here, euro exclusive 1000000 tons of plastic with another way. after all, the environment isn't to recyclable. make up your own mind. d. w, made for mines. this is did have a news broadcasting from belinda in this special program. we take one step back and ask, why did vladimir putin invade ukraine? he claimed it was to denote, defy, and demilitarised the country. but is that the real reason? and what to the answers to me about proteins, russia? and what about president putin himself? joe biden believes he wants to re establish the former soviet union. does the u. s . president have appoint oceania. say because i use the collapse of the soviet

union was the greatest geopolitical disaster of the century. a tragedy for all russian stella missed the issue. ah, i'm british manager, welcome to this special program on russia invasion of ukraine. in the next half hour, we look at the real motivations behind vladimir proteins attack on a sovereign nation and how the events of the cold war informed the russian presidents world view. but 1st, a look at ukraine and its citizens and independent people facing a war, forced onto them. disbelieve eco. so ukraine's cities, an ugly wall that is destroying homes and hopes are you

clicked on your door? i never thought that this could happen when i never thought this would truly happen in my life time. and you got down you tomorrow. we wrote poems about the 2nd world war, switch it to her theories with the service to he. i myself, am a teacher issue a credit. we studied the history serving but we never thought that it would happen here. you continue to work with the brother machine is indian. political rito has lived in this apartment block in the city of 2. yes. in easton ukraine, it has become uninhabitable. in the capitalist, keith bombs hit this residential area where she was sleeping oak zanna glen hinkle was thrown 3 meters from her bed to the corridor, which is always to go. if you did, if you are young, she knew i was completely confused. i didn't understand what was happening to me. it was as if i was lifted up and dropped. so y'all, then i heard screams,

sands. i got up and saw all the windows smashed, broken glasses. i quickly gathered a few things, documents i had prepared, and i ran out into the st. louis the huron older. ah, let's be in the story for many. those who can have rushed to leave the city. the result, thousands of keep residents stuck in traffic. especially children are traumatized. when keith resident was set with his family describes their experience was a card moments i would say because you always have the dilemma. what to tell 2 kids . on one hand, you don't want hand, you don't want to scare them. but on the other hand, so you don't want to lie to them. and we decided to take it to tell them the truth . and we tell that the word and that we are in danger,

and that's why we need to go to our grannies because safe place this but in ukraine. hardly any place seems safe. in keith, people have been seeking projects in the metro station score, basements and pumps out of i guess this is a shelter. so here sitting in the shelter in shelter and checking the news constantly told us something might happen around 5 pm. reading other gathered in an improvised shelter in a hotel. our units actually, ankle is a cook here. but going up to work is not an option.

it's hard but i'm holding on. have you slept to day fall where we were sleeping was an explosion woke us up. it was a 420 i am near our house. a missile was shut down. what happens next? no one knows certain, but it seems certain that many more ukrainians will suffer before the fighting stops. and he doesn't use teams are on the ground reporting on the fighting correspondent, funny for john was in keith and sent us this report on what people in ukraine's capital city are experiencing. you do see the thing in people's eyes regardless whether they say that they stay poor and they want to resist with or without arms. but that fear basically results in different reactions or some people left or trying to leave ukraine. they are long, long queues that are forming a both on the highways towards the west,

long queues forming at gasoline stations. people were packing up and food and basic things at the few supermarkets that were still open. he and keith, so they are, people are really panicking and they want to leave. but then the others who are concerned as well, but they say they're not going to take the sovereignty, the freedom, the democracy of the country away. in fact, i've just seen a few hours ago, a young man on his bicycle carrying a ukrainian flag. he was the only man here, the only person here at my don at independence square. and it really was a picture to me that justice concern this fear. but there's also a sense or a bood of, of, of, of basically not, not having russia to say what the future of this country is. and 8 years back in 2014, exactly on the square of a family was reporting from the people of ukraine decided they didn't want to be part of russia's fault. their choice reflected in their protests on that very

