the war with russia. to the polls on sunday. the conservative friedrich merz is on course to become the next chancellor. hello. welcome back and we're using the next 30 minutes a lot has happened over the last week, with the very public spat between president trump and president zelenky. what does it mean for the future of any peace talks, where does the uk, russia and europe stand in all this, do send you're questions in — weve got correspondents the contact details are on the screen below. he had answer those

questions he had to answer those questions are a russia editor, leads set and our political leads is set and our political cons correspondent damien, atticus. ,, , atticus. steve rosenberg, let me start with _ atticus. steve rosenberg, let me start with you _ atticus. steve rosenberg, let me start with you and - atticus. steve rosenberg, let me start with you and the - atticus. steve rosenberg, let| me start with you and the first comes from in wshare. rom in and then the other parts of ukraine, is he likely to aim for a tighter schedule now he has usa indifference/support to pull back other parts of el is be under hisfi of el is ag under hisfi of el is a really r hisfi of el is a really good question e’ffi! is a really good question from richard. it is a question that i am sure people are asking into youth, russia's neighbours like the baltic states in eastern europe and across the european continent. it is the key question at the moment because, if you think back to the munich security backto the munich security a days backtto the munich security a days ago this

conference a few days ago this open schism the united open schism between the united and questions states and europe, questions being asked than about were being asked the". sheet nato. ameriee's cemmtme“ te nata. |s ameriee's cemmtme“ te ttete; is a vitally important because, if, as many question because, if, as many people believe, the trump question because, if, as many people believe is he trump question because, if, as many people believe is he ' that j administration is not that bothered about and if it bothered about nato and if it is questioning its commitment to nato, it important te ”ate it raises imeertentrrrrr ~ the te ”ate it raises imeertentrrrr ~ the russian te ”ate it raises imeertentrrrr ~ interestingly russian te ”ate it raises imeertentrrrr ~ interestingly are ;ian press interestingly are raising. a newspaper said that nato had been created to values of america and common values of americe'end and that common values of america'and and that those common europe and that those'cofnr'non do not exist more. �*that ' ' �* that is 7 7 �* that is the? 7 �*that is the case 7 �*that is the case it raises if that is the case it raises the question about what the administration will do trump administration will do if there is an attack on a nato there is anattack—emam-ate —— r———— nato and there is anattacif—emam-ate —— r———— nato and trump member. will nato and the trump administration article and come to the aid of five and come to the aid of that nato member? if we are that nato member? if we are that question you can asking that question you can bet they are asking that in the kremlin. these question in the kremlin. these

are critical and dangerous thank you. put one to thank you. let me put one to lees. he says. if the us is only interested in its own countries with impunity? it follows right on from the previous _ it follows right on from the previous and we have previous question and we have to ask— previous question and we have to ask if— previous question and we have to ask if there is a peace deal to ask if there is'a'peacefideat -_ to ask if there is'a'peacefideat -m_ to ask if there ris'a'peace deal what are the security i was at the munich guarantees. i was at the munich conference and it security conference and it became _ security conference and it became abundantly clear that the states say this is the united states say this is europe's— the united states say this is europe's war and there is an ocean— europe's war and there is an ocean- us - europe's war and there is an ocean us. the europeans ocean between us. the europeans have _ ocean between us. the europeans have to _ ocean between us. the europeans have to be — ocean between us. the europeans have to be involved in any security— have to be involved in any security to which security guarantees to which the europeans and most of all the europeans and most of all the ukrainians in the ukrainians say. in order for it— the ukrainians say. in order for it to _ the ukrainians say. in order for it to be _ the ukrainians say. in order for it to be effective and to deter president ' .'- -- any

deter president putin from any further, there advancing any further, there have — advancing any further, there have to _ advancing any further, there have to deterrence. now they have to be deterrence. now they are talking about a backstop the united states. they from the united states. they are not— from the united states. they are not going to put troops on the ground what about aerial surveillance or a stiff warning that— surveillance or a stiff warning that if— surveillance or a stiff warning that if president putin's forces _ that if president putin's forces move inch closer than forces move an inch closer than there _ forces move an inch closer than there will— forces move an inch closer than there will hell to pay. the there will be hell to pay. the real— there will be hell to pay. the real problem is president trump :=-—: :=_: trusts president putin. there is an— trusts president putin. there is an ocean of distrust between president — is an ocean of distrust between president putin and his neighbours. if i can follow up, was neighbours. if i can follow up, - was fascinating - neighbours. if i can follow up, - was fascinating was - what was fascinating was watching president trump's what was fascinating was watct conference. :trump's what was fascinating was watct conference. he ump's what was fascinating was watct conference. he was �*s what was fascinating was watct conference. he was saying press conference. he was saying if can put out the that if he can put out the fires with russia and china eeereane can eeerrfone can hates eeerrfohe can haizre their then everyone can halve their defence budgets. that military defence budgets. that language and that aim sounds ilir, iha in a way. is it haiee can people: can peopleibelieve that that is his rnstisatientr" m ,, ,, i were

