since the start of the russian invasion of ukraine on february 24th, some that predicted that vladimir putin's aim would be to end the war at the latest by today. when the world has never perfected, predicting putin. we become much better at recognizing the past, according to potent today was victory day in russia, a celebration of the soviet defeat over nazi germany. now the war ended 77 years ago. but for putin the battle it still rages all. i'm brit gulf in berlin. this is the day, ah, i see you b roacher calls on the west to an honest dialogue. there is no occupier who can take root in alfred land. the memory of all has always framed our future. and the nato block started active military colonization of territories belonging to

us. that there is no invited who can rule that out, free, peopled, sooner or later with all in vain. and that is all the more important at a time when the unthinkable has returned to our company to our view was watching on p b. s. in the united states into all of you around the world. welcome. we begin the day with the russian president to attempt to recast his country's past, hoping that it will in credibility to the lies that he is telling about the present . to day was victory day in russia when the country remembers and celebrates the soviet defeat of nazi germany. military pride from 945 military misinformation from 2022. despite the setbacks in ukraine potent praised his armed forces to day for what they are doing, they are still refusing to call it a war by name. thousands of troops and military vehicles joined to parade on red square. the array of weapons on display was cut because of commitments fighting in

ukraine. usually the focus of the celebrations is on the past. on the victories and the sacrifices of what russians called the great patriotic war. but this year has been different. president putin has claimed that he wants to d nazi fi. ukraine put used his speech to blame western countries to day for provoking his attack on ukraine. and he falsely claimed that they were planning to invade russia. and that keith planned to obtain a nuclear weapon that i see a bizarre russia calls on the west to an honest dialogue to search for reasonable mutual solutions to take into account each other's interests, all in vain. the nato countries did not want to hear us, which means, and in fact, they had completely different plans, and we saw it. there were open preparations for another punitive operation. and don, this, it led us for an incursion into our historic lands,

including crimea. cave announced possible acquisition of nuclear weapons wasn't, and the nato block started active military colonization of territories belonging to us in there. so an absolutely unacceptable threat for us was created directly near our borders that you then you put a young le let us. and for more denied, i'm joined now by retired. lieutenant general, been hodges, he's a former commanding general of the u. s. army here in europe. it's good to see you again this evening. there's a lot to talk about tonight. so i want to start with what the russian president didn't say to day. he surprised a lot of people by not declaring any kind of victory in ukraine and not moving russia to a war footing with a full military mobile zation. and what's your read on that? so when that's a good observation, i mean there were several things that were missing from what so many people had expected to hear or see today. first of all, there was, i mean,

there was no own from, it was a lack of enthusiasm. it was, you know, there was stuff there but it, it didn't have the feel. busy of a nation that is winning in a major conflict with such high stakes as the president describe them. and it also didn't have to feel that, you know, they were getting ready to really launch into something. i didn't, you didn't feel any momentum coming out of it. it was smaller, you mean frankly than usual not as much hard. busy with the fly over was supposedly cancel because of weather i would, i would defer to them, but we'll see what's left no declaration of victory. i know what our declaration of war no escalation and not even a private, a call to mobile as a general mobilization. so, so no call to arms, if you will. the whole focus was on connect and russian people trying to, legitimize what they're doing in ukraine by connecting it to what happened in 1945

. and i think it was not that big a deal. we know that western intelligence sources were briefing that mister putin had told his generals to produce a victory for him by today by may. 9th is the lack of a victory claim. is it assigned that the russian military is failing or have western intelligence agencies been somewhat off the mark here? so actually i would say that our intelligence um has been very good going back to before 24 february were remarkably accurate. and i also liked the way that we have shared it publicly on certain things which really got the kremlin on the back foot. that was important. i think the, the problem for the russians is that they have no victory to celebrate. i mean,

every single thing they have tried to do has generally failed even mariel, which should have been gone in the 1st week. you still have these incredibly tough ukrainian troops that are still holding out. and i think these guys are going to be compared to the 300 spartans for a long time. and so there's, there was not something the depressions could really put a flag in. and, you know, we, we seem here in the west to have been surprised by the lack of the russian military's ability to, to move quickly when the invasion began. they couldn't take, keep. now, there are reports coming out vet, inside russia, that the military is having trouble convincing particularly young men to in list. how serious of a threat to, i guess the viability of the russian military. do you see that being? yeah, they, that's a great point. they have a serious manpower problem. first of all, the population of russia, about

