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hello, i'm emily ang, winning auto headquarters. these are the top stories on al jazeera. we begin with breaking news out of ukraine. the mayor of cave has confirmed they have been several large explosions in the center of the city. it's bringing worried challenge, who's in the ukrainian capital, rory. what more can you tell us? hi, emily. these were multiple strikes the place not very long ago. the most half an hour ago. the damage the casualties still being assessed at the moment, but some time ago there were a number of loud explosions around the city. it seems that the downtown area will ship jenko was hit, baton eclipse goes, the mayor of has that, that that's the area that some of the explosions took place and that is

a university area. it's where government buildings. i've just seen a video on social media showing burning cars. nobody's. i've seen yet, but it looks as if there are certainly casualties the. there are other areas other cities in here that have been hit overnight and this morning we strike zones in the pro and we know of strikes owns the ratio which has been hit multiple times over the last few days. now ukrainians are in no doubt that say this optic in miss l. strikes is retaliation wrong. but let me put in for that strike on the couch bridge in crimea just a day or 2 ago here as the capital city has been pretty unscathed, by missile strikes for months. now, a lot, it's been a long time since the last strikes here. so much so that's when the air raid sirens go off these days, people bad bat, an eyelid,

they go about their daily business. i think this will change that the cities authorities are saying that there is still a danger of more strikes and that people should stay inside air right shelters and not go out on the streets or i worry, thank you very much for the update. and no doubt will cross back to you throughout the day. worry, challenge live for us to in the capital cave. and as we heard from our correspondent, president of letting me put in, it's called the blast on that bridge connecting crimea to russia. a terrorist act food in his blames ukraine, special services. the coach bridge supplies moscow's troops in southern ukraine and is seen as a symbol of russian power in the region. cave has not claimed responsibility. there is no doubt. this is an act of terrorism. i am destroying russia's critical civilian infrastructure. its authors, perpetrators and beneficiaries other security services of ukraine. north korea, as late as says if light is miss out launches were

a way to test the ability of nuclear weapons to wipe out us and south korea targets . kim jong own. also acknowledge plans to conduct more of the tests came said the launches were in response to joint naval drills between washington and so from mcbride has moved. stung, clear. just how advanced the north koreans are in developing tactical nuclear warheads. but certainly they are working on the delivery systems for these types of warheads, and they've also, as well as carrying out to assure to range ballistic missiles. probably the most serious development of the past couple of weeks was last last week on october. the 4th, they launched an intermediate range ballistic missile right over the top of japan that landed in the pacific ocean. protest is interlink or a condemning and violent crack. down on a demonstration, the capital colombo, at least 6 people have been arrested after security forces told protest this,

they couldn't assemble. a landslide and venezuela has killed at least 22 people and more than 50 a missing torrential rain swept tray trunks and debris from surrounding mountains in the community of terra harris. the area received a months worth of rain interest 8 hours and dozens of feed dead after a boat capsized in nigeria, it was carrying 85 people when it was swamped by 5 borders in a number of states 15 others have been rescued. those are the headlines. i'm emily angry. the news continues here on out his era to the bottom line. ah, i am steve clements and i have a question. who is winning the war and ukraine? let's get to the bottom line. ah, the ukraine war is no ordinary territorial dispute between neighbors. as

a wise man said recently, this is going to shape the rest of the 21st century. if russia loses or doesn't get what it once it's going to be a different rush afterward. and if russia wins, it's going to be a different europe afterward. the stakes really couldn't be higher. so what's going on in vladimir putin's mind right now? western media paint him as a leader forced into a corner facing military setbacks and getting more and more frustrated and desperate. how accurate is that? last week we got the view from washington, and today we're getting the view from moscow. we're talking with andre cartoon off the director general of the russian international affairs council. he's one of the country's leading experts in russian foreign policy and international relations. andre, it's great to be with you and talking with you right now on such a sober issue. let me just ask you from our perceptions in washington, and one of the things i want to get into today is how, what we're seeing in washington we're think we're seeing in washington, may in fact not align with how things look promising chow. but as we've seen,

a new phase in the conflict between russia and ukraine are basically develop now, what is the dashboard from your perspective in, in moscow? well, i think that it would be fair to say that there have been 2 major developments or recently the 1st of on our was of course are the decision of the president confirmed by the russian parliament to incorporate the for euclidean regents into the russian federation. and are the 2nd one a was. busy to launch showed these are partial mobilization. are we, she's an indicator that the special mentally operation needs some kind of adjustments that are, are, it doesn't bring the results that are the rational leadership bar, was anticipating to get her. so i think that are these 2 developments, sir, will have at least 2 or 3 major implications are,