that is his rnatisatiantr" m ,, ,, i were at the first and i were at the first summit in helsinki and there was an audible _ in helsinki and there was an audible gasp in the when asked if he trusts he was asked if he trusts president putin more he president putin more than he trusts— president putin more than he trusts his _ president putin more than he trusts his own intelligent e -e —— lookt z= z president putin and said yes. let me — president putin and said yes. let me bring in another question. elections in ukraine while he is destroying it? when he stood for election there wasn't anyone or killed. how can he say it? i answer, easily. is no doubt that easily. there is no doubt that vladimir putin's goal is first of all to force ukraine back russia's orbit. that was into russia's orbit. that was the goal three years ago when the :*s' thee ss' sac “s" ”n , , w "a, . n ,, started the 7 the :*s' thee es' sac he" wr , , w "w . w ,, started the spiritual operation which was military operation which was as an operation and

when == when he started the special —— when he started the special which was i believe conceived as an they the would j 77 would fall 77 wouldfall % a would fall % apro ukraine would fallunder a pro moscow leader and he mosque moscow leader and he would have ukraine on plate. would have ukraine on a plate. i am sure that that remains the vladimir putin believes aim. vladimir putin believes that countries like ukraine be in russia's sphere of the key question now influence, the key questionnow when he sits down for talks is when he sits down for talks donald trump at some with donald trump at some point, will they discussing point, will they be discussing carving up the world. will they be talking about creating spheres of it is spheres of influence? it is something that i the would " ,,, ' manta w ' mutate. they 77 777 7 mane. they do russians would like. they do not like how cold war e the collapse of the ended. the collapse of the soviet union and the end of moscow's sphere of influence. they would like to go back to a world where the great powers are sitting at the table

deciding which �*the smaller are in whose sphere countries are in whose sphere of influence. to countries are in whose sphere of influence.— of influence. to follow up on that, it is — of influence. to follow up on that, it is important - of influence. to follow up on that, it is important to - that, it is important to say that, it is important to say that relations between the countries been very countries have been very difficult in the last three has with china 7777777wit7h ehthaheihaia 7777777wit7h ehthaheihiha and links with china and india and countries that are many countries that are sometimes described as being in sometimes described as'being'in global south but are piarfers in powerfuleconomio players in �* own right, powerfuleconomio players in �*own right, so russia's their own right, so russia's economic links have continued yeah, elsewhere. yeah, absolutely. three years _ elsewhere. yeah, absolutely. three years ago _ elsewhere. yeah, absolutely. three years ago when - elsewhere. yeah, absolutely. three years ago when we - elsewhere. yeah, absolutely. i three years ago when we saw elsewhere. yeah, absolutely. i three years ago when we saw all those 77 those sanctions on of those sanctions imposed on russia by the west, that tsunami of international economists in the - redicted that the -redicted that the russian west predicted that the russian economy would collapse under emrmrm' ereuld cellaase under, ., pressures. did not those pressures. that did not and russian officials z:- to point out that three like to point out that three years on the russian survived. yes, it is under has =urerecdhs=rt =lmd=r w'" w has sureissdg�*g�*eegr’t stand” ’ ' " n and there are big

pressure and there are big economic like economic problems like inflation, interest rates are high, but it has survived and the russians have found other the russ'i'ans'have found other and partners like friends and partners like china, like india to do business with.- china, like india to do business with. countries are european countries are struggling to fund their militaries. isn't it obvious to a military, create a european military, the population excluding russia and its allies are larger than the united states and economically it is stronger than the us. if you combine the forces of each country it would be larger too. is it time for a is it time fora combined task force? is it time for' - -' —- task force? , european task force? president zelensky of _ european task force? president zelensky of the _ european task force? president zelensky of the ukraine - european task force? president zelensky of the ukraine seems | think so. he called for to think so. he called for this last— to think so. he called for this last week— to think so. he called for this last week . the _ to think so. he called for this last week . the munich - last week at the munich security— last week at the munich security conference. - last week at the munich security conference. he last week at the munich - security conference. he was that america can no saying that america can no longer— saying that america can no longer be _ saying that america can no longer be relied _ 826 00: