form a cast member of saturday night live was also known as the voice of the parish in the animated film. aladdin gottfried was 67 and you're up to date here on t w. dock film is up next. i'm jared rate in belvin. have a great day, ah, take your time for an experiment about time. it can be measured precisely. and yet each person experiences it differently as if there are different forms of time. the dimension and illusion about time starts april 14th on d w. ah.

ringback 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 caused some 14000 people's lives. countless homes were destroyed, and communities devastated. was russia planning to invade? dow dead on by. don bass itself is not the cause of the conflict, was the cause of the conflict as a larger geopolitical constellation. ukraine's president followed amir zalinski said his russian counterpart was challenging the west to young budgets, should sibyl for me, it was borne out of a desire to assert power. i know a show of strength to 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 your role. and vladimir putin was expecting a week response a been me a knish seeka up till i'm not sure that the european union is really prepared to seriously challenge the kremlin and come with me. 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. it will new all food this 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 to verbally,

alex ukrainian president followed him years. the lensky visited the frontline, accompanied by tv cameras and battle ready troops. he wanted to show that his country was willing and able to fight, but it seemed puttin had achieved his go printing 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 through the rushes 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 in eastern ukraine . complete fabrication. the you had made efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. but there were doubts as to whether poaching was even interested. i can 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, he never heard anyone say russia needs to work with us. russia needs to engage with us mm. in ukraine itself. these developments were seen with widespread disappointment. just look out which one to be honest there. sure 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 with me.

as to the question of what should be done? opinion was still divided when we filmed this and suppose it was the hope of your thought it was over. well, does she do it just leave dunbar 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. i did, you will if someone like britain for example, wants to leave the european union, then they have every right to do. so could you thrive. i just put the, which would 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 yet decent origins 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 creegan. and let me prove it all she knew. 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 alex sation of the peninsula in 2014, in violation of international law. consolidated russian access to the strategically important black c. so lensky himself was a novice on the political stage. prior to his election in 2019, he had played a fictional precedent on tv. i was only, john, only you will not who do not see our glliam

at mistletoe. first up, the woman was blowing us tonight. ah, zalinski wrote and start in the satirical show. his election turned fiction into a reality which neither blood 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 a beauty that mother me. the top priority is strong relations and military assistance. these god, the balmore, la man ability for me, the priority is pacing ukraine to mall and every one who can bring that about every one who can be pro active rock tip. shortly after becoming president, 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, ukraine's military positioning is mostly defensive for other than offensive. so did diplomatic track remains very important. in november 2019 president in manuel mac wrong 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 norman d 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. we said we're here to day because we believe in our victory. oh, if not, we're also here to prevent our defeat. i'm afraid. what are we sincerely wish the ukrainian delegation success to morrow graves give deliver to the protesters feared that zelinski would accept a plan bleed out 3 years earlier by that than german foreign minister, frank voucher shine. maya. that proposal aim to if i the implementation of the minsk agreements the stein meyer formula envisaged free and fair elections in the dawn bus under ukrainian law. all 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 shy 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 then rubber stamp russian control overdone, busted the summit, ended without a break through blue b i o. those little 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 it, to interpret means protocols, the way cave interprets them an 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 easton, 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 on which service history for author samaya here expressing any support for ukraine or for europe, and they can see you put in jail or tortured. oh, lou, the talk of mother or even abducted and executed them in the forum, infect valley up all night. it's her vicar than the stretching in. 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! jani care eleanor. so what's ironic as see and again, dresser is that the russian authorities now decided to burden the european court of human rights and with legal actions against the ukrainians they to see to it's a tactic always used by the kremlin and it's intelligent services. and he says, take our own system and use it against asada. and victim in this case is quite clearly we knew enough ukraine. latina evie demo see you can ah, 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 sher several 1000 people questions before. it's hard to establish the exact number right now, have faced reprisals to, to their political beliefs. i'm humbled 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 in as it, as my marilee crimean totters and ukrainians and ocarina. 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. so lensky owed his presidency to one such tycoon. e hor color mosquito 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 naval patrol. gretchen, for example, you feel if he financed a number of voluntary units that also defended ukraine against russia. column wise

