this is bbc news. the headlines: a member of an isis terror cell has beenjailed for life after being convicted for his role in the murder of western hostages in syria. el shafee elsheikh was part of a group involved in torturing, beating and executing prisoners. russia has rejected pleas for a complete demilitarisation around ukraine's zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, saying it would make the site more vulnerable. the un secretary general has called for an end to military operations nearby. the finnish prime minister says she's taken a drug test to prove she has never used illegal substances, after footage emerged of her partying with friends. sanna marin said her ability to perform her duties was not impaired. in a show of solidarity for salman rushdie, authors have been gathering in new york to demonstrate their support, a week

after he was attacked. at ten o'clock, clive myrie will be here with a full round—up of the day's news. first, it's hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. and this is riga, the capital of the small baltic state of latvia, which was liberated from moscow's rule some three decades ago, and which is now braced for a new era of confrontation with russia. vladimir putin's invasion of ukraine reminded latvians of the russian threat. it also stoked internal tensions — because a quarter of latvia's population is ethnic russian, and this country relies heavily on russian gas supplies. well, my guest today

is latvia's prime minister, kristjanis karins. just how vulnerable is latvia? prime minister kristjanis karins, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. vladimir putin's invasion of ukraine happened six months ago. right now, here in latvia, has that war raised the level of fear to new heights? what the war has done has raised the level of mobilisation. so the first effect was the mobilisation from the grassroots, people rallying to the support of ukraine citizens, ordinary people coming together, asking, "what can we do to help ukraine?" and we've had a mass

outpouring of... we have communities making camouflage nets, we have people providing medications, companies donating all sorts of vehicles, donating all sorts of humanitarian aid, blankets, you name it, that has been going on. people donating cash — and not very wealthy people, ordinary people. so we've had a massive mobilisation of society, because we here in latvia very well understand that the ukrainians are, in a sense, fighting our war. they are fighting against russian imperialism. right now, it happens to be in ukraine, it could just as well be anywhere else around russia's periphery. and that's precisely why i use the word "fear" — maybe fear and insecurity. because i'm mindful thatjust a month before the invasion, you said that, in your opinion, a war between russia and nato�*s was, quote, "unthinkable". have you had second thoughts about that? i still don't see that

happening right now. remember, latvia — we have always been next to russia. we have been countering their military aggression in one form or another since the late 1400s — so that's about 600 years of experience. to rattle a latvian is rather difficult because it's nothing new. but what is new is that now, we are part of the eu, and part of the nato military alliance. we are not alone. yeah, i mean, you're ramping up defense spending. you currently have an army and national guard force of some 7,500 personnel. even if you ramp it up to 10—12,000, it'll look pretty small, given that the russian bear is right next door. you are incredibly dependent, are you not, on nato putting new forces onto your territory? first off, our total military forces are actually larger when you take in the national guard.

but regardless of that, again, latvia is not alone. first of all, you have to look at all three baltic countries together, and then, you have to look at the baltic countries as part of the nato alliance. we have an enhanced forward presence of nato here for the past five years. and our nato partners, just as we are ramping up our defence spending and our capabilities, our nato partners are doing the same. so we are all interdependent upon one another, but we are investing, you know, pound for pound, the equivalent or more than most of our... but there's a bind here, isn't there? because the more you invite nato�*s forces to expand their presence here — and i believe that of all three baltic states, you now will have the largest deployment of nato forces on your territory — the more you do that, the more the russians talk of provocation. 2athjune, sergei lavrov, foreign minister, said, "the eu and nato are gathering a coalition for war

with the russian federation. we are going to look at this very carefully." does that russian language give you pause? look, russia is waging a war in ukraine. nato is not waging a war against anyone. the way to provoke russia — and this history shows that we've been arguing this for many, many years — weakness provokes russia. russia made a miscalculation that ukraine was easy, that ukraine was weak, and that provoked their military aggression, their war. the way to counter russia is through strength. we've learned this from many, many years of experience — the russians only respond to strength, they only respect strength. so we must, as democracies, as europe, as a whole, and as nato, not be afraid to be strong. so why haven't so many of your partners in the eu and nato not learned the same lesson that you've just described to me? france and germany, for example, italy, as well, spent less than 0.1% of their gdp

