and you're up to date here on t w up next. doc film is taking a closer look at the war in ukraine. of course, there's more now website d, w dot com and on our social media accounts to at dw, you san towered, rating building. thanks for watching. imagine how many pushes of blood are thrown out in the world? climate change can be very comp, the story. this is my plan, the way from just one week. how much work can really get we still have time to go. i'm going with what 5th blue.

ringback ringback ringback ringback ringback ringback 30 years after gaining independence, ukraine found itself under massive pressure from its superpower neighbor. in the spring of 2021, a build up of russian troops along the border to ukraine, had alarm bells ringing. it was the biggest military maneuver since hostilities commenced in 2014, when russia annexed the crimea, and cilla and pro moscow separatists took control of the don bass region in eastern

ukraine. by the end of 2021. the subsequent years of fighting had cost some 14000 people's lives. countless homes were destroyed, and communities devastated. was russia planning to invade? dow, that don bardon boss itself is not the cause of the conflict was the cause of the conflict as a larger geopolitical constellation. ukraine's president followed him. your zalinski said his russian counterpart was challenging the west to young budgets, should sibyl for me, it was born out of a desire to assert power. i know a show of strength, the lot, the seal and clearly it was an attempt to intimidate on. yeah. to see how the

european union would respond to your bicycle, say hugo and vladimir putin was expecting a week response. a spin me a niche seeker up to you. i'm not sure that the european union is really prepared to seriously challenge the kremlin in coming osmond b. i'm really not sure to ha, ah, the leaders of the g 7 group of western industrial powers put on a united front, calling on russia to deescalate the situation. april new, all food does at the end of the day, van mall, it was a very delicate situation. for us, who knew severely knew we couldn't influence person and feel secret at the same time, and thought we understood that we couldn't not talk to him who will bow. the popularity

keeps ukrainian president followed him here. sir lensky visited the front line, accompanied by tv cameras. and battle ready troops. he wanted to show that his country was willing and able to fight, but it seemed putting had achieved his goal, putting both ukraine and the west on alert. he ended the military maneuver and denounced the troops would be withdrawing. but military hardware remained on the ground ready for the next deployment. it was a problem that extended beyond ukraine, that russia's military might threaten the security of europe as a whole. in 2021, the armed conflict in eastern ukraine entered its 8th year. russia, as you know,

consistently denies that it has anything to do with the fighting and eastern ukraine. complete, fabrication, the you had made efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, but there were doubt as to whether poaching was even interested. i can't tell you how many times i've heard european leaders say, we need to work with russia. we need to engage with russia. i have never heard anyone say russia needs to work with us. russia needs to engage with us. mm mm. in ukraine itself. these developments were seen with widespread disappointment. just look out which one is the honest national cream i have, the feeling that ukraine is alone in its political struggle with russia. you sure there is support earlier, but it's not enough in my opinion solvable, and we're still alone in the war. and i'm okay with me

as to the question of what should be done? opinion was still divided when we filmed this one second. this is the hope of you, i thought it was over there she is. do it just leave don bass alone. it's not worth the human price. that one of these protests are just people who want to have independence as is their right. you will, if someone like britain, for example, wants to leave the european union, then they have every right to do so you thrive. i just wish that you see where things in life, you only bravo. president zalinski was voted into office in 2019 on a mandate that included ending the war and don bass. and his pledge to bring the country together, won him major support in both the west and east of the country. tom was sure a year dease fair, a regions of ukraine were 30 to 50 percent of the people's leak. russians are

eulogy. i myself, come from one such family from the disney proper trumps gretchen and led me providentially. unfortunately, most of the people who died also came from our regional last, that's not a boast. rather, this is about a high tree. it isn't and defending ukraine, these bro graham, among his objectives was returning the crimea to ukraine moscow's alec sation of the peninsula in 2014, in violation of international law. consolidated russian access to the strategically important black sea. ah, a zalinski himself was a novice on the political stage of them prior to his election in 2019. he had played a fictional president on tv. oh, wow, only john, only you will not. who do not see anglian