a 140000000, so not a large population for such a huge country. they have generally avoided conscripting any soldiers from moscow or saint petersburg. so the 2 main population centers actually are not proportionately represented in the armed forces in the ranks. and there are reports that not only are soldiers who are deployed are beginning to disobey. busy orders or refusing orders, but also people even traditionally do not show up 100 percent for conscription date. and i think this is part of the reason why we did not see a call for general mobilization because it would be humiliating to have large percentages of russians who supposedly are so supportive of what the kremlin is doing to not report for, for

a mobilization. instead with the office that runs mobilization for the russian minister, defense sent out an invite. would anybody like to do this? so they're, they're having some serious manpower problems. and i really have to say, i am surprised that mr. shaw ago still has his job in his head, and he's been mr. defense now for almost 8 years. so he, he sort of presides over this whole thing and when you say you are surprised. so what, what do you think it means? i mean, we, we've, we've seen some public dress downing of intelligence officials in russia, but we have one report and he needs the generals. he needs the military on his side and he knows that's, that's the nature of an author, authoritarian state. so, i mean, how stable is everything inside when you consider that? you know, no heads have been raleigh? yeah, that's a good point. i'm sure. desert,

but i didn't see general gresham off today. um he clearly general garage some of the chief of the general staff. i would typically have been there featured prominently camera had a ro instead. sure. go who is the defense minister played the, the senior military commander can are all today. i don't know. i've been looking at speculation all day about wives are awesome. i was not there. some people think he was wounded in an attack for several days ago when he was visiting one of the headquarters. so some people think he's, you know, maybe he's really busy. and then some have speculated that maybe he's been pushed aside. i didn't see lap rob either for, for mr. lever off, mom was not featured in any of the other thing. so maybe sure he was still there because he got rid of gressick. i don't know. i shouldn't even speculate. but this is something that we always did in the cold war was watch who's up there on the of

the politburo, you know, who's standing next to the secretary general and communist party on these big events who's standing close. so that's what i was doing today was trying to figure out who was. busy and who wasn't? yeah, i mean it's like ghost of the soviet union on display, on red and layer again. addict general been hodges as always, we appreciate your time and your valuable insights tonight. thank you. thanks for the privilege. we'll ukraine, celebrated the end of the 2nd world war in europe just a day earlier. the country hosted candidates prime minister justin trudeau and the u. s. first lady joe biden grinning president, board of miss lensky released a video message to mark the occasion. and he said that ukraine will one day celebrate to victory days, jordan movies, and that same day we celebrate victory de ever naziism. we will not allow anyone to annex its victory. we will not allow it to be appropriated, not working with our enemy dram that we would refuse to celebrate. may the 9th and

the victory of naziism. so the word d not suffocation, gets a chance to melissa with those the will you and we will always fight for ourselves to our freedom for our independence. but it said that the victory of our ancestors was not in vain or him. they fought for freedom for us, and one but him. we are fighting for freedom for our children and therefore we will win. would flee, did they? how would you put a mortal? isn't very soon. that will be to victory dazing crank, congratulations on the victory day of nazis and glory to ukraine. m. o. great insolence. your wartime president, the war rages on. the city of nikolai is on the front lines of the war in southern ukraine. it's been hit by russian attacks time and time again since march and is now blocking and advanced by moscow's forces towards odessa or correspondent mathias bellinger accompanied the ukrainian army on the front lines near mc alive. and they spoke to residents who have lived through the onslaught

stubborn dreams shattered lives destroyed by 8 russian bombs. the southern ukrainian city of mich alive has been plagued by bombing and shelling since the beginning of the war. alexander was sitting in his garden in early march when 2 planes flew overhead dropping bombs. lou below the gas bill there were explosions. there was white smoke everywhere. above it took off the roof and the fence which is so bull was over there is but 2 people died. oh, the quill. it was a clear day. so bill they were flying low, low. i knew they must have seen that there are no soldiers here with nicole. yes. well yeah, just as civilians. okay. would you like the fighting continues in the region during our visit. it was here in mac alive that

