♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ narrator: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... erika: i love seeing interns succeed,

i love seeing them come back and join engagement teams and seeing where they go from there, i get to watch their personal growth, it makes my heart happy. (laughs) ♪ ♪ narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation, the judy and peter blum kovler foundation, upholding freedom by strengthening democracies at home and abroad. announcer: and now, bbc news. >> i'm caitriona perry in washington and this is "bbc world news america." president zelenskyy met donald trump's talk diplomat to kyiv but a planned press conference was canceled by the u.s. trump loyalist kash patel is confirmed by a narrow margin is the new head of the fbi.

israel is stepping up operations in the west bank after buses excluded south of tel aviv -- exploded south of tel aviv. hello, you are very welcome. the rift between ukraine and the u.s. appears to be growing after a planned joint press conference between president volodymyr zelenskyy and donald trump top diplomat to kyiv was canceled. the man did hold talks but behind closed doors at the request of the united states. internationally, there's been more sharp criticism of president trump's claim that president zelenskyy is a dictator. the u.k. defense secretary defended ukraine's leader and foreign secretary david lam he said the u.k. would remain ukraine's ironclad partner and act as a bridge between the u.s. and united states. the french president said zelenskyy was a legitimate leader and unlike president

vladimir putin, he had taken office through a free election process. our u.k. correspondent has more. reporter: america's diplomatic offering to ukraine, retired general keith kellogg, special envoy, his more senior colleagues with russia. suddenly it was our time to leave. we made as far as the meeting room before we gather. the american side canceled the press conference so the meeting between mr. kellogg and zelenskyy is going on behind that door. the impression we get is that it is the american side which canceled the press conference and the view from kyiv seems to be mr. kellogg has been sidelined by the trump administration. what is going to be discussed, you can only imagine. for now, we wait outside. america seems to be more focused on russia with a refusing to

condemn its invasion, labeling ukraine's leader as a dictator and pushing for it to hold elections. >> everything is on the table and of course that makes the heads exploded in the american media, because they say why are you talking to russia? how will you end the war unless you are talking to russia? you have to get everyone involved in the fighting if you want to bring the war to a close. reporter: ukraine is not even sitting at the table. america's changing tone has changed the countries -- tainted the countries yearning for peaks. >> i think trump's behavior is more suitable for a dictator, more than zelenskyy's. >> elections should have happened a long time ago, but ukrainians, or at least 73% of them, think that elections are inappropriate now because of the war. >> he's a president fighting against the people of dictator

putin, who really is a dictator, and every day we see bombs hitting ordinary cities. there are between 4 million to 8 million people who left ukraine. many soldiers are on the front line so how can we have elections? reporter: kyiv's air defenses illuminate most light skies but cannot keep out every russian missile. the southern city of hassan felt last night, at least two were killed. there's talk of peace is significant but still a sideshow to the war. caitríona: european leaders have been lining up to voice support for ukraine and for president zelenskyy, rejecting president trumps characterization of him as a dictator. the white house confirmed french president emmanuel macron will grow -- visit donald trump monday well british prime minister keir starmer will visit thursday. both will be seeking to find common ground between the eu and u.s. aests the security alliance and threatens tariffs.

denmark's minister for industry, business and financial affairs is currently in washington. i caught up with him a little earlier. minister, thank you for joining us on bbc news. you are here in the u.s. highlighting danger -- danish business ties with the u.s. here. how threatened do you think that relationship is by president trumps intention to levy tariffs? >> danish companies and businesses operate in the u.s. the good thing is that for the last decade at least we have created thousands of jobs here in the u.s. danish investments are at the highest level ever. so of course we hear the rhetoric and we see proposals. but the fundament of our operation and the thing we are doing together especially

business to business is enormously strong. so of course there are chances right now, things are said but fundamentally the relationship is as strong as it has ever been. caitríona: so you don't have concerns about tariffs? >> of course. we don't think tariffs are the right way to go. it will be a block on the road and we don't need that. we need better circumstances for doing investment, for doing business together. that has been one of the main aims of my visit here in washington and houston to tell the american business side, and of course the politicians and my colleagues that it is a dead end if you want to develop further investments together. caitríona: when it comes to

tariffs and denmark, president trump is not just talking about reciprocal tariffs, but extra tariffs in relation to greenland and if denmark does not let him acquire greenland as he puts it. what do you say to that? >> of course, these are new views we have not heard before. it is important for us and the government to say the future greenland belongs to greenland. they have to make their decisions and we respect that. on the other hand, we have proven an ability to strengthen the partnership between the eu and the u.s. if you want more business, jobs, more growth here in the u.s., you should do it the way we have been doing it. so putting up barriers, putting up blocks for that is a dead end. it is the wrong way to go and it will hurt investments also here in the u.s. caitríona: president trump wants

allies to increased defense spending and your government has announced that denmark plans to do that. bring it up to 3.2% and put at the top of spending amongst eu nations. what was the motivation for doing that? >> europe has to take greater responsibility for its own security. we have to do it. the fact that putin is a threat to stability and security in europe, the war in ukraine is horrible. but i think you have to remember it is not only about ukraine, it is about europe. it is about his view of the countries just outside russia. he views the country outside of russia as a buffet that he can choose and invade whenever he wants. the only way to stop him is to

spend more on defense, put more forces to the eastern flank as we have adopted in nato and to show common strength. that's the only thing he understands. that's why we might have taken the positions we might have done. actually a number of steps, so that we are now over 3% of gdp when it comes to defense spending. caitríona: given what you said, when you hear president trump making remarks about president zelenskyy he has in recent days, calling him a dictator, and blaming them for the russian invasion, how does denmark view that? >> we don't agree. we should concentrate on making ukraine, bringing ukraine into a position where they can win the war. we have from the danish government and actually a broad majority, more or less every decision when it comes to donation, we have a majority in

the government. brought them in a position wherever they are to donate the most to their fight for freedom. it is actually pretty simple why we are doing it because we see their fight as our fight for freedom. we should focus their, giving the ukrainians the needed resources and weapons, donations, and investments to create stability and create peace, but also in the negotiations and discussions, it is not only about peace. it's also how to create a framework so that the ukrainians can have their freedom back. that is the most important thing. we have to be there and support them for that. caitríona:caitríona: how would you characterize u.s. and eu relations at this point? >> as you probably recognize,

new meetings are held, new discussions are on the table. i can say among my colleagues, the new geopolitical tensions, how the eu should position is not a new discussion. it was a trump focus on it. it is not a new discussion. there's an outline for the need for new technologies and green technologies. it is not a new discussion. it is a new discussion in the way that some of the same thoughts that challenge the stability of the west and alliance comes from a country that basically we are friends, we trust each other.

it is of course, surprisingly what we hear but i think we will have that. caitríona: thank you for joining us on bbc news. staying with that issue of the eu and u.s. alliance and potential threats, let's go to kyiv and our international editor jeremy bowen. have the positions shifted following the meeting between president zelenskyy and the u.s. special envoy general kellogg? reporter: not noticeably, because unless they're cooking up some great deal they can reveal to us, the fact that they could not even have a news conference together suggests there are lots of awkward questions that may neither side want to answer, particularly the americans because they were the people who chose to cancel the news conference. there's a lot of air activity over key have at the moment.

i've heard drones, russian drones in the sky, ukrainian antiaircraft fire, searchlights trying to find the drones coming in. this is not untypical of what happens here. it happens most evenings. but it's interesting that this is going on while there is going on while there's a u.s. envoy in town. caitríona: how important is the visit of president macron to the white house on monday? we are told he's been speaking to president zelenskyy about the track he will take. reporter: it has only been a week and a day since trump made that phone call to putin and the whole process started off. in that period, not only have relations between washington and the ukrainians really deteriorated, they are deeply fractured as trump increasingly takes up positions which virtually replicate putin's when it comes to ukraine. the transatlantic relationship

between europe and the u.s. which has underpinned their neutral security since the end of the second world war and the start of the cold war, that has also been really badly damaged, up to and including legitimate doubts being raised about whether donald trump would honor his commitments in the north atlantic to cheap. that is the all for 1, 1 for all idea that if one country is attacked, everybody else piles into hell. would he do that for one of the baltic states? we don't know. there's a lot of damage so there have to be connections between france and the united states. in this case with macron, the british prime minister is also due to meet donald trump in washington. there is talk going on but it will be interesting to see what is said and what we hear about it. caitríona: when you are

describing the extra air activity, have you been able to get a sense of how the ukrainian people are feeling about this? so much talk going on about their direct futures. reporter: i think people are really worried about the fact that there is this discussion about their future that they are not a part of. there's been consternation about the way trump has behaved. the fact that he is now effectively seems to be hand in hand with vladimir putin when it comes to ukraine is deeply alarming. but also i was speaking this afternoon to a soldier i've been in touch with throughout the war. he said if you ask me about our divisions three weeks ago, i would say we are very divided here in ukraine. but he said this impact, the pressure from the americans, is causing, as far as he is concerned, rallying around the institution of the presidency because it signifies ukrainian