are for the situation are in this conflict. first of all, i think it's now fair to say that any political, a settlement between russia and ukraine is old out, at least for the foreseeable future. because you cannot imagine the you kenyan leadership are willing to agree to a major loss of its territory, especially now when i, ukraine, allegedly has this strategic initiative. oh, it doesn't mean that we will have no negotiations are between the osh and ukraine. or there might be negotiations on technical law, situational issues. so for instance, so some agreements or not prisoners exchanger, there might be. busy are extensions are offered the grain deal because these grain deal expires in november, or it has to be extended further. or there might be some consultation saw on the

safety of these up asia nuclear power plant. are maybe some other agreements are, but i don't think that are the opinion, said di, either a deal willing or to get her back her to discuss a political settlement of with doesn't put in and this is what our cousins announced. he has already stated quite clearly of that i, he is added to negotiate with russia, but not with booted. so that's the 1st or implication of what are has happened. the 2nd implication is that a given the fact that her asa has announced this partial mobilization. i and her, the odds are that i in a couple of weeks from now a may be in a month, may be in 2 months from now. they'll be a major. he enforcement, sir. i get into the frontline. ah, it would be logical for ukraine to try a to are used the window help, but unity that they still have are in order to make

a significant advances on the ground as possible. and this is what we already see a within a couple of days or ukrainians or what time to push harder. both are in don't bus and the in the south are the messages that we get to here are mixed. busy or of course of the russian military commander claims the to most of the you canyon are counter offensives, failed, but this is yet to be seen. but it's clear that we will see, unfortunately another cycle of escalation. and we don't know how long this cycle of escalation will last for. and finally, i think that definitely ah, you cleaned, we'll try to use these decisions or by the cabin in order to seek. busy support from the west and are, are the with the you can leadership has already,

arden made a beat shot to join nato. i think are, these are pitched, met, or a mixed her own action in the west, but nevertheless, they expect to get more military assistance. so are more intelligent support, more supporting training or personnel. i end up more economic support. so unfortunately, i don't see any light in the end of the tunnel right now. i'm afraid of that things are likely to get worse before they can get any better. how much pain and stress is being felt by moscow right now over their decisions on ukraine? well, it's also something that has changed dramatically. because ah, i think earlier of, for most people living in most good was almost like a computer game. ah, in the sense that this conflict was far and far away, of course, ugh, la moskowitz, or of felt some pain, but these are being,

was felt primarily by the moscow middle class of people who go to of, in a vesting dks. so or a supermarket, a fast food chains are definitely are, are these out primarily young, urban professionals. i and they felt unhappy about the adjuster minority. they're not up bog. oh, they're not the bulk of the russian society i. and are those people who are lever in small town sore in hurley areas? i in various national republic, sir, in the russian federation. they didn't turn field. this vain significantly are or i, maryland because they do not consume while foreign made goods. they don't go shopping or to lessen type moles. and now of course it is different because these

so partial mold mobilization is something that affects all the regions and died can affect to any family in the county. not surprisingly was so, so many people who tried to leave the country, we don't know how many of them, but clearly a, these are large numbers, may be hundreds of solvents or people trying to escape this mobilization. i, again, i don't think that all of that constitutes an immediate to chillen shot to the russian literacy tip are but definitely a of this is something that the leadership should keep in mind. why plannin, ah, other actions that might lead to, to further collision? you know, we recently did a show here on the bottom line with nuclear experts, corey shockey from the american enterprise institute, and john wolfol, who is involved with nuclear alarms control issues in the obama administration. and they were both rather measured about some of the discussion of a potential use of

a tactical nuclear warhead device in this battle. but i'm just sort of interested in not whether president putin would make that decision to recall. but whether or not the consequences of that decision are understood by russian national security elite and what, what rubicon, that would mean that you would be going over? well this is one of the issues we sure are really are concerned me a lot because i cannot tar ah describe what's going on in the kremlin. i do not know. ah, but are i yar? observe for the in the public discourse. are there is a more and more ah intention or at least to readiness to accept a nuclear war. and they said that, well, you know, nuclear war is bad, but if it is controlled, if we're talking about the use of fall tactical,

a low yielded nuclear weapons, probably this is not the end of the rule to a under this assumption are which are, is affordable i consider such discussions and such positions to be are very dangerous because of course our wants to embark on this road. it is extremely difficult to stop even if it is a low yield, even if it is just a demonstration use of nuclear weapons. somewhere in the black sea region or in the baltic sea region, but it might lead to an inadvertent escalation. and of course a, in the end of the day, it might lead to as a teacher, nuclear exchange or with all the are implications there to the 6 chain chart might bring are. so are it is dangerous. i think that of course, it is also clear that all nuclear powers preserve

