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announcer: and now, "bbc news" s america. s the nato secretary-general tells the bbc the military lines remains prepared to counter any nuclear threat from russia or its allies. >> therefore we need also the ultimate security if nuclear weapons are deployed -- >♪ >> welcome to world news america. we begin with growing tensions between western allies in the country supporting russia's war with ukraine.

the uss it is deeply troubled by the supply of north korean missiles to russia for its war effort. the white house expressed concern about russian president vladimir putin's upcoming trip to north korea with talks with kim jong-un. russian me to report they will sign a security pact. on john kirbwarned at moscow might prode ongyang. assistance to >> we are concerned about it the deepening relationship between these two countries. not just because of the impact is going to have on ukrainian people, because we know north korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit ukrainian targets. because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the korean peninsula. >> the nato secretary-general that concern in an interview with the bbc today. mr. stnberg said the ongoing nuclear deterrence is key to countering threats from the

going alliance between russia, north rea, and china. he also called china the main supporter of russia's war effort and said the u.s. and europe may need to impose economic costs on beijing if that continues. comes after he told the telegraph newspaper, we will remain a nuclear lines because a world where it russia, china, north korea have nuclear weapons and nato does not is a more dangerous world. the kremlin called the comments ancalation of tensions, yet stoltenberg said nato's posture hasn't changed. i sat down with him today ahead of his meeting with u.s. president joe biden. sec., great to sit down with you. i want to ask you first of all about this piece of news we saw russian president vladimir putin is going to travel to north korea for a two day visit, and incriminate has been quoted as saying the visit will include a partnership agreement to include security issues. what do you make of this? >> it seems russia is aligning more and more with authoritarian

leaders. north korea has delivered more than one million shots for artillery to russia. so north korea is helping russia to conduct a war o aggression against ukraine. >> will there be a specific net a response to whatever this agreement looks like? >> our response has been clear all the way that this just shows how dependent russia now is on other powers, but also how russia is violating un security council agreements on supporting it shows that security is nots. regional, what happens in asia matters. >> you spoke over the weekend about nato's nuclear posture.

he did say is important to communicate the direct message that we of course are a nuclear alliance. is there a specific threat here that you are referring to that you believe nato needs to counter? >> this is a general message that nato remains a nuclear alliance. that is our ultimate deterrent. it is not to fight a war, it is to prevent a war. we need also ultimate security. >> a spokesperson said your words were nothing else but an explanation. >> this is not new. nato has had nuclear deterrence since we were founded, and we are transparent about this. so there are no changes. >> so it is not an escalation? >> not at all, it is russia that is escalating by having not only

dangerous nuclear rhetoric but nuclear weapon should never be used, that has to be fully understood in moscow. >> you said allies need to impose a cost on china unless it is for russia stocks. what do you think that car should look like? >> that is difficult to say, but the result is that china is trying to get it both ways. they were sharing technologies that are key for russia to build missiles and weapons to use against ukraine. at the same time, china tries to maintain normal economic relationships. >> so you think there should be sanctions, perhaps?

>> if china doesn't change their behavior, china is the remaining supporter of russia's war effort , were operation against ukraine, and at the same time they're trying to have a normal relationship with european allies. this cannot work at all. >> have you spoken to nato member states about possible sanctions and what that cost could look like? >> there is conversation among allies on how to deal with the fact that china is propping up russia's war effort in ukraine. so for nato to make decisions on sanctions, of course the discussion about what are the nsequences for china if they continue to sue port -- support. >> another point of news from nato, on friday, nato agreed to

play a bigger role in coordinating weapons delivers. he said it would put our support for ukraine on firmer footing for years to come. is this a direct response to concerns about a change in the white hoe after november? >> what we have seen, we saw serious delays and gaps in our support, and we need to do whatever we can to be sure we prevent those kind of gaps in the future. because we know that the stronger our support to ukraine, the sooner the war can end. i hope our allies can agree on a more long-term pledge of support for ukrne. >> donald trump, the former president doesn't agree, and he set over the scale of u.s. support for ukraine is too much, and he called president zelenskyy, he said he gets home

and announces he needs another $60 billion. it never ends. do you have a response to that? >> iin bwill not be in the securitinterest of the united ates if president putin wins in ukraine because that will send a message to president she that -- president xi that they can get what they want. this is not on about ukraine, it's about sending a message to president xi that he shouldn't use military force against taiwan or anywhere in the asia-pacific. so it is in the u.s. interest to ensure that ukraine prevails. we have to remember that european allies are watching what the u.s. does. it's not the u.s. in this alone. >> you also said in your remarks today that netta will continue to bring crane closer to membership, so when the time is right, it can join without delay.

