bbc: 15 minutes, after that we return to the studio, we will have people's deputies of ukraine, stay for espresso. natural disaster in europe, underwater cities in poland, romania. in the czech republic, the authorities are evacuating people and building protective barriers, hungary and italy are preparing for possible flooding, how dangerous is everything and will storm boris reach ukraine? we talk about this in today's edition of the bbc, i'm olga palomaryuk. cyclone boris, which swept across europe, is called one of the most powerful in the last decade, forecasters say that more precipitation has already fallen than during the great floods of 1997. the rains were so abundant due to the high air pressure that

temperature contrasts could not move in the cyclone, so the rains actually fell in the same area for several days. water rose in poland, the authorities declared a natural disaster and urged people to evacuate, some were rescued from the roofs of houses. a state of emergency is in effect in the capital of slovakia, bratislava, austria, the elements are being prepared in hungary, the mayor of budapest has warned of third-degree floods. there are already victims of floods, at least 21 people have died in poland and the czech republic. romania and austria, only in more than 5,000 soldiers were sent to poland to rescue civilians. in the czech republic, 15,000 people were evacuated in the polish city of nysa - 40,000 . polish prime minister donald tusk said that 1 billion zlotys had already been allocated to help flood victims. a heavy downpour is expected in italy, where from tomorrow the danger level is yellow in 50 regions. well, in poland , the natural disaster zone is being expanded to seven counties. what is the situation there now? tells

the bbc's sarah rainsforth. in the flood zone in poland, people are urged to evacuate urgently. they are afraid that under part of the embankment will collapse due to the onslaught of the river, which swelled after torrential rains. a dam broke not far from here. anxiety is growing. the city of nysa is already flooded. but it could be much worse. so to residents like teresa.

even inside houses. how high did the water rise? water was everywhere. krzysztov and his family just made repairs. all this was completely new. everything is damaged, for everything money, everything we had. everything was repaired, but now we have nothing. his neighbor. to me, what escaped when the water flooded? it was scary when did the water rise? yes, it was scary. it will not be easy to recover after that. and the danger still hasn't passed. well, the situation remains critical in the czech republic, flood barriers are being erected in prague. what are the predictions? and here's what a bbc correspondent says, who... as you

can see, there's still quite a lot of rain in the clouds in this country, but there's a certain sense of optimism that the worst may be behind us. behind me is the river vltava in prague, and at this time the day before the water covered the embankment here, but today it is only reaching it borders, so people believe, at least here in this part of the country, in the capital prague and central bohemia, that the rivers have already reached their peak and the water level will not rise. will be higher and the flow will be calmer, but in other parts of the country, in northern moravia, silesia, in the northeastern part of the country, the situation is still critical. the water levels in the rivers are starting to recede little by little, but obviously the flood has caused devastation there, the clouds are parting and emergency services can better see the destruction that the towns and villages have suffered there. the flood completely cut off small towns such as krnov, opava, šumperk, in hanušovyce, in the mountains.

night moravia and they suffered great destruction, several houses fell into the river, the services evacuated about 10 thousand people, and if there is even more rain today, it will obviously be a lot. but for a region that is just recovering from this disaster. meanwhile, hungary is preparing for the elements, predicting that the danube river may rise almost to a record level. niktor broadcasts from budapest. i am standing on the embankment of the danube. the road here is blocked because the water is rising. the river is expected to peak on friday at 8.5m. behind me you can see the danube overflowing. this morning i visited margaret island in the middle of the river, where sandbags are being built at a frantic pace . further north and west, from here, in the direction of the border with slovakia, the situation with lowland sals is very serious. and

we should also not forget that further down the danube, in romania, many lives were lost. there are many tributaries in that area, the rivers flow from the eastern carpathians and have already flooded many. to the villages i would say that hungary prepared very well, as did slovakia, because these countries have already experienced flooding. due to climate change , the situation is worsening. i spoke with hungarian and slovak environmental scientists. and they claim that the reason for this is human intervention, not a natural factor. this is all due to uncontrolled deforestation in the carpathians, destruction of the soil layer that holds. water in the carpathian mountains. now, due to the regulation of the riverbed, due to the felling of trees, due to the construction close to the shores, the river has nowhere to spill, so flooding occurs. this is very difficult to fix. you don't ask the people who live next to the river to demolish their houses