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 at the southeast of ukraine remained stable to believe miss to some avi palomo sky was co owner of the previous debunked on 5000 system. and in 2016 if as part of the banking reforms you hoary hor call the 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 zalinski. 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 or ski foster lensky, 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 national i spanked to their previous owners. ah young machine or the dang among just goes are going on. those are the journalist yards. are those the last boy who, which assembly be thermal and says on the prayer, you keep a women's against the do going school economical, yet. minimum, the naming, pulling him that his feet, thee in the pull, marty grainy summers on us because there all the i saw there. i a

math and you and washington, where on this case, the last, even if you wanted actually had no wiggle room, because it's such an important case. off of transparency in october 2020 a further challenge for so lensky 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 june saw the constitutional court. not only i sat us back several years in terms of underbrush that france is also ah, aim to. so i think what about the rush with russia and, and the oligarchs, and that is the, the very relationship with when you print of west,

which was that house was built by the rush. i mean, uh huh. no problem. protesters demanded that the court judges resign. zelinski, 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. yeah. was i shy? i think we reacted quickly. designed correctly. oh, growling, for its part, the use anti corruption body criticized the bill, calling it a blatant breach of the constitution escaped nice, no damage, not just about firing people, zone and it's about gradual renewal,

puts it using transparent procedures based on certain legal principles, iep urine, and the problem, dina, is that so lensky is 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. what's the dwaa? 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 russian influence in ukraine. the french deserves him new governor, pretty davinsky. as you know, each this just recently presidents, a landscape personally closed down 3 ukrainian t v stations by decree. but i would say because they were crow russian at the mo

good that says a lot about press freedom in ukraine, a p church of 1st grade blue . the broadcasters in question were controlled by vladimir putin closest ally in ukraine, vic through mid vit. joke. after there is 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. krajina. the move was supported by the us and britain . but the e, you was circumspect insisting the move should not come at the expense of media freedom. when then of course mr. med bed, chuck has a great argument for telling his voters in the east to his will. this is on democratic. even europe agrees with me and therein lies the danger.

so and ski stood his ground sat. connelly. sloane this is about broadcast is and information policy visit for them. it's about the fight against misinformation and cybersecurity said, but i love these 3 stations are actually the voice of another country in the sovereign state of ukraine. said nam was lead. it's not acceptable. you there funding is a flow of money from various sources that isn't including from the occupied territories. judge, tim just will, will go bull, when you did a thorny business, certain individuals linked to these broadcast as do business with terrorists. he yaki might of an alleged miss, 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

i'd been hoping soleski was not part of the system for a man who could drain this disgusting swan even look at, but he's fallen into it himself. you over you 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 in local elections. in october 2020 votes for zalinski party servant of the people plummeted. ah, 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, one of their such new political parties of chevy that is completely digital in a way offer his friends his ideas through you and you peers, 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 polls 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 yeah, would be willing to indulge in germany. we have a lot of influential people who, for example, after quit and politics are recruited, take streamline,

lucrative positions, lost in russian companies. vill oh is that get a minute? yes. fluids you? um, from ocean, 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 proteins, the li, rationally and such as gas prom and other elements. oh, i is of sake though there was substantial cooperation with germany. you can i me just as that there would be just the darkness vitamins get minute below which is seen him. 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 calls for germany to take action against moscow, even to abandon the north stream to gas pipeline project 2 of unit 10, thus among we hear repeatedly that in order to deal with russia, we should take far tougher measures. hm. and challenge individual large scale economic projects. and that's where the name nord stream to comes out. spike the pipeline would supply russian jazz fire the baltic sea to germany, circumnavigated ukraine. and that will deprive ukraine of around 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 juice completion. then

u. s. president donald trump imposed sanctions of the companies involved in its construction. nordstrom to is a purely 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 the one hand 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. we have them. so be midnight bull ned. thy bull yet to reach us. because imagine i warship that the god forbid. no, each god forbid in a gardonia, i'll say it 3 times. faith, god forbid that this should happen. imagine there are truths on the border of

a european state, such as germany, e, you make and germany is firing on these troops a land. these troops are shooting at germany at c, v. scott, city laird, bull, you manchin. eat wrapped them. but you might and i asked men, let's say you have a war where there's shooting and people being killed, slow v. now, bully pulls to deliver it, but you continue working with a country on an independent industrial project in the cold node stream as the bread c e u gray, you know, big knoxville, p. nietzschian put you, the answer is obviously, but no current dolan lead that. if jordan as euro pay asked no european head of state would be supported by the population. if they said one is look, this is about the economy economical as is about to your politics. unless we watched this project will boost the economy of this country. your war with ye,

