[000:00:00;00] i l g 0 as a you ah, all the news. hello again peter, i'll be in the how the top stories on our to 0. the pakistani army has strongly condemned an attack on its soldiers which killed at least 5 troops. they were shot out from across the border and ghana stopped by pakistani taliban faces. while the attack on the pakistani army comes just days after the soldiers fought with separatists in the province of bologna stone. fighting broke out on wednesday, killing 9 soldiers and 20 fighters. the military says to army posts were targeted

and one of the biggest attacks in recent years come all hide our has more for us from islamabad. well 1st of all, the budget on a quarter day have informed the internet government and run it on that day given a commitment of one story where it will not be used for the attack against any other country. last night that dag took place and a north west end the quarter district, along the avalon border. the budget on the 3rd day also engaged, are by dead inflicting heavy casual days that is regular targeting of police and other fishers in buckets on radical data across the country. budget dawn of course has deployed a considerable number of groups spent the border so it really in order to allow. busy the dollar bond, the buckets on a dollar bond to gain of portfolio and red once upon a time. what strain now david, forced by

a buckets on the military of friends have most of them start sanctity and i've run this done. and budget on god has also said that they are getting aboard from india and a broader balloon surgeon are taking those targets as a message through china, which is raking and developing the join up august on economic quarter door below. just on this gator dad showed up august i need a call now preparing to face another wave of the garage that borders border which are about 2600 kilometer long. and this up gotcha is going to be a challenging god. the u. s. is reinforcing military bases in eastern europe, senior us defense officials are accusing russia of planning and invasion of ukraine . an allegation moscow has again denied. we believe that there is a very interesting possibility that vladimir putin will order an attack on ukraine . it could take a number of different forms. it could happen as soon as tomorrow, or it could take some weeks yet. i'm not going to make

a prediction about what is going to unfold in the coming days. all i'm going to say is that we, the united states under the direction of president biden, are ready either way. we are ready, if president putin chooses to continue to engage in diplomacy and we are serious about that. the german chancellor is traveling to washington allow shorts. his trip is seen as a visit to reassure the biden administration that all nature countries are standing up to russia. germany has ruled out sending lethal weapons. ukraine does not send soldiers to eastern europe. the chinese tennis star punctuate has met the head of the international olympic committee. after concerns were expressed about her well being early, as she said, a social media post seen as an allegation of sexual assaults against a chinese politician. had in fact been misunderstood. the report from the united nations claims north korea use cyber attacks to fund its nuclear and ballistic

missile program. the report says pyongyang stole $50000000.00 of crypto currency in the last 2 years. a separate study says as much as $400000000.00 may have been taken. north korea conducted 9 ballistic missile test. last month alone. at least 10 people had died and some 45000 have been displaced by a tropical storm of hits madagascar. cy, clone bats. that i made landfill on sunday, it's the 2nd side closed to hit therein 2 weeks. the mayor of also has declared a state of emergency as canadian truckers on this supporters rally against cobit restrictions. 10 days of protests, so brought parts of the capital to a standstill over the weekend. protest groups also gathered in other cities and towns in solidarity. senegal has won the african cup of nations, 1st time off to be seen egypt and final on penalties. seneca one for 2 in a shootout. the bottom line is next. i'll have another quick summary for you in a little under 25 minutes. see that?

ah hi, i'm steve clemens and i've got a bit of a cold, but i still have a question. is there a really bad war brewing over the ukraine? let's get to the bottom line. ah, ukraine finds itself caught in the middle of a tug of war between russia on one side and the west, nato, europe, and the united states on the other. russia has beefed up its military presents all along its border with ukraine, and president vladimir putin insist that key of must remain firmly in the russian axis. the 2 countries have been waging low intensity war for the past 8 years, and ukrainians are split on which way to go. putin is said that even the prospect of expansion of nato into ukraine is a major security threat. and he just won't allow that to happen. blame in the united states, but the current instability, europe in the united states as there'll be huge repercussions for moscow if it does invade ukraine. so where did things go from here?