and jessica pushed up and a woman was blowing estimate. zalinski wrote and start in the satirical show, his election turned fiction into a reality. which notably dr. young, the president agreed to an interview when this film was made to make an appeal to the west. his country was anxious for guarantees of security, and he hoped that nieto and the e. you could help lament beauty that mother me. the top priority is strong relations and military assistance. these god double more lamentably for me, the priority is pacing ukraine to more and every one who can bring that about everyone who can be proactive. rock tip. shortly after becoming president of the summer of 2019 zalinski reached out to vladimir putin

asking for a personal meeting. you crank, cannot reclaim control over crimea, or didn't boss in the military way. i mean right now you cranes, military positioning is mostly defensive for other than offensive. so diplomatic track remains very important. in november 2019 president in manuel macaroni of france and chancellor angel immacule of germany announced they would resume meetings with the leaders of russia and ukraine. 3 years had elapsed since the last of these normandy format talks. ah, what was the lensky prepared for negotiations in paris? protesters poured into the streets of keith. his predecessor, petro porsche ango,

addressed the assembled crowd. are we? so we are here to day because we believe in our victory. oh, i live so much. we're also here to prevent our defeat. i'm afraid. what are we sincerely wish the ukrainian delegation success to morrow gravely delivered? the protesters feared that zalinski would accept a plan laid out 3 years earlier by the then german foreign minister, frank far to shine maia. that proposal aim to if i, the implementation of the minced agreements. the shine by your formula envisaged free and fair elections in the don boss under ukrainian law verification by international observers. and then depending on the result, self governing status for the regions in question ah

ah, the summit took place in paris on december 9th, 2019 with well pigeon said he welcomed the shine meyer formula. he insisted on a change, namely that russia would relinquish its control over the border only after the elections. zalinski wanted ukrainian troops to secure the border with russia before elections were held. otherwise, he feared only puppets of the kremlin would run. they'd then rubber stamp russian control overdone, boss, the summit ended without a break through blue b i o those it'll progress has been made. skeptics

in ukraine and abroad were relieved. they worried zalinski would buckle under pressure from the vastly more experienced poaching. and i think that psalm, it's really changed the dynamic way ukraine, germany and france became more united than that, france to do an entire fred needs. protocols, the way cave interprets them and understanding the dangers of pushing further ukraine to implement disagreements, the way russia seized them, and russia seize them as the way to actually make ukraine weaker. one issue was the quest for peace in dawn, but the other was the threat to human rights.

so thought says serves fe. the dreaming of the human rights situation in eastern ukraine is a polling no more to leave off now before and after a thought her her in the occupied territories. it's impossible to express political views unless they conform with those promoted by the russian back rulers. all pope annoyed services to cooperate somebody here expressing any support for ukraine or for europe and they can see you put in jail or tortured. oh, lou there tackle smothered or even abducted and executed, picking them up for am if a dollar a bull nodded sher wicker than youth stretching him. moscow lodged a series of complaints with the european court of human rights, alleging that ukrainian forces were attacking russian speakers in don bass sick.

yay e honey care a minute. so what's ironic a c and again, dresser is that the russian authorities now decided to burden the european court of human rights with legal actions against the ukrainians they to see to it's a tactic always used by the kremlin and it's intelligent services to take our own system and use it against asada and victim in this case is quite clearly we knew it law ukraine. latina evie de molly said you can russian lawyers flooded the court with 6000 claims against ukraine on the grounds of alleged human rights abuses in don bass. claims vigorously disputed by the humanitarian agencies operating in the area.