is there any indication of when that time will be? ukraine itest in ining the alliance as soon as possible. >> to be invited to nato, you need not a majority but you need a nsensus. in the meantime, we are building a bridge, we are bringing ukraine closer to membership, by providing military support sue -- to secu they ha the nato standards and doctrines so when the time is right we can make ukraine a member of the alliance straightaway. >> looking ahead to the summit that will be held in washington in july, what are you? hoping will be reached at the summit >> that we are sending a very clear message to moscow that we are supporting ukraine for the long haul and also that we agree on long-term pledge to support and a strong nato role in providing that support.

that role will help to convince moscow they have to sit down and agree on a just and peaceful solution to this war that ensures that ukraine can continue as an independent nation. >> moscow has given no indication it will sit down or is even interested in that. >> they think if they just wait a year or two they will wait us out and then they will get what they want. it would have to convey a strong commitment and by conveying a long-term commitment to ukraine, that can help to in this war soon. so the longer we can commit our strong support to ukraine, the sooner we will have an into the war. >> mr. secretary, thank you so much for the conversation. the nato secretary-general also said the path to pete in ukraine -- to peace in ukraine lies in more weapons from the west. as russia's steps up its offensive in ukraine, the ukrainian army desperately needs

to enlist more troops. it is struggling to find willing volunteers. a warning, this report contains lashing images. >> it wasn't just the weather that didn't go to plan. half of the guests didn't show up. point out in public is now too risky for men who don't want to enlist. but the bride understands why her friends and family don't want to fight. her father was killed on the front line. >> are you afraid that you might be called in? >> of course i'm afraid, i don't want it to happen twice in my family. >> public transport has become a no go for those trying to avoid the draft. conscription officers have a fearsome reputation for dragging

people on buses and taking em to conscription centers. these officers are on the hunt for draft dodgers. it's hard to find willing soldiers these days. so now it's the law for men to register so they can be called up. >> are you part of the problem? you, they are scared of you.om >> some people react aggressively towards us. others run away from us. this happens often. i don't think these people have been well brought up. >> these guys are having a pretty difficult time finding people who are eligible to serve, and they do accept that some people are hiding from them. but they are urging men to come forward, because, they say, everybody has to play their part in defending this country. behind these walls, men are

hiding at the very moment the ukrainian army needs than the most. russia, with its superior manpower, is on the offensive. he won't leave the house without checking the social media groups, which tell him where the officers are. >> i don't walk outside at all now unless i am with my daughter, because i don't take people with their children. >> ukrainian army says that it needs people like you to fight if it is to win this war. >> i'm not a military person. i've never held a weapon. i don't think i'd be useful on the front line. but i know if i get drafted, this is where i will be sent. >> these men were hiding. what are they waiting for? >> vlad was badly injured

serving on the front line. >> if we run out of men, the enemy ll come to their homes. they will rape their women and kill their children. >> recruitment posters line the streets of odessa. the message, together to victory. but ukraine is now divided between those who are prepared to fight and those who would rather run or hide. jean mkenzie, bbc, odessa. >> israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet on monday, just over week after the departure of two key members. centers opposition leader benny gantz announces resignation early this month. he claimed the war it lacked a long-term strategy plan. it came as tensions mounted along israel's northern border this weekend. there are intense cross-border attacks with hezbollah, raising fears of a wider conflict. mr. met yahoo! met with a special envoy -- netanyahu met

with a special envoy on monday. >> i don't think the disbanding of the war cabinet is going to have a significant impact really on israeli strategy in the war in gaza, but it is symbolic, because you have to remember that the war cabinet was set up in the days after the october 7 attack by hamas really as a symbol of political unity, while the truth is a political unity is evaporated. so you have the prime minister looking increasily isolated, with the resignation last week of bny gantz, the centrist opposition leader and his ally. both of them relatively moderate figures, both men with vast military experience. in particular, some and i think the americans were keen to hear their views. so now mr. netanyahu will be calling the shots and making the

decisions with regard to the war while talking to his closest ministers and advisors. so as i say, no real change in the strategy in gaza, but we are also getting a bit of a picture of the discord between the politicians and the military. so this tactical military pause that was announced yesterday by the military that will occur daily between the hours of 8:00 in the morning and 7:00 at night, affecting the main road leading into the checkpoint on the border with israel and gaza, instructing -- stretching eight lometers into casa. that was announced by the military in order to allow more aid to pass into gaza. we had prime minister netanyahu calling that decision to he a tactical pause unacceptable yesterday. some of his ministers even more critical, yet the military or going ahead with it anyway. so don't really think the

israeli politicians or the military are really speaki with one voice over strategy in gaza at the moment. >> the u.n. palestinian refugee agency said that limited daily pause and israeli military activity in gaza has yet to make any notable difference for a deliveries on the ground. the 11 hour day time pause only applies to one road from a crossing to a main highway that extends north through the territory. he told the bbc that volatile conditions on the ground have not allowed aid workers to take advantage of the break in the fighting. he mentioned esther netanyahu has criticized the plan, calling it unacceptable. our middle east correspondent is that the crossing into gaza. she was given access to the area by the israeli military and these are the military