to widen the channel. and they are talking about a catastrophe of epic proportions in romania, six people died in the galati region from... from there to the ukrainian border only 20 km, and this is how the mayor of the city of berezhdi describes the situation there? it's terrible, we've had floods in the past but nothing like what we've seen in the last few days, so much water it feels like a river is flowing through houses, we have never seen anything like this in our life, it stunned us, schools, businesses, nothing is working. we need a lot of government support, urgently. roads, most of them were destroyed by nehoda, the railway too. it's a big blow to us because it's the biggest destruction we've ever experienced. the central government is trying to help us. there were people from the government here in berezhka,

they assessed the damage. currently, it is difficult to do something centrally and eliminate the consequences of destruction. but for the future it will be necessary develop and implement flood protection plans. so that this does not happen again, because if this is not done, then history will repeat itself. an epic natural disaster is expected in the coming days, and how europe is preparing, and here is what the representative of the red cross says. let's listen. the situation will continue to be dramatic, as we can see from the news, the danger has not yet passed. the flooding continues and will get even worse today and tomorrow. i crossed the danube this morning here in budapest, the water level is up to... very high, and it's not the peak we're expecting here in 48 hours now the main focus is on poland, the czech republic and austria. there, the teams are working in full swing. they help evacuate people. for example, the polish red cross provides assistance to local authorities there. similar in austria, where the red cross

carries out the evacuation of the elderly and people with reduced mobility. the czech red cross focuses on helping people in terms of emotional and mental health. because people lost a lot, they were quickly taken to evacuation centers, they don't know if they have anything to return to or not will return at all. unfortunately, such floods are no longer unusual, they have already been called historic, and i do not deny that, but the climate changes and tends to change our perception of the catastrophic nature of a disaster, so in the future we will be talking about such disasters more often, if not every year , and we've already seen this in recent years, a few... ago there was a flood in germany, last year there was a severe flood in slovenia, and the reason for this is quite simple: europe is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, and this leads to hot air, which has gotten bigger, holds more moisture, and what goes up will come down,

and it's going to happen more often, in a more violent, more unpredictable way, so what we 're seeing now will unfortunately happen much more often in the region. the flood in ukraine, we talk about it with our guest scientist svitlana krakowska on the phone. ms. svitlana, thank you for joining us, we just heard the bbc correspondents talking about the situation in europe, and what are the risks for... from the storm, well, good evening, and if we talk about this particular storm, then it is quite far from ukraine, and fortunately for ukraine, it still is, well, at least it should not reach its greatest power, but we really sympathize with all those who suffer from it in europe. yes, but at the same time, scientists say that the next 48 hours will be the most difficult, so what are the risks for europe then? as? do you predict this peak, when it may occur? come on, i can't

predict the peak, that's why there are special services that predict it, and you have to listen to them, and these systems early warning, they are generally much better developed in europe, and we in ukraine also have to go for it, ukraine has its own risks, but if we are talking about this particular storm, then not yet, in the carpathians, of course in us may be a similar situation. we already had them before, but we just have to learn from, let's say, events that are currently happening in europe and also prepare for the fact that it can happen in us as well. that is, if we talk about forecasts, are such natural ones possible in the future cataclysms, if we still talk about ukraine, then this could happen in the near future, yes, of course, we can also have floods in ukraine. again in the carpathians, but there may be hail of a large size, there may be snowfall in general,

