ah, just reminder, the top story we're following for you here today. russian forces have advanced further in their offensive and eastern ukraine. t f says its troops are under attack and 3 sides and could face encircled presidents landscape calling for more action from western out watching g w. so next we talk to spect lana tickets taken off sky exiled leader of the democratic opposition in belarus. i'm terry martin. thanks for watching or see asia and the order of lovers guided by vibrating asian cities. 5 local artists in the unique experience of their craft

join us for exclusive master classes. with barn c asia starts to 1st and on d. w. a global ideas is on its way to bring you more conservation. how do we make cds green, or how can we protect habitats? we can make a difference. global ideas. the environmental series in global 3000 on d, w, and online with . she has been described as a symbol of the spirit of freedom, an honored with many awards now including the charlemagne price for fighting for democracy and human rights in her home country. see atlanta to her novice. kaya is

the leader of the democratic opposition of belarus, and she is here with us to day. hello. 2 years ago, you had the courage to stand up to the bella ricin regime, risking every think you life, you freedom, the custody for your children. what was the most painful moment during this time? oh, you know, there were a lot of painful moments but may be, for me personally, the most painful moment was when i had to leave billows. when i was threatened and they had to choose between children and freedom. and so as i have heard toward children who are hard of hearing, i have to take care of them. so that momento i chose to be with them. but i didn't give up my fight. and i for this 2 years, i'm fighting on side with albertson and was actually you husband who was running for president in 2020. and only after he got arrested,

you decided that decided to step in as a candidate, a mother and a wife. not a politician. why did you decide to, to do that in o? my husband was a you to blogger, and here traveled in bill was from city to city, asking people how it is to live under dictatorship. and it inspired him to run for president because he really believed that everything should be changed, that people have to be cared about, not the government and the he was arrested immediately because he dared to challenge the regime. and my 1st step on the i decided to run instead of him was only for my husband. i had no interest in politics at all. but at that moment i had necessity to show him that what he was doing was important for me as well. but of course then when i saw how many people were involved in this fight, how are our, what nation walk up?

so of course i was change and together with my people, it was important for me personally, i understood that we are all responsible for the future of our country. our people realize that their feet is in their hand, hence, and nobody would make changes for them. and your husband is still in jail, sentenced to 18 years. how is he doing? on the 29th of me, it will be exactly 2 years. ah, while he is in prison and one and half of or 4 of which he spent in sorts resell the conditions for political prisoners, embarrass, and prisons are awful. they much worse than for ordinary criminals. now are, were the relative women a chill in prisons and b, b people are morally and physical humor. lee to, to their torture. our women are deprived of her hygenic, her issues, you know, and, ah,

it's really torture to be there. and her own cushion, gast regime is doing everything possible toward shore to other people don't rise up because you will have the same feed as our beloved. but despite of terror and depressions, our people don't give up and dirt. my husband and mac ali's nic event are the political prisoners, the number to reach you at the moment is 1200 ah, very strong day behind the bus. they believe in us. they believe in people who are on free them. they're fighting for them. and sir, you know, our obligation or to continue our fight to get this fight to its final and when, and because people there are wheaton, they sacrificed with the freedom with their lives to give us a paternity to continue. so that's why our movement is alive, and of course, our aim is to release or political prisoners stop repressions in our country and

hold new friends for elections because we'll cut uncle last elections in 2020, but with the help of russia and the violence he's managing to keep it and how do you speak about your husband and the whole situation with your children? actually, my children know that they're dead. it is in prison. but my younger daughter, she's 6 ah, i think so that she doesn't know doesn't understand what prison is. ah, but still every night when i'm at home, she asks me when i'm going to see my dad him. and it's so painful. and i realized that there are thousands of children or wait and they parents home. there are thousands of split at families. so i explained is i can that you'll be all see there the soon, you know, and this questions, this pain of my children also doesn't give me

a chance to stop and the same bout in all the rest of the people. and now you live in exile and as you just said, there are still so many political prisoners in belarus. and sir, the country's authoritarian ruler, alexandra kush ankle is still in a power. so tell us more about the situation. their presence are going on. they are continuing their at number. political prisoners is in prison every day, and lately awful law was adopted by legitimate wickersham guy that people fought, attempted heir terrorism can be sentenced to death. so it's very important for us to tell the world what's going on in order to hold consistent policy to was bureaus and the european union has imposed one sanctions package after the other and are now looking for ways to introduce new measures to heard the regime, not the ordinary people,