a degree of ambiguity about their music. nuclear strategies they do, you do not want to be too explicit about the circumstances under which year you might be ready to use nuclear weapons. but i think that a, it would be in everybody's interest to just to exclude of the nuclear dimension from these conflict. he and i, i think that any news, any of nuclear weapons in this conflict, or will be detrimental to everybody engaged so that i should be avoided. and i think that everybody should direct confirmed the statement that was made early this year. i think engendered it by the a prominent members of the united nations security council that to you cannot or when in the nuclear war. and that's why you should not start a nuclear war. ah, one of the interests that i think a lot of us have in the west that are watching this is say, how did we get here?

why did russia are invade ukraine? what was the, essentially the driver of this moment? is there a perception that flirting with ukraine, with regards to nato, helped draw russia into it's next vietnam? whoa, i think the, to the official narrative here is that it is not really a war between russia and a crane. it's a conflict between russia and the west are, are many officials. so in this city argued that your cleaner is not an independent actor. ukraine exists on that live support system provided by the west. and the perception is that the ukraine would have been defeated. would have her capitulated long time ago if not for the western assistance or so. i think the perception here he under this is the narrative which was presented by the prussian

leadership. that of the west term has been anti russian for a very long time that the wester would like her if not to, to completely destroy russia than to weaken it. to the extent that russia would cease to be an independent blair in international relations. and ukraine is just a tool in the capable camps or western politicians. so lisa, so the narrative, which is presented by the russian leadership, do you still agree with that? and essentially what we're seeing now are the aftershocks of many decades later of that soviet empire that soviet space kill it still coming undone. yeah, thank you for reminding me of my are they pray? indeed, i made a point, and i, i still believe that ah, defacto,

the soviet union did not to disintegrate. beckon 19 night. you won. or because of though the 15 constituent republics declared their independence and started working on their state hoods. but it was a very long and precarious process and are for a long period of time up of the former bits and pieces of the soviet union. the state together in terms of the economic or transportation for structure or in term saw or fall logistics. sir, in tom saw all 4 of the perceptions and mentality are only grad jojo. we a sore or real disengagement. i iananda. ah, that's why it was so easy to decide the soviet union. nobody really cared that much about to these decisions because so many people thought that nothing would change

that up. they would simply, you know, the status of this independence and our life. i would go on a bud gradually. weaver observed to the, to various countries. so, half a developed a very different to development projectors. and i, if you compare for instance, russian, you king, you see that the, these 2 pots of the former soviet union, which constituted the core of the soviet union, ah, gradually started diverging from each other. or maybe it was so because so they inherited to do for him to legacies ah, of the soviet union maybe because they go different leaders of but definitely ukraine of was so move in are in the direction of western liberals. are models not always so consistently. i was some setbacks, e and even now you could

a now are kinda hard to be qualified as a mature democracy. but to russia started moving away from liberal bottles. iananda, we've seen a very clear strategic disengagement between russia. busy and ukraine always, you of course, contributed a lot of to these conflict. i'm very interested andre in how your friends and colleagues in the international affairs circuit are viewing the solvency of the u. s. relationships inside nato. you know, i, you and i have attended some of the same conferences we see, ah, you know, kind of celebration if you will, of nato again in light of responding after rushes invasion of ukraine. but at the same time, under their breath, those leaders in europe will say, we saw january 6th things were different under president trump. we know that america is not as dependable in ally as it once might have been, at least that's their calculation. and i'm interested in whether that is seen as an

opportunity in moscow or a sign of crumbling american influence as compared to a sending american influence. well, let me said that up or within the expert community at least a nobody question. so the factor that we observe law and enhanced a western cohesion that the. busy of the lesta has managed to unite itself, ah, partially, ah, due to efforts of present biden, about posture, leah, to the decisions meda in europe and also in east asia. and the main discussion that we have here is about whether these son, you, cohesion, are, is situational. or something we shaw was triggered primarily a by your office actions in ukraine and something which is limited to russia. only

a something that might and, ah, if of the a conflict is result or if the conflict of is frozen or are either we should go, ah, look at these caucasian as a, a strategic shift. something that will go beyond russia, something which will affect a western attitudes to china up to the global south and something that would last. busy of were at least a couple of years because a dependent on whether these cohesion, ah, that is tactical or strategic. or we might have found that a different project. it has saw all flaw the global or the development. ah and are some said that in 2 years from now i may be in the united states, you will have another donald trump i and that will be the into all the west the unity addis would said that i it's not about personalities. bud. the west is