on assistance to ukraine. you've spent close to 0.8—0.9%, you and estonia, right up there — france, germany, italy, nowhere. we've donated, what is today, more than a third of our military budget. it's extraordinary. and we're continuing. you've just sent howitzers, you've just sent military helicopters. yes. my point is exactly that — you are doing so much. partners like germany, france and italy, by the same standard, doing so little. well, someone has to lead in any situation. one can also lead by example, if not by sheer size of the economy. we in the baltics, we are leading by example. great britain is very active in this, the united states is very active, canada — other nato partners are ramping up. i would want them to ramp up more. let's turn this ramp this up a little bit and just ask how sustainable your commitment is.

you are overseeing a very fragile economy right now. you've barely recovered in terms of gdp from the financial crash of 2008. you've since had covid, your inflation rate, according to last month's figures, is running at around 20% worse in food and energy. latvia is in no position to continue and sustain the sort of mobilisation that you've just described to me. i don't agree with that. our economy is continuing to grow. the central bank, the ministry of economy, have increased the projected gdp growth this year from 2.1 to 2.8%. we're actually growing faster based upon our exports, we have a fantastic economy, it's very diverse, it's able to... do you think the latvian people feel that right now? i mean, i've been out on the streets — people are talking about crazy rates of inflation in energy and food prices. right now, we are experiencing high prices in energy and food. throughout europe, we're experiencing this. 0ur relative rates of

inflation are also higher. because we're not such a wealthy nation, we spend a bigger proportion of our salaries on food and energy. but these prices are not going up because of our own internal disbalances. they're going up because of the war. and we're already seeing worldwide, the markets have adjusted to the price of oil — that's decreasing, so the petrol prices are going down. well, the biggest problem you've got is gas. and i would put it to you that your achilles�* heel in all of this is your reliance on russian gas. let's start by perhaps you acknowledging that over years, your government and previous governments made a massive mistake in continuing the almost complete dependence on russian gas. well, looking back, yes. in 1997, the government at the time took a decision for a 20—year monopoly for gazprom in our country. and it was only in 2017 where we actually could start to rethink our energy policy. sure, but you've been in powerfor, what, the best part of four years —

you've done nothing really to address that. not true — we have our biggest infrastructural asset in the energy field is an underground storage facility in latvia, which can hold about two years of our own supply. from 1997, that has been under the control of gazprom. my government now has taken a majority stake control, gazprom is completely out, we have a japanese company as a minority investor. we took over our main energy asset. last year, we were 90% russian gas—dependent. 2023, we will be 0% gas dependent. well, hang on, let me stop you there, you say by 2023 — something strange is happening with regard to gas in latvia, because at the very end ofjuly, gazprom announced that they were ceasing all supplies to a whole bunch of countries, including latvia. 0nly five days later, it was reliably reported here that latvia, once again, was indeed receiving russian gas. so are you weaning yourself

completely off russian gas right now, or not? yes — the majority of our supplies are coming from a liquefied natural gas facility in lithuania. 0ur companies, other traders are pumping gas from lithuania into latvia. but my question is quite simple — are you still taking in russian gas? there are traders who are taking in russian gas into the latvian underground storage facilities. the relative volumes to lithuanian gas are very small, and there is already a law in parliament that, as of january one, you will not be able to continue. yeah, but i'm not really interested injanuary one right now, i'm interested in the current situation. estonia, lithuania are not receiving russian gas — you are. many people here believe that's because you've done a deal to pay, for the moment, for russian gas in roubles, have you? no, we cannot. it would be violating all sanctions. as a matter of fact, one of the traders which is

buying gas from russia — i don't know how they're doing it, maybe through an offshore... you don't know how they're doing it? surely you must know how they're doing it, you're the prime minister! ..is an estonian company, an estonian company is also purchasing... but you are the prime minister. you oversee a government which is committed to maintaining sanctions on russia. you say you are going to stop using russian gas. but at the same time, you acknowledge that you're still receiving russian gas — how can this be? because the law is passed that we will not, and you cannot receive russian gas afterjanuary one. you currently cannot pay for any russian gas in roubles, and no company is doing that. we also have a financial sector which is making sure no rouble payments are being made. there are traders who are finding a different way through, apparently offshore companies that are still having some... and you haven't stopped them? we have not stopped them because the law says — and that's passed by parliament, not the government —

the law says january one. there are other ways around this, aren't there? you could continue to take gas from hungary. hungary is, as it's made it clear, going to continue to receive energy supplies from russia. so that would, in effect, be taking gas from russia. you could also get your electricity from belarus, which again means you're probably getting electricity from russia. so, for all of your words about maintaining a strict sanctions regime, it seems you reserve the right in latvia to get around sanctions. no, you're misunderstanding me. first of all, from hungary, we physically cannot get gas supplies because we don't have the routes. we have a unified market from finland — finland, estonia, latvia, lithuania, and poland are now all united into it through interconnectors in one market. this market has historically been fully supplied by gas from russia. lithuania has one liquefied natural gas import terminal.

estonia and finland are in the process of putting up a second terminal — and my country is in the process of also building an lng offshore facility that would pump gas directly into the underground storage facility in latvia. we have put the legislation in place that, as of january one, no company will be able to import any gas from russia, and we have the ability to oversee that that's implemented, because the underground storage facility is government—controlled. so we have full information on where the gas is coming from, which would shut off any supplies that would try to come from russia. 0k, well, let me stop you there. winter is coming. you say by january first, you will get no gas whatsoeverfrom russia, even by third—party sources. so, what's going to happen here in latvia? we currently have, according to known supplies underground and known contracts that have already been signed with gas coming from lithuania, we have enough gas for our own needs.

are you sure? what if it's a really harsh winter? again, based upon historical usage, we have enough gas underground or under contract to be underground, coming through lithuania to last throughout the entire heating season. do you think that europe generally is prepared to accept the pain necessary to really inflict economic pain on russia, through energy supplies and a whole host of other sanctions, too? yes, and i think this is what's surprised many probably in europe, but i think especially in the kremlin — that the response from the west as a whole, europe, nato, has been surprisingly a united response. we have not drifted apart — if anything, we've actually pulled ourselves much more together. visas for russian citizens wanting to enter the eu. let me just be clear

about your position — are you now, in latvia, giving no visas to russians, allowing no russians to enter latvia? since 24th february, we stopped issuing all tourist visas to russian citizens, and we only issue on an exceptional basis, i think what you call humanitarian visas. there are some who have received that permit, but the general rule is no visas. the german chancellor scholz says that's a fundamental mistake. he says, "this is not a war on the russian people. it is putin's war. it is important for us to understand there are a lot of people fleeing from russia because they fundamentally disagree with the russian regime." you really want to lock them out of getting a safe haven in latvia? once again, it's important to distinguish a tourist visa from a humanitarian visa. we are accepting, on an exceptional basis, russian citizens who are indeed fleeing the putin regime. we have, in latvia, we're actually hosting many news services, russian edition, including

the bbc�*s, and many others — the former independent russian media, which is banned in moscow, is alive in latvia and reporting back into russia. so, of course, you always find a way to let that which would be termed a humanitarian issue — but this is a topic that we will be discussing in europe. we've not yet discussed it. the thing is, it's an extraordinarily sensitive topic here in latvia — not least because 25% or more of your population is self—identified as ethnic russian, speaks russian as their first language, not latvian. this matters enormously to that russian population. are you offering, for example, no future temporary resident visas for russians in latvia? because your community of ethnic russians wants to know whether you are now saying "no more temporary resident visas". again, we have a large ethnic russian community in latvia,