but so far it seems that the sanctions were not able to bring about a change in your country. so why what is needed or crystal for a sanction sir is not a silver bullet. but sanctions deprive the regime of resources they split to lease and her pride with corruption schemes. but i have to say that or i always hear that we impose swimming sanctions possible. they don't walk for sanctions have been imposed in 10 months after our resolution on the after a hijacking or friend there flight than after migration crisis. so real sanctions were imposed on lu when a threat appeared for european security. and the i have to say that after the war has died and the discussion could became quite aggressive, this war and in your sanctions were imposed. sanctions started to walk only recently and her august august resume. i feel the sanctions that's why. oh gosh,

august kronos us for our try now to lift sanctions in exchange of blackmail in actually because migrations was blackmail now or they are speaking about her food security in the world in all short was saying that lifting of sanctions will give possibility to a voice or this foot securities, so ah, i have to say that you can't choose between our people's lives in our country and hunger. for example, i'm sure that her person fight united europe recently and it's very important now to stay united and more talk. if sanctions, for example, at least at the moment, it will earn cross out everything that has been that has been done before. so her, on my, every meeting, i'm asking, talk, continue. this in all strategy to was bill arose. no,

because so lifting of sanctions for example, or no may be some negotiations, the regime will print, i came to impunity and it will cause a greater problems. so i'm happy to see and to hear from our pulled allies that no dialogue is impossible, nor dialogue is possible with lucas shenker behind biller, since beck and this day that should be not between europe and the regime. dial a king, our country should be between regime and bill or some people. and you just, her said that that are right now all eyes are on russia. so brutal assault on ukraine and that overshadows everything. so how difficult is it for you to convince you of not to forget you cause frista for i'm look a shank, i became quogue rest in this one, not bill arrows. i would you to divide wickersham, gus regime, who became caliber,

anton, this war, and there are some people who are fighting on the side of ukrainians. i. i know that it them credit politicians understand how bella ross is important in this is joe political situation. because without freebie laross, there will be constant threat to ukraine to r y, a western neighbors. so it's a very important tool are also to give guarantees of 4 girls since, as well as security guarantees. and that the russian troops who are still in our concert has to be, have to be withdrawn from bureaus as well. so we are support and ukraine. we are fighting against dictator and be in need. of course, a lot of attention. i understand that sir attention result with refocused on ukraine and we fully understand this. we supported because we understand how

freedom of ukraine is important for those. and for them as well. a you once said that the fate of ukraine is intertwined with the, the fate of the bill, or with some people. i've told her, i have to say that say a kremlin a doesn't recognize sir, not biller or snore. ukraine as separate nations are separate sir cancerous. so now we understand that without re crane resume will prevail in billows. and that's why when the war has started a hundreds of thousands of dollars since when to the strip to show they it issued to the war according to all pools or 86 percent of doors. and people don't support the war. and a lot of for those and men went all ukraine to fight alongside ukrainians. so again, when your when excellently billers became called christen this war, it was not fair towards there were some people cause to be on the side of ukrainians. now we are here in the german city of where you and 2 fellow position

leaders have been awarded with charlemagne. price, one of the most prestigious prices in the european union. how is this price going to help your costs? first of all, i have to say that this price is not for me or even for our trio, it for all previous sense to journalists to activist volunteers. and i think that's the sense deserve this price. because as said, 12th century ago, shall the mind united europe now incentive to in to be united europe as well. because despite off political argues between parties between congress, there was consolidated poor sits. what's baylor rose and it was there, a strong european voice. so this, this price is the key to, to our pray people. and of course, it will help us to attract more attention to our situation, to our country. that,

as you said, is to overshadow who beat by ukraine and to again and again explain that our fight is going on. that's repressions are going on in our country. that there is no critic water will not have to give up a unit to full question, but all survive this time. just as you can. thank you very much. ah, is the end of the pandemic in site? we show what it could look like. will return to normal. and we visit those who are finding it difficult with success in our weekly coven,

19 special. next on d, w. the new gold rush and the andes, lithium. this like metal is the raw material of the future. and it's essential to the expansion of electro mobility, but the boom is creating political tension and threatening a fragile ecosystem. the mining region is rife with controversy. in 60 minutes, d w. o . the matcher massacre rep is gone to english far from chile speak out about violence against women, which is sorting the pandemic. welcome to another edition of alcove at 19 specially .