he had tacos, they think that they had shirt, several 1000 people. questions before it's hard to establish the exact number right now. have faced reprisals due to their political beliefs. and i was, in some cases in the, for expressing very restrained, criticism of actions taken by the occupying authorities seized ratty. the situation in crimea was not much better. thus, is midday. what about the problem that russia is constantly taking political prisoners in the crimea must carrying out large scale repression issues. it's a really bad domestic political situation there. hm. guardian is especially for those who are loyal to ukraine, isn't a primarily crimean totters and ukrainians and all krajina. in june 2021, the e. u leadership passed a resolution condemning russia. they called on moscow to cease human rights

violations against crimean charters and members of other local communities. a month earlier, zalinski had held a press conference marking the 2nd anniversary of his tenure as president. he was eager to be seen as a strong leader with a pro reform agenda. and chief among the points he addressed was a builds, would limit corruption and the power of the oligarchs zalinski owed his presidency to one such tycoon. e hor, column whiskey whose one plus one tv channel had been a driving force behind his campaign. column whiskey was a controversial figure who had already been a player in ukrainian politics for many years. i'd scuba no. this could be as governor of the neighbor petros gretchen, for example. you feel if he financed a number of voluntary units that also defended ukraine against russia,

colon weiss ocala mirsky was able to as it were, position himself as a pro ukrainian oligarchy, carina charlotte and without a doubt ordered. so i thought it was very important that the southeast of ukraine remained stable to believe myth to some avi palomo sky was co owner of the pre wire to bunk odds vitals exists in and in 2016 if as part of the banking reforms you or your color moist keith private bank was nationalized were the 1st utley. it was nationalized to save ukraine's financial system. and the bank itself there from collapse in port . so that was zelinski. now in power colon whiskey wanted to reclaim the bank and money he said had been stolen from him.

the international monetary fund warned ukraine, it would withhold $8000000000.00 and funding if the bank was returned to column whiskey. for zalinski, a litmus test. russ via what we've seen under zalinski is that he was very restrained when it came to color mosquito. the shock zelinski withstood pressure from the oligarchs and back to bill that would prevent the return of nationalized banks to their previous owners. ah young machine, darker but dying among just goes are going on those as a journalist? yes. are those the last boy which is chablis? the thermal and say is like on the prayer you keep a winner this the dual grain school economical. yet minimum. when i'm nimble with him, though his feet, thee eat the ball more t,

grania summers on us because they're all the eyes of their i a math and you and washington, where on this gaze, zaleski, even if you wanted actually had no wiggle room because it's such an important case off of transparency in october 2020 of further challenge for zalinski. this time from the countries judiciary, ukraine's constitutional court issued a ruling that struck down parts of the anti corruption legislation. and the in doing so, the constitutional court not only sat us back several years in terms of underbrush . now france is also ah aims. so i think what, what the russ with russia and, and, and the oleg are saying that is the,

the very relationship between the pain of west, which was that house was built by things rush. i mean, uh huh. no problem, protestors demanded that the court judges resign. zalinski the self styled servant of the people responded. he submitted a bill to the parliament, declaring the court's ruling null and void. and he too called on the judges to quit . mm. yes, i shy think we reacted quickly. designed correctly. ah crowley nod for it's part the use anti corruption body, criticized the bill, calling it a blatant breach of the constitution. escape. nice. no da, home. it's not just about firing people. zone and it's about gradual renewal. put

said using transparent procedures who faced on certain legal principles, iep, ian, and the problem dinner is that zalinski and his someone who has no experience in dealing with institution in ski and institutional procedures ongoing. as far as i can see, that he has a problem with following procedure or blame it puts into another zalinski bill was withdrawn, even members of his own party rejected the bill as unconstitutional. in early february 2021, sir lensky launched a fresh attempt to curb brush an influence in ukraine. the french does have some new guy in the pretty good village. as you know, each this just recently presidents, the landscape personally closed down 3 ukrainian t v stations by decree. but that was because they were pro russian america good.