most of whom are latvian citizens, and none of this applies to them at all. what we will be stopping, or reversing the policy of the temporary residency permits, which the country has granted over the years — every five years, if you have such a permit, it can come up for re—evaluation. and the default process has been, it's ok unless there is a problem. and we're now simply changing it to, the default is "no," unless there is an exceptional reason to say "yes". so when the russian government accuses latvia of treating ethnic russians, russian language speakers in this country as second—class citizens, they have most certainly got a point, doesn't they? no, i'm maybe not expressing myself clearly. the latvians who live in latvia are mostly latvian citizens. well, you say mostly — there are pretty much 200,000 latvian residents of russian or, let's say, soviet origin who have a passport which, on the cover of the passport, describes them as "aliens". there are fundamental rights these

people do not enjoy, including the right to vote. what kind of democracy are you? this is actually the only right they don't have. and we have had an open doorfor 30 years for these people to naturalise and accept latvian nationality citizenship. so you're telling them that they have to take notjust a language, but a sort of ideology test before you are prepared to offer them full citizenship, even though they have lived here for many decades? the choice to become a citizen or a non—citizen is an individual choice. my government and all previous governments have held an open door. and our government is actually no different from other countries. every country has a barfor citizenship. no country allows, you know, without a basis, and the process in some countries is actually quite, quite difficult. but a self—confident democracy would surely not undertake some of the measures

you have recently taken. that is, refusing any notion that russia should be an official language, that is telling high school students that they cannot use russian in high school, ensuring that all publicly—funded media does not use russian. these do not look like the actions of a confident, stable latvia. that may be your opinion, it certainly is not mine. latvia is a very confident nation, and all we have done is something that all of the european countries do as a default. if you grow up in sweden, you will learn swedish in school, you become integrated into society — keeping your own ethnic identity, whatever that may be... but i'm talking about... it's an important integrator. in germany, everyone grows up and learns german in school. in latvia, we're moving simply because the same... symbols are important and they certainly interpreted in moscow. when you have 19—year—old kids being arrested because they waved a russian flag at a soviet war

memorial on the day that russians celebrate liberation from the nazis, does that look like an open, tolerant, confident latvia? and when you say you're going to "tear down every soviet war memorial", what kind of symbolic message does that send? i think it sends a very clear message. we have relics of the soviet occupation throughout my country. many have been taken down over the years, there are some still remaining. the parliament took a decision that they will all be removed by the end of the fall. this is an inevitable process, and it's happening throughout the entire region. and you could say, it's one of the last visual, symbolic gestures of getting rid of the last vestiges of occupation. remember... i'm just mindful that we sit here in the context of the ukraine war, and of many state—funded commentators in russia saying that the government there, putin needs to expand his war

to defend russian speakers, ethnic russians in the wider russian sphere of influence. as they put it, it comes back to provocation and whether you fear the consequences of your actions. again, our government and our society as a whole is doing nothing extraordinary. we simply want to live in peace on our own terms, not dictated by a former imperialistic master. the fact that the russian government currently is in expansionist, imperialistic mode, you could say, a very dangerous sort of nationalism and chauvinism is simply a fact. my acknowledging that or doing something does not change that. my neighbour is doing what they're doing regardless of what we're doing here. so we've decided, and i think it's a very rational decision, to get on with our lives, to develop our economy, to make our society the place

where we all want to live. and our doors are wide open to people of all ethnicities. there's zero discrimination on that level. if anything, you know, sometimes latvian speakers complain that to get a job, why would they have to know russian in latvia to get a job? i notice you're trying to change that — but i want a final thought, and it's about the future, the endgame. you've said to me that latvia can sustain its commitment to helping ukraine. but what is the endgame here? macron says, "this war must not end with putin and russia humiliated." there's talk in some quarters of the inevitability of territorial compromise. do you, as prime minister of latvia, see that inevitability of territorial compromise? or do you think it has to end in total victory for ukraine? it has to end for an acknowledged defeat on the part of russia. and this is important for all of europe, for european

security, you could say, actually for world security. because what is at stake is, is it permissible that a country, regardless of where, can, for territorially expansionary purposes, invade, subjugate, rape, pillage — do everything terrible in the name of some crazy ideology, which actually many of us thought died with the second world war? so, unlike macron, your message is "no compromise"? no — macron�*s message, he's evolved over time. he said that quite early in the war. i haven't spoken to him in the past month. i think he's probably also on a somewhat different page. last time all of us spoke, we were all very united that ukraine had to win and russia had to lose. and the definition of what is a win — i don't think it's up to us outside of ukraine to decide. i think it's up to zelensky,