the russian advice was stopped. now the city is blocking a rush in advance towards odessa, but the price is destruction. in late march the governor's resident's became at target. this building was hit by a russian clever messiah the obvious target. being the governor who has been one of the most important public figures during this war. the river on good morning we're from ukraine. through last night they bombed and be bombed and bombed. we are from ukraine, the opening line of italy. kim's daily video has become famous, being at the frontline, his videos are watched all over the country, the governor as a close ally to president zalinski shopping with him. no chance for now to ah, to get through our defense. so i don't think they had no forces to get through our defense for now was for, for a, for a couple days at less. for now, pressure on the city has eased

a priorities to restore water supplies for 3 weeks. now the tops in the city have run dry. wood williams says we are fighting and overcoming all difficulties. we always hope for the best. i think hope for the future and optimism. i probably characteristic traits of ukrainian people come with nothing can break us. you thought you didn't know much is in life within the next week, the city administration has promised tap water will be running again. and my next guest tonight is the historian, norman di mark. he is a professor of eastern european studies at stanford university of the u. s, professor, it's good to have you on the program that there is so much to talk about, especially today with this war in ukraine. i know that one of your focus is, is on genocide and ethnic cleansing in the 20th century. what we have seen in just

the past few months in ukraine and looks like war crimes and it's, it's also easier to day to documented and to provide the evidence. do we realize the significance of what is have been, what has been done against people in this war, or is it still too fresh? how do you see it? well, i think both, both things that you mention are true, which is that in one hand, it's completely obvious that war crimes have been and are being committed not just war crimes, but other categories of cracks and crimes against humanity. you know, carrying out a war of aggression and then the 4th category of crimes that is managed by the i c . c just. now we don't know exactly. i mean, part of your question indicates that we don't know exactly what's going on. we don't know what happened exactly in mario poll for example. and it's too early

in some cases to say for example, but it's genocide, it could well be that what the ukrainians are experiencing are all, all 4 categories of crimes that are mentioned by international tribunal in when we look at what happened today in moscow with the victory, day parade. we heard from us officials today saying, you know, they found themselves doing what they did during the soviet era looking to see who was there by the president and, and he wasn't. and we look at that when we look at the atrocities and ukraine, it feels like we have gone back to the, to the past in just the past few months. is president booted? is he a master? at re crafting a narrative that we thought had been put to the history books and you know, deliver it to the 20th century. well, it's certainly, i don't know if he's

a master, but bruton certainly is fitting into the tradition. you know, of the victory day speeches by going back to russian heroes, you know, in earlier periods by referring to the victory in the 2nd world war is the great patriotic, more victory. what was the soviet people now? it's the russian people. and then, you know, putting in the war against ukraine, you know, which he called today, a preemptive strike. in other words, he said something slightly new today and that speech and that was that he was you know, he acted, you know, to defend them is not really new, but to defend russia against ukrainian nationalists. fascists. and they are american and nato backers. so he fit that narrative

into the old narrative, the old soviet narrative of having one the victory against nazis. and we hear time and time again that devoted me putin. we know that he thinks that the end of the soviet union was a horrible geopolitical disaster. and that it's believe that he would like to restore the russian empire, the greatness of that is that something that lives only in this man and when he is no longer with that dream from the 19th century will be gone. or how realistic is it for him to instill that, for the next generation to make that something salient to the 21st century for the russians? well, this notion of, you know, reconstructing the russian empire is not unique to clearly. and that there are many, many people in russia know who listen to that message in response to it. and that there are many people in the leadership who share that point of view. you know,

that the great russian nation, you know, deserves and higher. and then you train, you know, is part of that empire, a natural part of it. and so in that sense, you know, the imperial ambitions of moscow today, you know, relate to those of the soviet period. and then to the pre soviet period, you know, to this ours. and so it's nothing unique about, i mean, what's unique about him as that he was willing, it's not unique. i mean, there were other people in the crime and you were also ready to do this. but what was, what was striking about what he did was to conduct an aggressive war against you. k . i mean, to invade a sovereign country, as he did, i think that was, you know, a mistake on his part. and it was also something, you know, they do both ukraine and russia to this terrible war, which is going to exact,