that says a lot about press freedom in ukraine, a p church exposure, grade blue. the broadcasters in question were controlled by vladimir poaching closest ally and ukraine, vick through mid vit. joke up to there's no getting around the fact that these stations, and indeed everything supported by mister med that shook our platform or malignant russian influence in ukraine. but you know, the move was supported by the us and britain. but the e u was circumspect insisting the move should not come at the expense of media freedom. when then, of course, mister med, that shook has a great argument for telling his voters in the east his will. this is on democratic . even europe agrees with me and therein lies the danger.

so, lensky stood his ground, sat come only to slum this is about broadcast his and information policy visit from whites about the fight against misinformation and cybersecurity, sad. but i know these 3 stations are actually the voice of another country in the sovereign state of ukraine. send them mostly. it's not acceptable you. their funding is a flow of money from various sources that isn't including from the occupied territories, judge them just a little boy, when you did a thorny business, certain individuals linked to these broadcasters, do business with terrorists. he yaki might of an alleged niece. dorothy cannot. mm. back home, the president saw his support dwindling in october 2021. the pandora papers alleged zalinski involvement and clandestine offshore deals. ready

yeah, i had been hoping soleski was not part of the system for a man who could drain this disgusting swan if you look at, but he's fallen into it himself. you live them? yes, it is for me zalinski as an actor director and that's it. a good actor, a very good director, a talented man and that respect to him. but as a president, he's a nobody as 0. but instead of being a leader, he's led by others by jill lou in local elections in october 2020 votes for sale and skis, party servant of the people plummeted. if you look at the southeast of ukraine, you have quite stronger and strong support for the opposition. look for live, that's a former patio for president general coverage and they use media resources. they

use the internet. ah, one of their such new political parties of chevy that is completely digital in a way offer his friends his ideas, through youtube, years to 1000000 followers. and they are really vicious. the message is that he is being projecting. they are very disrespectful to the office of the president. mm. the drubbing at the bulls was a serious disappointment. but there was another source of frustration, a sense that europe demanded a code of conduct in ukraine that they did not adhere to themselves. a notable example, germany yob looks often dodged in germany. we have a lot of influential people who for example, after quit and politics are recruited, take stream li,

lucrative positions lost in russian companies. vill oh, would that get a minute? yes. fluids you? um promotion, unless you look on only in germany, there have been people in aid and industry and in the political world have been major supporters of putin, especially in recent years. she put in and they have close ties to potent the lead rationally and such as gas prom and other elements. i is serv. sake though there was substantial cooperation with germany. you can, i mean just as that there would be just the darkness vitamins get minute below which is seen him. busy meanwhile, germany had its own issues with russia. in the spring of 2020 berlin called for further sanctions on moscow. in retaliation for a cyber attack on the german parliament in 2015 and the contract killing of a georgian citizen in bruin,

there was growing cause for germany to take action against moscow, even to abandon the north stream 2 gas pipeline project. 2 of you just sent us, ma'am, we hear repeatedly that in order to deal with russia, we should take far tougher measures and challenge individual large scale economic projects. and that's where the name nord stream to comes out. it's been spike the pipeline would supply russian jazz fire, the baltic sea to germany, socum navigating ukraine. and that will deprive ukraine of the round 2000000000 income in transfer fees from, you know, from this gas and in systems, especially by germany. that this is purely business project, not political project, to trying to prevent nordstrom choose completion than

u. s. president donald trump imposed sanctions on the companies involved in its construction. nordstrom to is a totally political project by russia. and then if there are any issues that russia then wants to use and apply pressure on ukraine or pressure on the baltic states or pressure on poland, germany on why and says, oh, will stand up for the interests of those countries. but russia knows that a won't want to interrupt that business relationship with russia. ah, president zalinski had hoped for more support from the west. william suby, midnight bull, ned, thy bull. yet to reach us because imagine i bullshit that the god forbid 1000000 each. god forbid, in a gardonia, i'll say it 3 times face. god forbid that this should happen. imagine there