square chaos. death and revolution on caves made on square in 2014 protesters. he won't, closer ties with europe stand against pro russian president victor young coverage. his forces killed more than a 100, but then who fled to russia the kremlin, called it a qu soon, soldiers in unmarked uniforms, so called little green men, appeared in ukraine's crimea a crimea referendum on whether to leave ukraine and join. russia was rejected as illegal by the international community, but it was followed swiftly by russian annexation of crimea in march 2014. by early summer that year, an insurgency against ukrainian rule had broken out in the eastern on bass region, fell the ukrainian army and russian by separatists fought and on. thus,

a civilian jet was short. don't malaysian airlines flight m. each 17. had nearly 300 people on board investigation said it had been hit by a russian missile by autumn 2014. the front lines had stabilized, despite continued shooting the you and estimates that more than 13000 people have been killed. efforts to resolve the conflict politically via the minsk process failed to make much headway. fears of uneasy deadlock were broken in spring 2021. when russia sent military hardware and tens of thousands of troops to ukraine's borders. by late april, there was relief in keith as the kremlin said, it would recall its soldiers and that russian president vladimir putin would meet us president joe biden. but some analysts say much of the military hardware and many troops actually stayed uloa. let him know

that summer putin backed his military ideas with a long se he claimed ukrainians. and russians were one people and said ukraine could only be sovereign in partnership with russia. but ukrainian president followed him as lensky refused to make concessions during the peace process. overdone, bath, and in november, moscow sent tens of thousands of troops back to ukraine's borders and into neighboring bella luce. this time, they were accompanied by enough hardware for a sustained campaign. and that campaign has led to their destruction and death. we are witnessing now to help us make sense of the russian to tack. i'm joining the studio by the devil's chief international editor richard walker and from videos in lithuania, by d. w. russia analyst, constantine. i got richard to you 1st. i think the question on everybody's mind is,

why did president putin invade ukraine? yeah, well, very, we're going to going deep into the background, of course, in our talks today, and it's great to be on with constantine today. to talk about this as well, but i think this sort of the, the most immediate reason is that vladimir putin has decided to do what he can to dial back the clock to before the protest that we saw at the end of 2013 beginning of 2014 there, which toppled a government that was favorable towards russia in ukraine. he wants to dial back the clock to before then. he doesn't like the political direction that you train is taken in recent years. he's like this strategic direction is taken. he doesn't like the social direction he's taken is taken. so he is decided to remove the government and replace it with one. it's more in the previous mode. one that he finds more client to,

to his view of what you train should be. and that is the view that we will be discussing as we go along. richard will stay with us in the studio and konstantin requested to stay on the line as well. because we do need to talk about president fulton who is really central to understanding the reasons behind this war. now german chancellor of shoulds, earlier in the week called this invasion, fourteen's wall as 5 turned president. shirt is a quick look at what drives him and shapes his convictions. this is how vladimir putin likes to portray himself to his compatriots, strong, loyal to his country, and adventurous at daredevil who doesn't shy away from danger. at the start of his career it was a different story. back then he was considered a blank slate as

a k g. b officer. he spent years in dresden and communist east germany after the fall of the berlin wall, shortly before the end of the soviet union. he returned to his homeland, eventually working for the administration of president boris yeltsin before becoming prime minister in 1999. in may, 2000, he was inaugurated his president. his goal was for russia to once again become a global power. galindo's goshen and cisco say it was the collapse of the soviet union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. and that was a tragedy for all russians. they issued that army under putin's leadership, the country has been transformed. these brought most of the russian media under kremlin control and disempowered. oligarchs who had grown rich during the chaotic years of yelton's reign. putin's decisive action in chechnya also brought him widespread support. there he waged an uncompromising war against separatist rebels,

a war in which many civilians were also killed. in terms of foreign policy, putin initially had a good relationship with his western counterparts. i looked the man in the eye. i found to be very straightforward and trustworthy. virtually from buddies all was viewed nato's expansion to take in new eastern european members with suspicion. when the pro russian government in ukraine fell in february of 2014 hootin intervened the next the ukrainian peninsula of crimea, and helped moscow packed and arm separatists to secure control of parts of the eastern ukraine. was jolla after a difficult, lengthy retiring journey crimea and the pole are returning to the home harbor? i knew you were going to russia was excluded from the t h group of countries

and the u. s. and the e u. impose strong economic sanctions every year. but put in a stuck to his course governing in an increasingly authoritarian manner. he has quite a protest against his policies. russian opposition, members live in fear me how to ski, spend 10 years in prison and was then sent into exile himself was murdered in front of the kremlin alexi, nevada was poisoned, he recovered and is now in prison. the kremlin actively supports anti democratic movements across europe. russia hacker is attempt to influence elections in russia. putin is regarded by many as the eternal president. he has held on to power through 4 controversial elections. and in 2020, he changed the constitution, allowing him to rule even longer was it occurring yet?

