew harding has returned to the front lines of eastern ukraine and has this assessment through the experience of one ukrainian fighter. andrew: two years of forcing through the struggles of one ukrainian doctor. this was the first time we met him back in 2022 and the besieged sound. he had just joined ukraine's army as a volunteer medic. he drove us to his unit near the frontlines. in those early days, smiling and full of confidence. the russians are pushing now. >> yes. may be one a half months we will shoot every russian. andrew: you will push them out? >> yes. andrew: you think you are winning this? >> yes, yes.

andrew: but within week the russians are captured and destroyed the town. it would be a year before we met again. his medicateam is working in another frontline town. lots of casualties from ukraine's struggling counteroffensive. the dangers growing. you are still alive, yes. >> yes. andrew: but it's been a difficult year. >> very difficult. andrew: as if to prove the point, incoming fire. you are not worried about your safety? >> my faith, my faith is -- hmm. i don't know. andrew: and now two years into

the war, we have come to meet his team once again. as usual, they are in thehick of it. this time in another furious battle underway. russia now engine forwards. -- inching forward. the gunfire you hear is the ukrainian troops try to shoot down a suspected russian drone. we have taken cover under some trees. not sure if they have hit it yet. the ukrainians have found a new russian target. we'd lost touch with him for several months, but now news of an attack last october. a russian rocket hit the field hospital he was working in. three medics were killed. but he survived. his leg badly mangled.

>> my friend died. it's difficult. difficult for me and my mind just changed after that. andrew: when we first met you were hopeful that ukraine could win. when we met in backmut, you are tired and worried. and now how do you feel about the war? can ukraine win? >> yes, of course. i hope. but i see this war will be long. andrew: a long war, then. >> it's from zelenskyy. andrew: medals and an early retirement, after two yea that have transformed every life in this country. andrew harding, bbc news, eastern ukraine. christian: let's go live to kyiv , where a ukrainian mp is

waiting to talk to us. thank you for being with us again. before we talk policy and defense, maybe i can ask you for personal reflection on the eve of the second anniversary of the war. what does it mean to you? >> we continue to fight. it's difficult. we are tired get but we have shown to the whole world our resilience. the whole world realized that ukraine exists and ukraine will exist. i think we already won the war for our independence. now we are fighting for our territorial integrity. christian: is there in kyiv nervousness about what might come tomorrow on the anniversary itself? oleksiy: no, it's not. i don't know, me personally but also people on the streets. we are prepared for everything bad. it is usually what they do.

but i don't think they can surprise us anymore. we are prepared and we are not afraid. christian: i don't know if you heard our interview with president duda, but there were certainly frustration in the interview about opportunities missed and also the lack of capacity that there is in europe right now to help ukrain that said, when you look at what has been sent to kyiv in the last two years, it's barely 1% of the entire gdp of the european union. the west could do much more. oleksiy: that's true. but first off, i want to thank the west, the united kingdom, united states, and everybody for what we are receiving. but it's really frustrating to know that two years ago on february 24, i joined territorial defense, i took

weapons in my hands to defend kyiv. i saw everything by my own eyes. in march 2022, weapons we received in summer, it would be completely different story. now it happened again and we are preparing our first counteroffensive, which was very successful in kharkiv region, but we did not have strikers and bradleys, armor with which to chase russians. and then it happened again and again. all the time we are chasing after putin, chasing after russians. we are prolonging this war and making it more and more and more dangerous. we can finish it by just giving to ukraine everything we need without any artificial restrictions and limitations. we are like boxer who is boxing

with one hand tied. not allowed to use this or that in russian territory or somewhere else. it is quite difficult and frustrating, but we are doing our best. christian: the draft is also a significant problem. you might have heard in andrew harding'sce the sheer exhaustion there is on the frontline. how does ukraine refresh and rejuvenate its armedorces when it is asking people to fight without the appropriate weapons? oleksiy: first of all, we need to change people on the front lines. they can't fight forever. this is a big challenge. this is the biggest challenge. we are not short on people, we are not short on courage. we are short on weapons and supplies, that's true. speaking about draft, i hear this question quite often recently. what i want to remind you, ukraine can't fight with russians by numbers. we will mobilize 300,000 people

and they will mobilize 600,000 people. we will mobilize one million, they will mobilize 2 million. it's not the way for us. we should fight with russians by quality, by very well-equipped army, and not just very big size, but very well-equipped, trained, motivated. that is how how strategy should go. christian: good of you to be with us on the program again. we will be thinking of you and all the ukrainians tomorrow on the second anniversary. thank you for coming. oleksiy: thank you very much. christian: we are just hearing from the french side at the u.n. security council meeting in new york. still not heard from david cameron. we will maybe dip into that live in the second half of the program. we will focus plenty more in the program on ukraine, but just after the break, we will talk about the other major conflict, the israeli conflict in gaza. important meetings happening

this week in paris. the israelis alongside the cia chief for those discussions. maybe we will get reaction to that in a few minutes time. do stay with us. narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is pvided by... man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: "usa today" calls it, "arguably the best bargain in streaming." that's because the free pbs app lets you watch the best of pbs anytime, anywhere.

♪ ♪ narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... brook: these are people who are trying to change the world. startups have this energy that energizes me. i'm thriving by helping others everyday. people who know, know bdo.