a troops on the border of a european state, such as germany, e new mac and germany is firing on these troops in the land. these troops are shooting at germany and see the scar city laird. all ye matching e wrapped them big. you my it's and i asked man, let's say you have a war where there's shooting and people being killed. sla aveena bully paused to delete it, move out you continue working with a country on an independent industrial project and then called node strain. as brett c e u crane, now bit nashville, give nation pitching. the answer is obvious iep, but no her and dawn lead that have jordan as even obaskey, no european head of state would be supported by the population. yes, if they said one is look, this is about the economy economical. this is about geo politics unless we watched this project will boost the economy of this country. your war with ye green z up

will we avoid? would ceiling ish. what you said? blue. blue. germany's commitment to north street. you also created friction with its european union partners that you had said targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. and scaling up the use of renewable energy is in the misty del appeased on your own. about investing, we are members of the european union that in certain areas it, we're prone to compromising our common you policy of the deck. and that's precisely the weak spot that the kremlin is working towards every day. the funny but so it does feel and i firmly believe that we do not get any respect and the kremlin

either in come big nissan kind of a spect via that's because we tend to be naive one and take the money 5 ya, we pursue our own interests 5 and because the noblest standards we set out in our policy making the claim based on certain values, even aj are evidently not being reinforced. as they shad cleveland via 10 distinct est least deem via enough. anon, vegas could i, joseph robinson by the junior. your salary is where i will faithfully deserve infecting the fan, and i say so help you. god, so help me god. the regulations in january 2021, joe biden was sworn in as the new president of the united states. zalinski was

among the 1st to congratulate him, ali selection only to receive a muted response. then his hut feeling either to the biden camp had been put off by some of zalinski, his actions on zelinski game as is each bit. remember the phone call between so lance can trump when soleski made all sorts of strange remarks. i'm not going to do martha. gerald mused ship. i'm glad me stripes in the law, but i was noticing the baton unit. little did. i appreciate that the new administration was dealing with internal security and other domestic issues and missouri december. i'm beaty, i was waiting for a coal, but not for myself as an o for photos of me with the president of the u. s. store, i blame no. not for that. no. but to see if we could build a new relationship even to re boots out there by them to get

a sense from president biden, that we hadn't lost anything of bulky as bees even more that there might be an increase in health and support for ukraine. there because he knows ukraine better than president cramp, crashing nice or is done through putting was likewise eager to talk to prison in biden, if he can position russia as the equal of the united states. that diminishes france and germany and european union gave making his job in europe easier. and he knows that the u. s. will not have the sustainable engagement and attention, especially at the highest levels that europe puts into these issues. so it's a tactic for trying to divide and weaken trans atlantic community, and particularly to diminish europe.

by late march 2021, russia had begun deploying military equipment and troops along the border with ukraine. in clark, even eastern ukraine, putting still had his supporters. but i see, go, what would have happened if there was no russian army was, he's got a ukrainian army would have wiped dumbass off the face of the earth. it's as you leave dunbar. although elsewhere, people were nervous awe session which that's a very sad situation. and in fact, i think futon has plans to repeat 2014 and occupy more of ukraine grain to the surprise of. so observers poaching and did his demonstration of military power on the ukrainian border. a summit with president biden fed putins narrative

that russia was still a superpower. emma kind guy, i'm. he made no secret of his coffee. he wants to go back to ya. alta, he wants to go back to zones of inflexible. and that 1st and foremost includes ukraine, of course. okay. ah. but ukraine did have support, can made 2021. zalinski announced that 30 countries had signed the crimea platform initiative calling for the g occupation of the crimean peninsula. ah, bill declares lincoln took him. when did we say i see blood for the processing? it was a building, but he had a ministry. the crimea platform was similar to the normandy format,

except that russia was absent with that same month, u. s. secretary of state and johnny blink in flu to achieve their he called on russia to stop its reckless and aggressive actions towards ukraine. washington pledged $125000000.00 in military aid while saying it was looking into what would be helpful to ukraine. right now, i will continue to strengthen our security partnership and close collaboration with you to make sure that you train and defend himself against a against regression with the united states, remain the key player for both moscow and peeve in russia itself. the use role was