can the tensions blow up into a full scale war? today we're talking with american diplomat, kurt volker, the former us ambassador to nato, and the former u. s. special representative for ukraine ambassador of oak ridge, terrific, to be with you. and i have to tell our audience that you're in ukraine right now. what are you doing in ukraine at this moment? right, thank you. stay for having me. it's great to be here. i'm in ukraine because we are formally opening the american university key project i've been working on for a couple of years. it's a partnership with arizona state university, and we're going to be offering american style education at american university degrees, fully accredited for students in ukraine. here in key. we're starting graduate students in march and we are welcoming undergraduate students in september. and so this is the bottom line and tell you the bottom line of this is that we have confidence in ukraine. we believe in the country, we believe in the young people,

we believe in independence and we believe in its future is a european country. and so we're making this investment today, well, let me ask you and i don't mean to be too facetious with this, but i mean, one might question, you know, the timing that you're doing with this university. it sounds great. but isn't this part of the package of things that lot of mere putin is saying he doesn't want to have happen? may not be the university, but nato expansion further integration into a west. his concern that right on rushes border, you have an america and western tilting nation. how do you sort that out? yeah, well 1st i want to rephrase the way that you discussed this in your opening. i don't see this is a ton of war between russia and the westover ukraine. i think this is either supporting an independent ukraine. would you crane honestly the united states and europe, or trying to have a subordinate ukraine, one of the subordinate to moscow,

which is why president putin ones. so by supporting an independent ukraine, i don't think the total war, i think it's empowering ukrainians. and that's something that is afraid of because empower ukrainians who control their own government and build a prosperous democracy. this part of europe will then be an example to russians wonder why they can't be a prosperous democracy in part of europe. so i think that's the issue that rushes efforts to hold ukraine back versus a western effort to empower as to the timing. you're absolutely right. there is a chance that we're in the ukraine again, you did, so in 2014 took ukrainian territory. and his point with over 100000 forces to attack again. if he does that, he can certainly make major games and ukranian territory. but this is the whole point though. the ukraine is the country that will succeed. they'll succeed because they have a distinct,

strong national identity. there are people believe in democracy and the ability to choose or government. and they see themselves overwhelmingly and historically and today, part of europe, they don't want to be bored and brushed. and so i think in the long run, ukraine will prevail, and it's up to those of us or the west to make these investments to build these connections and to help them succeed. you know, i respect and asher boker kurt, we're friends, the way you frame this is a set of choices for ukraine, but there are a lot of geo strategic observers who see this as really the 1st major g o strategic test of president biden. and america, at this moment, under his stewardship, under his leadership, and that, what biden does one way or another, we'll have a lot more repercussions beyond ukraine. what do you think biden is getting right? what do you think he's getting wrong? well, i think 1st, i agree that this is a major strategic test,

but ukraine is the device. what is really trying to do is rewrite the security architecture in europe. if you remember after world war 2 and divided between the western sphere influence and russians here, influence from 975, i think he chords onward it was different. it was respect for every nation sovereignty and territorial integrity, non interference, internal affairs, non threats, and use of force in europe, changing borders by force, all these things that prevail for 50 years. but now i'm just trying to rewrite that . so i think 1st off we're biting is getting right, is rejecting russia effort to rewrite those rules. the answers to russia, demands to the united states and nato were delivered in moscow. we were very clear, no, not going to really european security moved. that way we will talk about arms control

. we will talk about transparency and confidence building measures. and we'll do it on a reciprocal basis with you that we are very happy to do. but we're now going was assigned to russia some sphere of influence that put you in charge of other countries. so that much is right. the part that i think could be stronger from the u. s. there's a couple of one of them that is ukraine need security assistance. now, if there's any way to prevent a rushing attack, it is for the russians to believe that the cost of that attack would be too high. i understand that we will not come to ukraine defense. they're not a member of nato. and it would put us in direct conflict with russia, but we should be doing much more and more rapidly to get arms to ukrainians, trainers to ukrainians advisors. maybe in the us forces line to help you cranes behind the line. if this were john mccain, we would have