graham. zip, were we of or you it would sit in each voice. you've said, oh oh, germany's committee street. you also created friction with its european union partners that you had set 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 tug does feel and i firmly believe that we do not get any respect and the kremlin either in

come thinking nissan kind a spect via that is because we tend to be naive on and take the money 5 year we pursue our own interests 5 and because the noblest standards we set out and our policy making the claim based on certain values on until evidently not being reinforced as they shad cleveland, via 10 ish, tim ist least deem via enough alive yes. could oh, joseph robinson by the junior do solemnly swear, and i will face away reserve protecting 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 on his election, only to receive a muted response. then his hut feel it is a time to biden camp, had been put off by some of the landscape actions on zelinski game energy this bit . remember, the phone call between so lance can't trump them. when so lensky made all sorts of strange remarks. i'm not going to do martha gills. me. she had me stripes in the law, but i was noticing the baton you moved. i appreciate that the new administration was dealing with internal security and other domestic issues and as are out there. sadly, i'm beaty. i was waiting for a coal 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 boot santa by them to get

a sense from president biden, that we hadn't lost anything of ocoee as bees even more said there might be an increase in health and support for you. crime fair because he knows ukraine better than president crump crashing yes, i was done through putting was likewise eager to talk to president biden. if he can position russia as the equal of the united states. that diminishes france and germany and europe has, 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. poaching still had his supporters. but i see go, what would have happened if there was no russian army? let us go. ukrainian army would have wiped on bass off the face of the earth. it's not the lead on board. although elsewhere, people were nervous ah, session, which it'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 some observers putting into this demonstration of military power on the ukrainian border. a summit with president biden fed putins narrative that russia was still

a superpower. emma kind i'm, he made no secret of as cozy. he wants to go back to you alta, he wants to go back to zones of and fled from that. and that 1st and foremost includes ukraine, of course. okay. ah. but ukraine did have support. in may 2021. zalinski announced that 30 countries had signed the crimea platform initiative calling for the de occupation of the crimean peninsula. ah, well did 1st like it took them land, they 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 jenny 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 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 drop with me a little bit 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 free? i don't see any european point of view that would distinguish europe from the united states that the child roku skirt would finished up on a visit to berlin. in july 2021, sir 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. generals means we'll just have them there, get the o v tina. would i understand that the united states is officially saying that 95 percent of the nodes drain pipeline was completed 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? dotted double de la, 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 as well. and has shown everyone who the real

power broker is on the political math night hillbilly teaching. cut 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 perceived 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 in paris tried to talk to pudding, 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. peace remained elusive as wind of what bal, preteen, ojo d. i don't see parent at all moving from connotation with year after that to aren't contracts, you'll have a cook, a coffee army,

but i don't see him backing down in the new plan. okay. and seeking a place he so he can. 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 volota mir zalinski. the role of president was no laughing matter. with bush the spelling is shorter, emotional because of the people. if you are you sure you want to show this on tv? i about the chung of ships i've learnt a lot. is there was

a me of show that i realized that i had all that inside me. she said spot when, as for the presidency. but it's complicated along, although it does teach you a lot, a b 11. a good cover bad that she 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. with

the war hoses. a challenge for the economy calls for a boycott of russian gas are growing louder. but what would a supply fries mean? countries with their own liquid gas reserves have a clear advantage. how can europe free itself from gas dependency made in germany? in 30 minutes on d. w. with

interest, the global economy, our portfolio d w business beyond. here the closer look out, the project were mission to analyze the fight for market dominance. if this is west, good is still the head with the w business beyond. what does war do to people or hatred and violence inherited from generation to generation and award winning documentary searches for answers for 2 years. the author accompanies us sell a fist family in northern syria insights into the isolated

world of radical islamists, a film about family, faith, masculinity, of fathers and sons starts april 16th 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 mario pole and are closing in on traps ukrainian forces. russia says it is killed or captured almost $100.00 ukrainian troops attempting to escape the cities . mad says the continued bombardment has killed thousands of reza.