seen as less paramount no more to be does lead rapidly eruptive williston, maybe there were some western european countries that wanted something different money keep would you let you follow the americans like little poodles? can you visual? i don't see any european point of view that would distinguish europe from the united states that each of the roku, scared what finished up on a visit to berlin in july 2021. so lensky made it clear that he wanted the u. s. involved in future talks with russia. yes, view germany and france could not resolve this conflict on their own. at the same times and lensky worried about just how much you support, he could count on the nordstrom to pipeline issue surfaces

repeatedly. washington and keith had previously been united in their objection to the controversial pipeline. then bite him, relented to pressure from berlin, and dropped sanctions against companies involved in the project. generally means we'll just have them give them a 15 or would i understand that the united states is officially saying that 95 percent of the nodes drain pipeline was completed yet before our new administration took office of waiting. ve private, the rosamille, 95 percent is already in place. so what can we do that net dot double double? the answer is clear. it's a simple question of mathematics e, yet you don't allow the remaining 5 percent to be completed in fiscal tow. ah, and if the united states bends under this pressure, lynn,

russia has basically achieved its goal gazelle and has shown everyone who the real power broker is on the political math. no help and teaching in june 2021, president biden invited zalinski to the white house. washington in berlin, proposed compensating ukraine for revenue last to nordstrom to heave, objected saying that accepting compensation would be tantamount to giving into russia. but it proved to be a losing battle. ringback ringback ringback ringback ringback ringback ringback ah. ringback ringback ringback ringback perceive the issue of nordstrom to served as a reminder that support for ukraine was conditional. further,

u. s. military aid was put on hold until ukraine could show progress on military reforms. the west would not engage in a direct military confrontation with russia. the you was divided while berlin and paris tried to talk to pigeon eastern european partners, insisted russia change its behavior 1st. ah, and for ukraine, nieto membership seemed a distant prospect. meanwhile, putting showed no sign of leaving crimea or ending support for the pro russian separatists in don bus piece remained elusive as wind of what bal, preteen, ojo d, i don't see painted, aim, both in different connotation with year after left to arm to contract. you'll have

a cook ah, ethel c army, but i don't see him backing down in the new plan. okay. and seeking a closely. so the kind. ringback she and. ringback ringback ringback ringback ringback had been willing to sacrifice a lot for its independence even when its allies didn't come through for the form of comedian followed him. you're zalinski. the role of president was no laughing matter with cushion of cleanliness shorts. emotional because of difficult if you are you sure you want to show this on tv. i bought

a chunk of ships. i've learned a lot is there was a me of show. i realized that i had all that inside me. she said spot, when you as for the presidency, it's complicated or no one more, although it does teach you a lot, a b $1100.00 killer. mad at. yeah. but she didn't. 2021. ukraine celebrated 30 years of democracy. what no one knew then is that the ukrainian people and their president would soon show they were willing to lay down their lives to defend it. ah

ah ah, freedom and security are essential to their way of life. oh, but how is that affected by their proximity to russia? let ask been verified as the happiest people in the world. most of them believe in peace. but would that change their erratic neighbor is feeling for vote, global $3000.00. in 30 minutes on

d w. m. small acts can inspire big changes to meet the people making it go africa joined them as they set out to save the environment, learn from one another and work together for a better future. ah many thoughts to you all for choosing it to africa for 90 minutes on d. w. o . o does a war and eternity time? it can be measured precisely. indeed, every one experiences it differently as if there are different forms of time. time

. ah, a phenomenon, a dimension, if we know we won't live forever, an illusion. about time presenting futures past starts april 14th on d, w. ah, this is d w. news, and these are our top stories. u. s. military analysts say russian forces are nearly in full control of the city of mar you pole and are closing in on traps ukrainian forces. russia says it is killed or captured almost 100 ukrainian troops attempting to escape the cities may. it says the continued bombardment has killed thousands of residents. ukrainian officials say they've captured.