it all depends on what the situation will be, but i would advise, if such forecasts are in the near future, to contact hydrometeorological center, they have a system and alerts for meteorological, hydrological and fire hazards, it is necessary to consult and then we will know how to prepare, ugh, well, we also... we have already heard the preliminary conclusions of european specialists regarding the causes of abnormal births, they are the consequences of human intervention in nature, what do you think are the causes of this? well, honestly, i can't deny this, because i really, i know that this is really human intervention in nature, it's in a different way, let's put it this way, because climate change is an intervention and a change in the chemical composition of the atmosphere, and speaking indeed, as experts said about... about of these floods, and this is the construction of the banks of the river, and this is, as it were, the impossibility for the river to overflow,

and well, other such and the cutting down of forests, of course, and a change in general from land management, that is, there is no possibility of the possibility of that rain getting into and seeping into the soil, and in general, if we are talking about climate change, i already heard that one of the specialists said that the warmer air can... receive 7% more moisture, and accordingly, this moisture will be poured out to a greater extent in one place, yes the clouds themselves can be much larger such a vertical development, let's say so, and accordingly , hail can also form in these clouds, and it will pour out, if in one place, yes, that is, there was what poured out in one city somewhere in the czech republic, i think two there two two '. the norms for one for one this rain, and such in the case of climate change,

it, unfortunately, can be predicted in a few days, but well , everyone should be prepared, because it can happen in practically any area, but of course , the probability is much higher in the mountains. mrs. svetlana, to sum up our conversation, yes, in short, what can humanity do to correct the situation, to prevent such a... natural cataclysm, well, it is obvious that first of all we must stop influencing the climate, yes, that is, the atmosphere and in general if for nature, yes, that is, it is possible to turn something back, what is related to land use, well, and adapt, adapt and develop these early warning systems, and ways, well, let's say, evacuation of the very people who live there, maybe someone will have to and really resettle. and turn things back, if, if such a place where, where it can

be spilled, and it would really be for everyone . thank you, ms. svitlana, svitlana krakowska was on our air. well, that's all for today, more stories on our website bbc.ua, and we will be on the air tomorrow at 21. all the best. we are servicemen of the griga separate unit, named after volodymyr griga, of the unmanned aviation complex of the 76th separate unit. in the zaporizhzhia direction , combat clashes occur daily due to the constant assaults of the enemy, this does not escape the golepilsky direction, which our battalion harrowing for almost two years. right now we need three times as many modifiers and fire damage from the sky. therefore , we are appealing to everyone who cares to collect funds for 20 dji mavic classic drones and

10 3t mavics. yes, the amount is not small, but the life of your siblings and relatives is much more expensive. we really hope for your... support, donations and distribution, let's together not let the occupier take a step further and accelerate the victory together, glory to ukraine, glory to the heroes, congratulations friends, live. espresso tv channel. the second part of the verdict program. me my name is serhii rudenko, and in this part we will talk about the following. the tax hike begins. the verkhovna rada adopted the updated tax bill in the first reading. why experts say about its ineffectiveness and predict the transition

of legal business to the shadow. 90% ready. plan. ukraine's victory from volodymyr zelenskyi will be presented to key western partners as early as next week. when ukrainians learn about its content. the ukrainian issue in the elections in the usa. foreign policy dominates the current american one election campaign. what are the prospects for ending the russian-ukrainian war - promise haris and trump. we will talk about all this in within the next 45 minutes. however, before we start our conversation, friends, i want to remind you that we are working live on the channel, as well as on our youtube and facebook platforms, you can join our pages on these platforms, like this video, and also take part in our survey. today we are asking you if you would move to the united states

states of america or the european union, if they had the opportunity. we are conducting this survey. and in the context of a sociological survey of the kyiv international institute of sociology of the kmis, they asked ukrainians whether they would, in the case of obtaining citizenship of the united states of america or the countries of the european union, or would they remain in ukraine anyway? 79% of ukrainians said yes, an absolute majority, we are interested to know what you think about it and whether you would move to... the states and the european union, if you had this opportunity, yes, no, it's quite simple on youtube, if you have a separate opinion, please leave it in the comments under this video, if you vote by phone while watching tv, then if you, would move to the states and the european union, if there was such an opportunity 0800 211 381, no 0800 211 382, ​​all calls to these