you know, still, you know, and toward, we still don't know exactly how much it's going to exact from both countries. i mean it's, it's a terrible shane, it's a waste, it's awful. what he did, and we don't know what is going to happen to russia once there is no vladimir putin anymore. he is, after all, human, just like you and i, his time is limited on do you see any type of mechanisms, any type of institutions in place now that have any traction in russia that could help restore a, an attempt to have democracy fourish there at some point, i mean we know what happened in the 1990 s. we know what that led it gave us letting me put in me, will there be another chance that democracy for the russians? well, there are a couple of questions in there. a limit, let me answer them, ask them 1st that i'm hopeful that one fine day i may not see it. in fact,

i probably won't say that there is the possibility that democracy can, can be restored to russia. russia itself can live under reasonable no democratic system. and the other part of your question is really what happens if lot of your p who goes there. i think we can't be too confident that this democracy will come immediately in other words, and we can't be confident really, that someone not just as bad as him, and not just as bad as he is would, would assume the presidency. i mean, you know, my hope is that it can't be, it can't be worse right now. but, but that's a hope, you know, it may be, it can be, i mean, russia is moved. you know, you mentioned institutions. there are no institution that can, you know, they've been destroy the institutions that can, you know,

replace it even civil society, you know, which one could have hoped more from in the past. you know, people who either locked up like, never me, were dead, killed, murdered, like me, i'm self, or several 100000 russians, you know, have gone into exile. and, you know, people who could have been relied on in a kind of civil society movement. you know, to institute democracy. so you know, the picture in russia, i'm sorry to say makes me sad to say, is blake. and we can hope for future at some point down the line for democratic developments, but not right now. yeah. and you know, many of us are still shocked that in the year 2022 we having discussions that would have fit in the 1980s. and we've never thought we would have been repeating them in the 21st century. professor norman mark from stanford university professor. we

appreciate your time and your valuable insights tonight. thank you. so thank you for having european union leaders met in strossberg to day to lay out a road map for reform and renewal. and this is all because of the war in ukraine. they are winding up a year, long consultation process, asking europeans for their views on how to strengthen democracy in unity here in the u. french president emanuel mac wrong and the european commission president ursula from the lion. they presented their visions for the future of the each day, so that they wanted ukraine to be a part of their future within the european union. nicholas, ladies and gentlemen, this is the image i want us to celebrate on the 9th of may, an image far more powerful than any military or demon parade. anti made going up and down the streets of moscow, brooklyn ukraine by its fight,

and its courage is already a heartfelt member of our europe. momma and our family, the not hook to notify me enough. our union knew 7, but we all know only too well that the accession process would take several years of them don't let is you. if not several decades of it preserves any of it. they sounded present this in europe is a dream, a dream that always was a dream, vaughn, from tragedy. but to day that dream shines brightest. not only here in this historic place, it shines brightest in the hearts and minds of the people of kiff and cock keith of odessa and mattie a poem see not probably get shot east. it's our historic obligation to respond a decay and to create. so what i would call here today, a european political community community, but he teach philippine and the next page, dear ukrainian friends,

is now being written by you by us, by all of us together slammed. i. jo crania long live in some even sing it. it's a celebration. it's campy. i'm talking about the eurovision song contest. it is back this week and to ring italy, a musical competition that unites europeans in front of the television set. the singers are busy warming up the rogue horn to the dress rehearsal. the favorites to win this year's competition is believe it or not, the ukrainian act, the pollution orchestra. it's members. we give a special permission to leave the country to take part for rep. we want to use the high profile event to draw attention to the war in their homeland, and i'm sure the world will be watching that is the day we will see you tomorrow with

awe, with an things of the future will fly carbon neutral to achieve this new fuels of the reset, synthetic fuels, and green hydrogen are to replace the climate killer care machine. will the dream of environmentally friendly fly soon come true. to morrow today.

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the remote island of san antonio. ah, it is a testament to the quality of the waters. one of the many success stories from a bastion of biodiversity starts may 20th on d, w. i flying high on hydrogen will alternative feels by placing kerosene make a growth base it for the environment could, must spitted with intelligent technology help. whereas to breathe more easily. what's the best way to stay balanced? less and more. coming up on the d. w signs program.