the ukrainian government, and the ukrainian people to decide. but what has to be clear that russia understands that military adventurism does not pay. it will not pay, it's not paying in ukraine, and certainly not outside of ukraine. prime minister karins, i'm very grateful to you for joining me on hardtalk. thank you. hello, and welcome to a look at weather for the week ahead. in fact, the next six to ten days takes us just about to the end of august and there's no sign of that intense, excessive heat returning. and having had a bit of useful rain this week —

not for all, but some — there is a little bit more rain in the forecast. the weekend, showers and longer spells of rain around this area of low pressure. i've also shown the jet stream here, that's the strong upper level winds that drive low pressures across the atlantic, and you can see, for once, it's around about our latitude, so it will drive in those low pressures. it's not a particularly strong jet stream but we could see some fairly significant rain as we start saturday morning, across scotland and northern ireland, blown away into northern parts of england and wales by a brisk wind, a strong wind, even gales in the hebrides, so that will temper the feel of things. even further south temperatures will be a degree or so down on those of friday, but pleasant enough in the sunshine. a scattering of showers both in the north and south of that weather front, which will ease away through the night. in fact, the weatherfront, as it continues to sink further south, will become mostly a band of cloud. not really any useful rain here but we do have some cloud gathering out to the west. so, it looks like a reasonable night for sleeping, more comfortable couple of nights, i think, on the cards before that humidity once again returns.

that weak weather front then starts the day with us on sunday. we've got weather fronts waiting in the wings to bring more rain in, but it does look like it'll be a showery nature. we'lljust have rather more cloud, misty, murky conditions around the hills and coasts in southern and western areas, but with a little ridge of high pressure across scotland, northern england, northern ireland, it looks drier here, pleasant enough with the lighter winds here on sunday. a breezier or breezes picking up laterjust to push that rain in. so through the evening and overnight sunday into monday, most parts could see some more rain, as much as 10mm for many gardens, but possibly a little bit more over higher ground, but it is showery in nature, so not guaranteed for all, but it does mean a damper, a misty, murky start to our monday, to the start of the new working week before that clears out of the way. we're back into the westerly airstream and temperatures around about normal, about average for the time of year, and that's the story for the rest of the week. that weather system clears out of the way by tuesday and the low pressure to the north

is the dominant feature, throwing in showers but again, mostly to scotland, northern ireland and western fringes of england and wales. so very little rain promised on tuesday, just a few sharp showers around, the breeziness mostly to the north and temperatures just a little higher as we lose the wind and the cloud, but again, not too far away from what we would normally see at this time in august. wednesday promises more rain potentially coming into the west. devil is in the detail at the moment. we've got the showers in the north, perhaps a weather system crossing central and eastern areas, but it looks quite showery so it might not be for all at this stage, but it will give quite cloudy skies at times and again those temperatures around about average. back to the pressure charts and again showing you the jet stream. it's disappearing as we head towards next weekend. there's still the potential for low pressure but the deeper areas of low pressure are moved away towards the east and high pressure still looks as if it'll be the dominant feature, at least towards the south, but with low pressure around potentially in the north, there could still be some showers around, so not rain for all but very

showery, whilst for most, as you can see, it looks dry, bright, some sunshine with temperatures around about where they should be for this time of year. so into next week, looking as if we will see a few showers around but we'll keep you updated.

tonight at ten... life in prison for a british member of the islamic state terror group sentenced for hostage taking and conspiracy to murder. a judge in the us said el shafee elsheikh�*s actions were horrific, barbaric and brutal. relatives of his victims say justice has been done. now we receive the best of our country, and i'm very grateful, obviously, but that's what makes it a hollow victory, if you will. also tonight... warnings of a public health emergency this coming winter for the nhs. fears that services could be even more stretched after a bad summer. this woman struggled to get an ambulance following a heart attack. and then they said, "oh, yes, we are sending an ambulance, we just can't tell you when." so...

it shocked me a little bit.