numbers are free of charge, vote at the end of the program, we will draw the results of this vote, i would like to introduce the guests of today's studio, they are people's deputies of ukraine oleksandr merezhko, chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and interparliamentary cooperation, mp from the servant of the people, mr. oleksandr, i congratulate you, thank you for the invitation, it is always a pleasure to be with you, thank you, thank you for participating in our program, rostyslav pavlenko, people's deputy of ukraine from european solidarity, member of the parliamentary committee on education, science and innovation, ex. national institute of strategic studies, mr. rosdyslav, i also congratulate you, thank you for joining the broadcast, good evening, congratulations, thank you for oksana savchuk, people's deputy of ukraine from the all-ukrainian freedom association, member of the parliamentary committee on transport and infrastructure. ms. oksanna, i welcome you, thank you for being with us. good evening to you and

all our viewers. ladies and gentlemen, let's start our conversation with domestic policy, even i would say with... domestic tax policy, because today the verkhovna rada of ukraine adopted in the first reading a new version of the government draft law on tax increases, and that a new version, an increase in military fee from 1.5% to 5%, increase in taxes on the first and second groups of fop, advance payments on ez, 1% on all forms of fop of the third group, 25% profit per finusta. new monthly income tax reporting, this is for economy booking, 50% is bank profit tax in the 24th year. people's deputy of ukraine oleksiy goncharenko criticized the draft law, which, in his opinion, will deal a blow to legal business. let's listen to what honcharenko said. this will mean a decrease in the income of ukrainians,

and secondly, when we are talking about flops, it will mean an increase in prices. two, it would mean possible closure, well, not even it is possible, for sure, the closure of at least part of the enterprise will be undertaken. and so already this year, 100,000 new enterprises have closed. a colossal number in fact. and it must be understood that every small enterprise is not only the entrepreneur himself, but also his family. ms. oksano, did you vote for these tax changes and is it time to pass such a bill, considering that it is really a tax increase for those businesses and entrepreneurs who already pay taxes, that is, it is not about detinization, it is about raising taxes for those who are decent, i understand payer taxes, look, i did not vote, because i am convinced that it will significantly affect some points of this bill, will significantly

affect ordinary people, who today do not have too high salaries anyway, and for them 5% of the military levy will be very strange, especially for those who have a small salary, it will really be important and tangible for them, as well as for fops, so in this situation i can only say that... unequivocally, none of us were against the fact that taxes should be raised where possible , but we were against the fact that those who work honestly, in a white manner, they were once again taxed and they despaired of themselves, and where in our country the fixed bodies have not yet been finalized, and this money is in the shadows, or it is crushed by certain different groups, that is, in it, again, nothing happened to them, they're not going to be affected that much, so... the situation is that now a lot of people with that, well, they think, they're already counting how much it's going to be 5% of the same salary, 12 00 or 13 00 at the nurse's or

the teacher's, and they begin to really think about how they will be in the fall, winter and beyond calculate your family budget, but it is absolutely obvious that the increase in taxes for entrepreneurs and for fops will also lead to an increase or rise in prices, or to the ambassador. because entrepreneurs and enterprises will want to transfer these expenses or these tax increases to us ordinary consumers, that is, it is not about the fact that only those who pay will suffer, in principle , this tax burden will be shared by all consumers , all ukrainians, and mr. oleksandr, a question for you, do you think there was another one option than raising taxes, it is clear that ... hryvnias or how much should be collected for the budget, it is clear that there is a war, that the military levy should be higher, because the army must be maintained and we must do

our best to ensure that we ourselves could provide, because sooner or later western aid will decrease or stop altogether, and we need to think about how to properly build financing within the state as well, was there any other option, well, in order to... answer this difficult question professionally, you need to be an economist and mother deep, thorough knowledge of economics and tax law. unfortunately, i am not such an economist, i am a lawyer, an internationalist, essentially a scientist, but i know that raising taxes is an extremely unpopular thing for any party. and the fact is that there is simply no other way out. economists and politicians will argue. to raise taxes or not to raise taxes, are there any alternatives, i don't know, i don't have that answer to that question, but i do know that we