concerned, not only about russia, it is concerned about to their eyes of china. so these cohesion i is the or tuesday . so this is the discussions that we have for in moscow. unfortunately, it is more difficult right now to share all use with our colleagues in europe and the united states about to hook up the after i and to do our best to stay in touch . i'm interested in whether the change in leadership that a lot of people in the west become obsessed with that this is all putin isn't your assessment. that that is an accurate analysis. that any one, not any one, but that from the, from the available potentials around russian leadership. that if there were to be someone there, does this system does the scaffolding a round russian decision making right now have more to do with russia's course than one individual go personal. it is do matter. i don't think that we should a limit to the, the problems between the russia and the west

o to personnel. it is only, i think, co, unfortunately. oh, they are more serious than just a issue. so particular leaders and let me just ask you finally andre, as we often discuss the west and russia in this situation in a silo. there are other big powers in the world. china, india, others that have basically straddled the relationships. and in particular, i'd be interested in your perception of china's choices right now. um and how china could play a role either a pro, from russia's perspective, anti, or stay somewhere in between. i think that china takes a very cautious position in these conflict. her definitely would like her to support our russia against nater and against the united states in particular because aid has its own problems with the washington d. c. i n dot rush is a natural partner for china in this confrontation. ah, well are,

i'm not sure that china is ready to support russia gates ukraine, or because so china has its own problems of separatism. it doesn't like separatism . ah, it has never recognized her the changed legal status of the crimean business to law . i it, there are other confirms it's supporter of the territorial integrity and independence of ukraine. oh, so it is not ready to support our moscow against keith. on top of that. busy we should not forget that our chinese concerned about secondary sanctions, at least the chinese private sector are, is not a good idea to, ah, explicitly. ah, why later the e u m, the eat he the united states, sir, ah. busy restrictions are in tate, i it days are also are in our country

a has its own agenda or so i think that to china will continue to be very cautious . ah, without tar ah, i breakin from her shock and die. it will abstain in the united nations, or it will definitely support russia in terms of for buying more russian oil and gas or butter. right. it is not likely to go against a ukraine in an explicit way. but just to responded to your question and that will be my last pointer. i think that if you put aside are, these are very a said i and read a tragic conflict or with your cane or the real challenge there. tiasha has a, is not a choice between the west and china, or it's a choice or a between the, ah, what i would call our cell in self inflicted isolation. these am,

i enter an integration. realism of the question is not to choose between the east and the west, or between the european union, the, and the east asia. the question is whether russia is willing to integrate into a broad, international community or through us, or to stay outside of this community. and this is, i think, a fundamental choice that the country it has to make. well, that's a very stark i and, and well articulated fork in the road. andre cartoon off director general of the russian international affairs council in moscow. thank you so much for being with us today and thank you for your candor. thank you. so what's the bottom line? war is not just about the battlefield. perceptions of struggle of success loss ambition. psychological warfare play a huge role in the west. recent ukrainian advances have been taken to mean that russia is losing badly. so moscow might as well recognize this and give up. but it's that really how moscow sees it. another problem that's blocking us from

piercing through the fog of war is the emphasis on the cult of personality. we're personalizing the issue as if latimer putting is the only problem. sure putin is in control of his country and government. but even if it were someone else would, the next russian leader have invaded ukraine, much like now justified by claims that it was vital for russia's national security in the west. we tend to mirror image thinking other nations will think and act like we do. but the truth is that putting doesn't see the world, the same as joe biden, and biden doesn't see the world the same as the landscape regardless of how and when this war ends. it won't be pretty because war almost never brings about clear cut solution to these conflicts of interest. and that's the bottom line. ah, in these turbulent times, up front returns for a new season. join me, mark them on hill as we take on the big issues. they are literally being turned

back. how is this not a contravention of international law? this is exactly the place for us to interrogate people about issue that matter from the state of democracy around the world to the struggles faced by the under represented. those voices have to be brought to the table. they have the matter. we have to start to talk about the see here. we will challenge the conventional wisdom up front. on al jazeera, there's a wave of sentiment around the world. people not, she won't accountability from the people who are running their countries. and i think often people's voice is not heard because it's not part of the mainstream news market. obviously we cover the big stories and we report from the big events that are going on. but we'll say 10 of the stories of people generally don't have a voice. i remember when i was a child that we never be afraid to put your hand up and ask a question. and i think that's what obviously we're really does. we ask the questions to people who should be accountable and also we get people to give their view of what's going on with.