represented's. >> we are at the most southern point, the main entry point for supplies going in, as it was before the war. you've got these lorries making their way across right now, but far fewer supplies are getting in and they were in the past. that is really adding to the dire humanitarian situation. >> the issue we are seeing right now is one of distribution, not inspection. so were taking many steps to increase -- increase our inspection capabilities. >> now the israeli military says it has started a tactical pause during daylight hours along stretch road extended from hereide gaza to improve the distribution of the humanitarian aid. and that was announced in israel, there was a big political backlash with far right ministers saying the idea was foolish. i ask the izmir -- israeli military spokesman whether there had been military approval. >> we are a democracy.

we get our orders through the minister of defense, through the idf, by e chain of command. our order was clear, to make sure the humanitarian aid was getting into gaza, and where preventing famin where preventing the people of gaza not to get the aid. >> the union has welcomed this pause close to the crossing, but is also calling for more concrete steps but usual, such as easing the cumbersome procedures at the israeli checkpoints inside. we are waiting to see what difference this all makes in terms of the flow of aid. >> we can speak to the former deputy assistant secretary ofde nse for the middle east at e u. department of defense. talk about the facthat de this tactical pause, it is still a struggle to get aid in. why does this remain such a struggle for both the israelis also for a groups on the ground who are calling for easier access? >> gaza is a war zone.

first all, hamas still has capability on the ground in gaza and is still diverting some of that humanitarian aid. we can see there are still armed actors, both hamas terrorist and seing to divert and stop those aid distributions. secondly, getting aid to warehouses and then distributed to people in need is something the idf are not in control of. it's simply not sufficient given the scale of the need across casa. >> we also saw this backlash the prime ministers facing over these daily deposits and he denounced the pause. tell us more about what you think is behind the dissonance between what the israeli military is saying and what the prime minister is saying. >> israel is a democracy. there is civilian control of the list terry. it ireally unfortunate that the prime minister backtracked on this. what we've seen over and over is

that the idf is not making decisions about how they prosecute the military campaign or how they do humanitarian a delivery on their own in a vacuum. there is no doubt in my mind that the idf would not have agreed to these daily tactical pauses without briefing the leaders of the military. theyave been instituting those humanitarian causes for days before the announcement, given the stale -- scale of the need and the requirement to get more distributed eight across gaza. >> and the scale of the need as you said is huge at thi point. we also saw the prime minister dissolve his work cabinet. what if any impact to get think this will have? >> this was a long te in coming, now that the two former chiefs of the idf of israel, and benny gantz has also been the minister of defense. once they withdrew from that work cabinet, it doesn't provide the moderating wartime

decision-making veneer that pre minister netanyaheded. chleng that there are extreme right wing voices who have made it very clear they want to see the war in gaza continue. they are taking destructive policies when it comes to the west bank and generally are not interested in the political compromises cessary to either deliver better relief or palestinians or long-term enduring security for israel. so think it's going to empower those more hard right voices within the israeli governing coalition. >> i want to ask about the cross border clashes between the israelis and hezbollah the north of israel. there flare up now?he situation >> part of it is that this has been a tit-for-tat ehange between hezbollah and southern lebanon since october 7. now we're seeing it just

increase, more sophisticated isel by hezbollah, more in targeted leadership strikes by israel. the risk here is miscalculation or some mass casualty event, were either side is backed into having to escalate to full-scale war. >> we' got about 30 seconds left. how great do see the risk right now that this could actually spill into a wider conflict? >> i think it's very serious, which is why president biden dispatched his special envoy to try to de-escalate the situation. >> really good to have your perspective here on bbc news. thank you so much. let's take a look at some other news from around the world. the maryland governor signed an executive order to issue more than 170 5000 pardons for marijuana convictions on monday. it's the largest -- largest

state pardon in the u.s. to date. thstate decriminalized possession for personal use amounts of cannabis in 2023. 14 jordanians died too intense heat, according to jordan's foreign ministry. 17 others were reported dissing as temperatures exceeded nearly 115 degrees fahrenheit. a religious requirement for muslims is one of the largest mass gatherings in the world, expected to be attended by more than 1.8 million people. before we go, cheesy story for you from france. you can now satisfy your craving at any hour of the day. refrigerated cheese vending machines are popping up across the country and village squares, railway stations and highway service stops. officials hope machines will promote local quality produce. think is so much for watching

world news america. announcer: funding for presentation of this program i. financial services firm, raymond james. cunard is a proud supporter of public television. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected eds. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a t. this is the way. xfinity internet. made for streaming. ♪ amna: good evening. i'm amna nawaz. geoff bennett is away. on the "newshour" tonight, our exclusive interview with national security advisor jake sullivan, as wars in ga and ukraine. the u.s. surgeon general calls for warning labels on social