are in extremely difficult economic times conditions related to russian aggression, i know that the budget deficit is huge for next year, how we will solve this issue, i also do not know, and unfortunately, in my opinion, there is simply no other way out, no matter what not popular, every... politician wants to be popular, i mean, every politician wants not to raise but to lower taxes, but unfortunately, we have to deal with reality, which is very difficult. thank you, mr. oleksandr, and it is clear that even rostislav pavlenko is not an economist, but there are some things which experts usually talk about when raising taxes, well, for example, a large shadow economy, a large scheme at customs, a large... kickbacks, which are there, with which high-ranking officials take, every time it gets into the information sphere, then the ordinary taxpayer always thinks, well, i'm here

from my little one. want to withdraw additional tax deductions to the budget, and they take bribes of one million or two million each, they have no taxes, and it is not clear where this money comes from, and if it is, it circulates at the level of the military commissar some boryspil or buchi, it is not clear what is happening there in the upper echelons in general, or is it necessary, mr. rostyslav, in the current situation? to consider this tax increase together with other sources of filling the budget, which, unfortunately, do not fill the budget, but pass by the budget. well, you are quite right, i would say even more, in principle, the experience in public administration is enough to emphasize that raising taxes is only an extreme and last resort

to fill the budget or provide. necessary payments, because the first thing to do is this is an efficient use of what is available, and when the ministry of finance tells us that 45% of the money taken from the military income tax last year was spent, and this year 65% of what was planned for the corresponding period, well, i'm sorry, then we have to change the way to direct these funds so that they reach the military, that is why we, for example, proposed and will propose to the second reading in this project to return to the formula, when communities can directly provide brigades and drones and everything necessary, this is the first. second, here you are you are right about schemes and the like, it is not a big secret that there are issues that can be solved very quickly, in the 14th and 15th years the budget was filled, simplifying

management, reducing, not increasing, for example, the single social tax and so on, there are things that will give a fairly quick effect, and only today we accepted something there regarding customs, public procurement, all these issues could be resolved, and the tax bill appeared as early as july, not to mention that european solidarity suggested that it could be done even earlier decision, as well as other colleagues there, but now it is being done quickly, the third thing that can be done, if you are already... talking about raising taxes, then tax what will cause no less pain. how much is said about the gambling business, how much is said about tobacco, how much is said about alcohol, how much is said about excessive consumption, we do not see that, instead we see taxes that are aimed at those who work legally, who work in the white, or as an employee , receiving a salary, or as an individual entrepreneur,

trying to... provide for himself there and for his acquaintances, friends, relatives and so on, and it seems a bit dishonest approach, and after all, you know that before raising taxes, it is desirable to cut a little expenditure, because we found that even with such a first pass, about 18 billion hryvnias, which could be painlessly cut in order to raise taxes by a smaller amount, all these proposals were submitted, all these positions. presented themselves, that is, it is not that we go on the air here and criticize, no, all of that was proposed as a solution, but either mr. hetmansev's textbook is wrong, or it was not enough, you know how taxes were raised for those who do not have lobbyists in the corridors of power, well, this is a dishonest approach, we are against him, and we are up to the second reading, i hope here for the support of colleagues of all factions, we will convince you that after all, there was a healthy economic approach to providing for

the military, but not killing the economy. another important issue that parliament itself considered was the reset of customs, and this the decision has already been made, i really don't understand why this decision was made so late in principle, because i remember very well the beginning of zelenskyi's presidential term, and actually how president zelenskyi and andriy bohdan, then the head of the office of the president of ukraine, came to the customs office and led with them. first of all, let's talk about what kind of car you drive, show me your phone or iphone, which, which iphone do you have, what do you live on, why, why does it take so long for your hands to reach customs, mr. oleksandr, i understand that this is not your profile topic, but after all, we all understand what country we live in, we all see how customs officers live in the west, in the west of ukraine,

not bad, in principle, and we... understand , which, apparently, they don't have such a big back...