0 vladimir putin took over his country at a difficult time. but he's let it with an iron hand. and now that you get, he has thrust europe into an unprecedented crisis, sibling structure of grain and her back. now with a russian affairs, i'm this konstantin agatha and wellness and in studio doug the chief international editor, richard a walker. the constant him, i'd like to go to you 1st. a lot has been written about president 14, not his time as a key jeebies by during the cold war. in your view, how much does that shape him and president borton's worldview? well, morning, not so good morning for speaking. i think that the person essential thing is not to describe the reason why it was never spy. the case would be with a huge political police organization in which only one director is the 1st chief

direct. it was actually occupied the spying. but you never served in it. the actually seemingly aspired to go there. but he was sent to east germany, the g d r as an officer or a different director under the cover of director of the russian cultural rather this time of course. so the cultural center in germany and it seems that his, his occupation was to watch the internal german opposition and to probably monitor the activity of the salyers personnel. that was patient. that was there was, i would like to remind you with a 1000000 strong saw the contingent army confusion stations in germany. so i suppose that the key g b as such, of course, influenced. it was the time when he thought he's going to make a fantastic area because being a kid you be officer, was extremely prestigious in in the soviet union gave you

a lot of perks about additionally huge power people would, dear you, if you were a kid to be agent. so i teach the officer. so i think that this impacted him hugely. and his desire, if you wish to have this power unsaid power intimidating power is very much part of the i think k to be thinking another thing that's important and full disclosure i said 3 translator for the sort of admin permission me least i was doing just my national army service, but of course, because from my job, i've seen quite a few people from the cage of e. right. and what actually characterize them is a belief in conspiracy theories. and secondly, this understanding that this argument doesn't work,

but it doesn't work because people do not have enough sausage. you put the sausage back in the shops for some private enterprise and you can run it. wonderful. and i think that the cynical view of the, of human nature, actually another important thing to understand. i'd like to go back to the point that you made about paula. and i'd like to tie that in with what present fortune has said in the past. he has said, and we just played that report as well. he has said that the collapse of the soviet union was a tragedy for all russians. so what you're saying is that this is not so much about russian pride, but bus no power for president fulton. well definitely, and actually he used and even stronger term. he called the collapse of the soviet union. the biggest joke political catastrophe of the 20th century. and i think that it's true that he is on how to look thing is that

occasion the office. so i was always brought up on this saying, i think there's risky, the founder of the check and see or to get from the way that the page of the office is the security concerns of all the nights showing on the revolution. and that breeds this understanding all on the one hand you belong to the elite organization, or the other hand you fulfilling the national destiny. put in that translates into one thing, but it is essentially yes him because he is defending a normal course. and it is pretty much indistinguishable personal power and conviction, but also to stay on the line to like to talk to you richard, just based on what constantly was saying and went back to the point that you were making about. he wants ukraine to be, in a sense, observant to him, and to go back to the time before 2014. when i was,

let's just say within the russian folder was at least pro russian in many ways up. how do you see the current situation in light of that and the fact that for president putin personally power and national pride conflating to one yet will it's been really interesting to watch what vladimir putin has been saying during the course of this week as well. so it's been a week after the 10th with events, of course, but at the beginning of the week, he made this extraordinary address to the nation at the time where he announced this for the 1st intensification of the crisis. this week that he was recognizing these break away regions of eastern ukraine as in japan states. and this speech that he gave was really, and it would be fascinating to hear some constant 100 take on it as well. but it was an hour, long 7 and a half 1000 words in english translation. i did, took this historical sweep in an effort to justify what he was about to do. and now

