ukraine's president volodymr zelensky has suggested there could be a ceasefire with russia if government—controlled territory in ukraine is given nato membership. that is regardless of whether russia immediately hands back areas it has seized. in an interview on friday mr zelensky said: "if we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the nato russia this week attacked ukraine's energy infrastructure for the second time this month, leaving millions of people without power as winter arrives. as temperatures drop, our diplomatic correspondent paul adams has been given rare access to one of the country s damaged thermal power plants.

how do you work in a place like this and not despair? for the third winter in a row, ukraine's power plants are under attack. the missiles and drones that land here wreak absolute havoc. translation: we can't keep up with the restoration work. - we don't have time to restore the main equipment, let alone the roof and walls. everything gets destroyed again from one strike to the next. we've agreed not to identify the plant, or say when it was attacked. nothing that might help russia to plan its next assault. but at a time of year when people most need heat and light, ukraine's ability to generate power hangs in the balance. how much more of this kind of damage can ukraine's energy infrastructure withstand 7 from one end of the country to the other, plants like this have been hit over and over again. with winter approaching,

it's a real struggle to keep the grid working. and so once again, ukrainians get used to life in the dark. power cuts bringing misery to kyiv�*s high rise apartment blocks. but in the third winter of this war, necessity brings solutions. in one basement, electricity is stored, the building's 700 residents all chipping in to buy this hi—tech system. it all means relief for natalia, who lives on the 19th floor. happy enough to cook in the dark when she knows there's hot water in the pipes and the lift works. translation: it's - a very strange feeling. i'm happy i can go downstairs with my dog in the lift. i don't have to walk down in the dark, that i have water in the tap. it scares me just how happy i am to have these basic things. and dealing with basic things,

it seems, makes for great comedy. in a film about to be released, a fractious group of residents bickers over the purchase of a generator. plenty ofjokes, but a simple message, too. we can go through this winter. the only thing we need is to unite. this is it. ukrainians have survived two winters. they'll find a way to get through a third. but russia's attacks on the energy system have been more destructive than ever. the country has lost a huge chunk of its generating capacity. european and american donors are helping, but the system is on the edge of collapse. everyone here expects further attacks. russia, they believe, has been stockpiling missiles forjust this purpose. pauladams, bbc news, ukraine.

joining me live is angela stent, director of the centre for eurasian, russian and east european studies. i want to ask you first for your thoughts on what president zelensky said today. he wants ukrainian territory under his control to be put under nato protection and then essentially cede the rest to russia to be deal with later. what do you think he s getting at? this is something that's been in the airfor a this is something that's been in the airfora number of this is something that's been in the airfor a number of months. this is the model of west germany when it joined nato and of course the eastern part of germany was occupied, essentially by the soviet union, so this idea would be that nato would offer membership to those parts of ukraine that the ukrainian government controls. the rest of that territory would not be in nato at the moment with the idea being that eventually ukraine would be

fully united, which would essentially happen a0 years later. that was a matter of decades. is this a realistic framework do you think? a, this a realistic framework do you think? ~ , ., , .,, this a realistic framework do you think? ~ , ., , ., , think? a number of people have been discussin: think? a number of people have been discussing this _ think? a number of people have been discussing this for _ think? a number of people have been discussing this for some _ think? a number of people have been discussing this for some time, - think? a number of people have been discussing this for some time, and . discussing this for some time, and i'm not sure about that at the moment that it is a realistic scenario given the incoming trump administration. it scenario given the incoming trump administration.— administration. it takes two sides to make a deal, _ administration. it takes two sides to make a deal, doesn't - administration. it takes two sides to make a deal, doesn't do? - administration. it takes two sides l to make a deal, doesn't do? russia might blanch at nato protecting ukrainian territory that borders directly on its own, wouldn't it? it certainly would and pollutant has made that quite clear. he said the only basis for negotiation is ukraine agreeing never tojoin nato, so the two sides are very far apart on this. ., ., ,., ., , on this. you mentioned donald trump, he will be an — on this. you mentioned donald trump, he will be an office _ on this. you mentioned donald trump, he will be an office in _ on this. you mentioned donald trump, he will be an office in less _ on this. you mentioned donald trump, he will be an office in less than - he will be an office in less than two months now. it's a bit of a wild card. he says he wants to end this conflict quickly. would he be enticed by something that could have the potential to do just that? i the potential to dojust that? i think what he's interested in is

persuading ukrainians that they have to accept the loss of the territory at the moment that russia has occupied. he might be prepared to discuss security guarantees with ukraine with european countries going forward, otherwise russia will certainly re—invade once it's recouped its military prowess again. so i think this particular suggestion from president zelensky is a nonstarterfor the suggestion from president zelensky is a nonstarter for the trump people. is a nonstarter for the trump --eole. �* , , ., people. it's interesting we hear ukraine's foreign _ people. it's interesting we hear ukraine's foreign minister - people. it's interesting we hear ukraine's foreign minister is i people. it's interesting we hear - ukraine's foreign minister is urging nato leaders to invite ukraine into the alliance. this will take place at a meeting in brussels next week, so it seems like in that sense they are kind of pushing ahead with this. they are because they realise that the situation on the ground is getting worse, as you have already reported, the situation with energy infrastructure is terrible, so they are trying to get the most that they can before the trump administration comes in in terms of possible

invitation to nato, but the biden administration hasn't bought into this either. the administration hasn't bought into this either. ., ., this either. the matter of the weather could _ this either. the matter of the weather could be _ this either. the matter of the weather could be a _ this either. the matter of the weather could be a factor, i this either. the matter of the - weather could be a factor, we know that winter is setting in russia has been targeting ukraine's energy grid for many weeks and months, really now. the third winter of this war. can ukraine go through a winter like this, another cold one? weill. can ukraine go through a winter like this, another cold one?— this, another cold one? well, it's a terrible situation. _ this, another cold one? well, it's a terrible situation. as _ this, another cold one? well, it's a terrible situation. as you _ this, another cold one? well, it's a terrible situation. as you have - terrible situation. as you have shown, the ukrainian population is very resilient, but it gets harder every year to live for weeks, maybe even months without proper hot water, without heat. and of course it depends on how bad the winter is. the russians have really been scaling up their attacks to make sure that the situation is as bad as it can be for the ukrainians inside ukraine. i it can be for the ukrainians inside ukraine. ., ., ., ukraine. i want to look at the battlefield — ukraine. i want to look at the battlefield itself _ ukraine. i want to look at the battlefield itself right - ukraine. i want to look at the battlefield itself right now, . battlefield itself right now, getting reports that ukraine's army is being hit hard by desertion, essentially troops just leaving the army. does ukraine have enough

manpower, literal manpower to hold the current front lines? it manpower, literal manpower to hold the current front lines?— the current front lines? it has a real problem — the current front lines? it has a real problem with _ the current front lines? it has a real problem with mobilisation. the current front lines? it has a - real problem with mobilisation. it's hard to get new recruits. as you say, there are reports of desertion, so this is going to be increasingly difficult for them. unlock the russians, they cannot summon north koreans to come and fight for them. before i let you go, we listen to the head of mi6 speaking, he said russia is waging a staggeringly reckless campaign of sabotage in europe while also increasing its nuclear threats. europe while also increasing its nuclearthreats. does europe while also increasing its nuclear threats. does that ring true to you? do you see russia fighting a bit of a shadow battle against ukraine's allies on the side? yes. it's both ukraine's allies on the side? yes. it's both in _ ukraine's allies on the side? yes. it's both in ukraine _ ukraine's allies on the side? is; it's both in ukraine hitting indiscriminately of these acts of sabotage include trying to assassinate the heads of companies that are manufacturing weapons for ukraine and all kinds of cyber intrusion. they are really stepping that up. we haven't seen something like this really ever in the past 30 years. it

like this really ever in the past 30 ears. . . ~' like this really ever in the past 30 ears. , , ~ ., years. it seems like a really interesting _ years. it seems like a really interesting inflection - years. it seems like a really interesting inflection point i years. it seems like a really| interesting inflection point in years. it seems like a really - interesting inflection point in this conflict. angela, thank you very much. let's return to the middle east — and to gaza — where dozens more people have been killed in israeli strikes on the northern ciy of beit lahiya. the un says palestinians are starved of basic necessities, and have been scavenging for food. earlier i spoke to un representative rosa—lee—uh bowlen from the united nations agency for children, unicef. here on the ground, the scenes are really awful. they are very difficult. people on the ground, families here have been through nearly ia months of incredible hardship. i don't meanjust shelling, but the utter deprivation that families and children face. they've been displaced multiple times. we estimate that 90% of the population has been displaced in and

do group mostly in southern gaza. contusions are very crowded. shelters are absolutely inadequate. i see lots of people with improvised makeshift tents made out of blankets and towels. that is a problem because right now winter has arrived. it's extremely cold. it's windy, so people are tired, they are traumatised, they are wet, they are cold and they are also very hungry. we estimate that nearly 50,000 children are acutely malnourished and we fear that this is going to increase over the coming weeks and months. you may have seen that an alert was issued at the north of gaza at the beginning of the month but the reality is that there is also severe hunger affecting families here in the south end in the centre. there is a bakery opposite of the unicef office where

i work, and every day as we drove up to the office, we see hundreds of people who are pushing each other, who are trying to get their hands on a bag of bread. they are fighting over bags of bread. so that really sums it up. over bags of bread. so that really sums it urn-— sums it up. there has been some enormous — sums it up. there has been some enormous pressure _ sums it up. there has been some enormous pressure really - sums it up. there has been some enormous pressure really on - sums it up. there has been some. enormous pressure really on israel to ensure that enough aid is getting in that enough food is getting to people they are. you mentioned those warnings of famine. what have you seen there on the ground? is enough aid making it to the people who needed to?— aid making it to the people who needed to? ., , ., ., needed to? people are in need of everything- _ needed to? people are in need of everything. families _ needed to? people are in need of everything. families most - needed to? people are in need of everything. families most basic l everything. families most basic needs are not being met. the situation is affecting children and pregnant women most. i visited a hospital, a neonatal intensive care unit, and there were over a dozen preterm babies in that neonatal icu and there were many more who would

have loved to have stayed there for the hospital had to turn them away because of a lack of capacity of, lack of equipment from a lack of doctors to take care of these babies, and what the doctors they are said is that in the attacks, hospitals have been damaged, infrastructure has been destroyed. simultaneously, there has been a very steep increase, in preterm babies, babies with congenital diseases, and why is that? that is because of malnutrition, because expectant women don't get sufficiently nutritious food. similarly, i've met with countless children with chronic diseases, children with chronic diseases, children with chronic diseases, children with leukaemia, children with kidney failure, and many of these children are now also malnourished. so it's really affecting the most vulnerable, mothers, as i go around the camps, enter attendance, they begged me,

can you please help me find food. they ask for baby formula, they are desperate, they ask for warm clothes. so people are deprived of everything. and what you should understand when it comes to the nutrition situation, it is a combination of factors. it's not just that not enough aid is going in from it's also the fact that people live in these inadequate shelters in the cold and a very dire, unhygienic situation. there is raw sewage flowing through people's tents. there is garbage everywhere. so it's really the accumulation of these conditions. it's the living conditions. it's the living conditions that put the lives of families at risk, notjust the bombs and bullets. polls have just closed in ireland s general election after a three—week campaign. voters will elect 173 members to the parliament. one seat is automatically awarded to the outgoing chairperson of the house.

the outgoing government is a three party coalition of fianna fail, fine gael and sinn fein. an exit poll was released earlier on friday. the general election count starts in the morning and the exit polls suggest it will be tight, tense and very unpredictable the poll indicates 1422 00:14