a full scale training program up and running already for your grade that i think is something we should be doing. another thing that we are doing is sending some forces to eastern natal country so that they feel reassured and that's good. and then the final thing that i think that we could be doing is getting the message and right i, after i can't stand where there was a catastrophic withdrawal vine administration seem determined not to repeat any of that scenario at all. so russia does attack, we will have already told our citizens delete the problem that we're sending. the signal is now telling americans to leave ukraine and not go there at a time when everything here is normal and peaceful. and the president, ukraine is trying to keep calm and exercise confidence. and i think us should also be trying to project competence together with ukraine in the long run. we know the grand prevail in the long run. we already great friends,

we're not going to cut and run. and they get messaging is getting mangled at the moment. you know, kurt, you did a extraordinary interview with ryan, leave a political recently a podcast that i would highly commend our listeners to listen to was called a former nato ambassador gets inside putin's head. but in that you reminded me of something i had forgotten about, which is that the $100.00 the anniversary of the founding of the soviet union comes at the end of this year 2022. how is that a driver do you think for how pooty sees his role in history and in russian history and what he's trying to do? well, thanks for bringing that up. dave, and of course, ryan is the 2nd best interviewer in washington. the story is that the soviet union was founded on the remnants of the russian empire after the czarist collapse after one it was lasted for

a 100 years with the soviet union being founded in 1922 until today. and so 2022 will be the 100 anniversary. the founding union was a k g b officer in eastern germany. and i think he felt betrayed by gorbachev and by the leaders of the soviet union when the soviet union collapsed. and that the soviet union may be gone, but he, as russia leader is going to rebuild. the russian rating is and to restore a greater russia on the territory of the former soviet union. so he has to december 30 to this year to mark that hundreds anniversary. and if you look at what he's been doing over the last, i'd say 15 years or so, he has rebuild the russian military. he's. he's upgraded, renovated, the nuclear forces taken over parts of georgia, he's taking over crimea and parts of the grain. he has never gotten the scores in

the house. now with actively controlled security forces in bell rings. and recently it was able to take control and security forces in cars extent as well. this is quite a set of undertakings and i think didn't seize himself in the tradition of peter the great or catherine the great. as people who built rush built a greater russia, where was a powerful country respected in the world. and i think he sees himself as in that mode and, and this is the year for him to do. i understand why, you know, on myself, on why we might not deploy us forces or nato forces there. but we certainly have in other countries, you know, part of out of airy emissions is one of the big tasks that has kept nato alive and things beyond its borders. why wouldn't this classify as an adequate out of area emission given it, it, would it be another attempt after 2014, to redraw the lines and boundaries of a sovereign nation. right, so,

so many complicated things in your question, those be the 1st one. let's start with out of area emissions. that phrase came up. when we had the wars in bosnia brutal ethnic cleansing. and nato was saying, look, we're not obliged to defend anybody because they're not natal members. but then we were so called, at the end of the cleansing nato decided that it would, is your name to stop the killing. and then put in place a peacekeeping force under a un mandate. that how does ellen area concept up started around 2002 re can be ministerial meeting of nato and how it was our secretary of state. then they have to be there with them. and we did this concept because it's not about who you are defending. it's about where the french are coming from. and we don't control where the threat come from. they can come terence, as we were thinking after $911.00. they can come from russia and the former soviet union when it was the soviet union. but nowadays read and talking about cyber

attacks that come from anywhere or even possible threats from china. so there's, now the very concept is less poignant right now. but what we do face is natal members saying that, well, we're not obliged to defend ukraine. and if we try to do so, we will be in a direct conflict with russia. and that can escalate into a wider war, not only over ukraine, but over europe. generally. we don't want to be in a war with russia much find ways to try to manage this without directly defending ukraine. so that's the way that as more over time here to your question about the appeasement and it is this modern day version of appealing. and let's start with what hitler was doing. woodstock was doing and then think about what it means today. you had hitler claiming that there were germans living in other

countries and those germans should have be in germany. they should be car german, germany late in the place where all germans could live in adequate space for all germans. he then also said that he had security concerns over some of the neighbors, and then he signed a secret deal install to divide up poland. and this was a ribbon truck tag. so from 1939 to 941 and now come back to why i say 941 us hitler not only consolidate power in germany. takeover austria and take over the sedating land and then all of us will lock in. and then gang up with stalin to launch an invasion into poland and the central and eastern europe between the soviets and the nazi and then turn his attention to western europe. the us did not get involved in world war 2 until the

japanese attacked. pearl harbor in 1941 december 941. so there is a long time when chamberlain went in unique and said, okay, we'll give hitler this enable land and that'll be enough. and then they take the stock of the log in. that'll be enough. and the reality is if there's appetite grew with eating, and the fear is bad. having already built a greater stronger russia than before. taken territory so called reading from georgian from ukraine, including crimea and part of adult keeping dear tory, under his control. now expanding his reach and putting forces just this week and there is a fearing that okay, he is demanding more and more and then we saw us on december 17th, last year, 2021. he presented his demands to the us and nato. these were demand, no nato enlargement,

rowing back deployments of forces on to the territory of central and eastern european members of nato recognition if you will, the russians fear of in someone's know, a nuclear missile presence in europe. so everything you could think that would have been a wish to the soviet union back in the day on which to december. and which is again, up ending european security order of over 50 years. and the concern that people have it shouldn't be even entering into negotiations over this with russia or should we really know and putting in place capacities to make it clear that the cost to russia of just trying to impose that kind of orders would be too high and that's where i think making sure we do the ladder put in place the capacities to show content that you can't just do it on his own, would be necessary to avoid any kind of modern day appeasement. i think that

history is really important to understand because, you know, i think it sits in the, in the, you know, the minds of many americans and europeans watching this, looking at his history, going to repeat itself or how do you avoid it. but there's another dimension here which also plays eerily back to the past, which is in your party. i can tell for our post. you are a known republican, but there's a split in the republican party that's, you know, very overt where, where even some senators, almost sound as if they're rooting for the russian side of this. but ad minimum of the lesser side. some are saying, this is not our conflict. we should not be picking a fight with russia over ukraine. ukraine doesn't matter. and so i'm interested in what the dynamics because that sounds to me like a kind of isolationism, which was also part of the 1930 equations. that's exactly right. that's exactly right. and i think you put your finger on it. there are voices in there looking

party that adopt that there are also more traditional pro national security, proactive voices in the party that are speaking out. and so this year both on both sides. i would also say here in democratic side as well. so more, more proactive and pushing national security and others are saying, you know, we have no dog in that fine and it's over there. and we want to focus on other progress of domestic issues here at home instead. so you get it on both sides and i do think it runs the risk of being a new type of isolationism, where the absence of the us in the world or the absence of us leadership creates a vacuum. that the worst actors exploiting. first, we recently talked to journalist ca t martin about her book about chancellor angle americal, and about previous times where miracle played such a vital role in managing putin because barack obama didn't want to. what is her absence today? mean is europe playing the role? it should, does angle of miracles,

departure from her role matter in the current equation is put and seeing that as an opportunity. what's your view on the kind of the western european dimension of this? yeah, this is an immensely complicated question as well. and kathy understands so well. she, a little girl, was in budapest and spend time living in the u. s. embassy before the family able to get out of the country because of the rushing matches. and after the 1956 revolution, she understands exactly the kind of failure to respond when the, when the soviets are on the move concerning western europe. cancel miracle played a role kind of have to appreciate it, but also pick about was it enough? she can europe on track united with sanctions against russia because of their earlier invasion of ukraine and occupation of crimea and don't. so she refused to allow you sanctions to be relaxed,

even though there are countries in the pushing for that. at the same time, she was tremendously committed to not confronting russia in any way to any kind of military pushback or security push back on russia and always seem to engage food. and we had the girl back. that was not her intent. but it meant that all the pressure was put on you brushing gets past even though they're the ones doing the attacking, occupying, and everyone says, you can't do more. can't you reach out to the people in the can you implement in minsk agreements, even though you don't control the territory anymore? oppression of moral equivalence. even the one was in the grocer and one was a victim with her movie on it. we've seen a further dynamic b, s p, d, social credit party and germany. now i read position was a chance for shit. you'll remember that it was chancellor schroeder, the last s p

d gen or germany before merrill and when he left, where did he? he was hired by last year, 2 chairs and ord stream consortium, and is in charge of this nor stream to project so controversial and europe today, right? so the s p d is now leading the chancery in germany and has a desire not to put this on the table or to confront russian that is making germany's position look weak, probably making it won't be even weaker than it really here. so they have been taking some steps including promising that all the actions are potentially on the table. then you press my call and going into an election the spring. he wants to increase his profile as a negotiator, he's been talking to him directly. they reconvene the norman, the format negotiations, ukraine, marsh and germany. he is looking to position himself individually, uniquely,

to help as reelection cop prospects bars. johnson was just here in ukraine. the other day is pushing up the u. k. image as an independent actor. now after breakfast and then you have which like germany has a lot of us and you can interest with russia and would rather see if there's not some kind of a combination that can be made. so you're really under the surface, reasonably divided over what to do about russia and ukraine and in a much weaker position than it was. america was chancellor. by the way, that explains a little bit some good timing. it's not just the history of the soviet union as being a 100 anniversary year. it's all over that we face a transition in germany, maybe a week or germany. we faced divided your with the parents that we use in us after afghanistan, ryan, and the fact that in the long run and ukraine will end up being a stronger country over time. so you may think it now now the best time,

but let me just get one last question about a minute left per. and that is you've said in an interview that you thought there's a possibility that vladimir putin might invade a limited territory in the north. the south and east, and so my question is, will, if that were to happen, will we find ourselves then accommodating to ukraine's? i think it is more likely that he would try to take us out on the east, although he might have made from the north as well just to create multiple fronts. but i think that is more likely than a full scale invasion, drawing to take the whole country or even keep and i think i wouldn't call it to ukraine's what i'd say is we haven't occupied a free ukraine, which i would hope that the west would embrace fully if that were to happen, and then we have an occupied part in ukraine, then we'll probably remain occupied as long as to the president of russia,

which may be a long time. but i don't think that last forever. well, thank you so much, kurt volker, former us, ambassador nato and former special representative ukraine. now co founder of the american university. and thanks so much for being with us today. ben, you see in the struggle over ukraine. here's the test for president joe biden. is he going to be a realist and kind of deal recognizing that ukraine is just the wrong cause to spill american prestige and blood over where he could be an idealist who believes in standing up for ukraine sovereignty and its freedom of choice. and at no cost is too great to bear, but these universal standards of decency and international order. it's a really tough call. both come with great cost. there is no easy way out of this conflict. russia has the ambition and it's willing to take risks. and americans fatigued from 20 plus years of worth. and there's just little popular support in america today to defend a far away nation until biden decides what his strategic game plan is in the world

. russia and china can easily make america look weak and indecisive. and that's the bottom line, ah, for quite a few decades casa, has been dealing with political and economic turmoil. and its people struggle to access essential needs, like adequate quantities of potable water, a sufficient number of beds for pregnant mothers, and limited access to up to date information for students. and in the has the, the ground water is not sufficient to meet the daily needs of all of its residents . this led to the development of the new water treatment facility and han eunice slowing down further pollution. the extension of, as if, as medical facilities was accomplished to provide expectant mothers with

a safe and reliable opportunity to get the care they needed. the kuwait library at the university college of science and technology is not only a repository of knowledge but an access point to the world beyond. lou hello again, peter w. w. top stories on al jazeera, the pakistani army has strongly condemned an attack on it. soldiers was killed at least 5 troops. they were shot out from across the border in afghanistan by pakistani taliban fighters come all hider has more from islam about bread. first of all, the bugger, darney or potter dig. i've informed the interim government and i wanted on that day i had given a commitment that i've won thorough, we're really not billed for