in retrospect, what he's done later in a week as well, with the agent. and he completely d, legitimize the idea that ukraine is a sovereign states instead regarding it as something that is an appendage of the russian empire essentially, and going way back even before the soviet union and accusing soviet leaders such as lenin and stalin even of making mistakes. with regard to ukraine. so taking an even kind of grand, a long sweep view of russian history. and giving this strong impression that he feels after 20 plus years in power. and perhaps with another decade and a half in power. but certainly beginning to think about his legacy as a russian leader, that he wants to undo some of what he sees as the mistakes of the past. and essentially re unite. what he sees essentially is

a part of the russian empire notice over an independent state. let's just take this to constant and continue resorting. richard talk that he talked about this historical script that president potent referred to in, is devised address. can you give us some context on this? what prompts a russian leader to think that ukraine, which is recognized as a sovereign nation, does not essentially a whole sovereignty and needs to bend to russian will. well, for that you need from the to live side by side, the present, futons understand what prompted this amazing turn in which basically now it's for the whole world to see that there's only one issue with which is frankly speaking, upset. and this is your crime. to put it in the why the context? judging by this, a speech to which region alluded 7 last 1000 words, plot the piece or he wrote for the colonel websites. $5000.00 words plus the do

explain or well, judging by them, it seems that he sees especially getting back your crime as a way of writing the role of the unjust collapse of the study. and then just treatments of the saw the and then russian states by the west. and this is a way of saying we are still strong. we have our own sphere of influence. but i think it's very sorry. i think it goes further. judging by some, by the text and that is by quite a few russian experts and actually people living in the lodge in history that has been impacted by the and very strongly by the ideas of cure. rushing to lots of our yvonne in, he was a white and gray philosopher up to the boss on the civil war in russia in early

20th century. so some people say that if the boss makes lawsuit, he would have been the philosophical founder of kind of russian corporate. this states allow saline, this idea that russia needs one strong leader, no matter what is the name of the president governor, whatever. and that's russia can only survive if it keeps the 3 slavic name together . russians of yellow russians and ukrainian this is very, very strong. a sort of thread that goes through the writings of this man indeed. and it seems that took him on board. he quoted him several times and your speeches before, and i suppose that this is an attempt to write one's own page in history in well in golden letters thought. but now this is, this is written on blog you printed. unfortunately, that does appear to be the case. constantine ok, thanks so much for that. richard. quick final word from you,

joe biden. so the present putting attempts to be going back to the days of the soviet union. is that because? well, i think we've just been hearing that, you know, you could even say that he's attempting to go back even further. and i think with westport, western leaders really worried about at the moment and it links him with what constantine was saying there, about the single powerful leader is that it, at this moment in his period in power, vladimir putin is totally uncontested. he's been in office for over 20 years and we saw during the course of this week, these extraordinary displays of the subservient, even his closest team around him are in the kremlin, where he was belittling the head of his foreign intelligence service on live television. there is no one in russia in a position of power, it appears to act as any kind of check on his behavior. and as we're seeing in ukraine, he's willing to go into very serious risks. so concerned about how far this could

untrammeled power the he has what it could lead to richer. we love to end of the thanks so much for joining us on the studio. constantine. thank you so much for being with us. that's the end of this program. but coverage of russia and vision of ukraine continues on, did of the news. you can always check out our website for the latest or on facebook and twitter pages. that's a good bye. ah, ah, ah, with

who ology. the super plans of the future. they already, they can replace plastic and petroleum food with lucian, eyes, medicine, and are treated as climate save worldwide. their powers are increasingly being decipher geek a no, no, no material in 15 minutes on

d w ah, with ah thing

. they've had no b for it for decades. the people of iraq countries devastated and there's no end to define. how did it come to this in key witnesses reveal? president story they were pretty good. the u. s. they knew what the consequences would be saying is are, and they've lied to the world about that hearing and they get, let's say that someone could kill his friends and as a fee and so easily was a really you behaved exactly like have done.

and the poison spread from there on ah much, my 0 in the great documentary series destruction of a nation starts march 4th on d w. ah, this is d w news, and these are our top stories. ukrainians are bracing for another night of attacks from russian artillery. so far ukrainian forces have been fighting back against russian assaults on the outskirts of key if authorities average citizens to help defend the capital. russia's military says it has launched a beverage of cruise missiles against ukraine, one hit in apartment building and key f dozens were injured.