sovereignty and independence even among people who don't like zelenskyy. caitríona: thank you very much for those insights. great as always to talk to you here. israel's military is stepping up operations in the occupied west bank after three buses exploded south of tel aviv and what police say is a suspected terror attack. these are the latest pictures coming to us from the scene. police say other explosive devices have been found on buses but they have been diffused and there are no reported injuries so far, we have to say. the israeli authorities say the hunt for a suspect here is underway. that follows an outpouring of grief in israel as the bodies of four deceased hostages held by hamas were returned to families in tel aviv. that included the youngest children to be kidnapped on october 7, 2020 three as our correspondent paul asked reports. reporter: it was the day all

israelis dreaded, against hope it would never happen. a return of the dead. the red cross publicly asked hamas not to put on a show, try as much as possible to add dignity. but hamas has its own agenda or making it easy for israelis to watch is not part of it. 16 months on from october 7, it all came surging back. this was the moment hamas gunmen forced their way into the house. a mother's terror as she sought to protect her young sons, one of that day's most searing images. they were all killed by israeli bombs. the truth of that claim may never be known, israel now says

mr. lifshitz was murdered. on israeli soil, a solemn convoy as the bodies were brought to tel aviv for formal identification. in hostages a square with the moments are seen and digested, a wave of grief. the family has come to symbolize the hopes and fears of a nation. >> people have been holding their breath for 502 days. we have all seen the videos of sherry bevis and her sons being taken away. many of us have tried to bury that and now we can't. reporter: the mood here in hostages square will change again as the country prepares to welcome home another six living hostages. but the trauma of october 7 has not faded away and days like today bring it back into sharp, painful focus. back in the wastelands of gaza, they are also looking for bodies.

72 people were killed by an airstrike on this building exactly a year ago. it has been too dangerous to come and search before now. my two sisters are here, most offices, and my niece and two cousins. five floors came down one on top of the other. we have not been able to get anyone out. we just want to bury them. this wars trail of death and suffering is hard to comprehend. they can lay the dead to rest, but the war still isn't over. paul adams, bbc news. caitríona: a little earlier, i spoke to the father of an israeli hostage who was released last weekend after all those months in captivity. i'm sure these are very joyous times in your family with the return of your son. first of all, tell us how is he?

>> all things considered, he is doing ok. he has just begun what will be a long period of recovery and rehabilitation but he was reunited with his wife and three little children saturday afternoon. it is as if he and we have been born again. caitríona: tell us about that moment when he met his wife and three girls, one of whom was born while he was being held hostage. >> there are things in life that i have found that words cannot describe them. i don't have the words in english or any other language that can adequately describe the joy and relief of seeing sagui back with us, very depleted of course. he suffered wounds during the

massacre, and of course 500 days in captivity of terrorists, underground, no sunlight, very little food, horrific sanitary conditions and the threat of death at every moment takes the toll on the human body. a lot still needs to be done for him and of course the other 73 hostages who still must be released. caitríona: what did he tell you about the conditions which he was held? >> generally speaking, something we are better off not imagining, the things that he and other hostages had to endure. human beings held quite literally at gunpoint for 500 days. just from the very conditions of extreme malnourishment, horrific sanitary conditions and all the rest, and all the while being held for all intents and

purposes, at gunpoint by terrorists and then having a war raging over your heads in the tunnel. and not knowing whether your family survived. he simply had no idea until two days before the release that his wife and the two older daughters had survived. . he only learned of the birth of his third daughter after he crossed the border into israel. caitríona: did he describe to you what that was like for him? >> sagui since a little boy has always spoken with his eyes so he did not need to say it out loud. when we saw him, we knew that this was our son, despite the horrific experience he and so many others have had to endure. an almost disbelief, we all are still pinching ourselves that this is for real, and that night

-- nightmare at least for our family is over, but we will not rest until all 73 hostages are home. several dozens have already been murdered by hamas, we need them for proper burial, and those who are alive, so their families can experience the same joy we have. caitríona: you campaigned so tirelessly for your son's release and we are grateful you were able to speak on our program many times. did you think these days with him when he would be home with you? >> i knew that as long as it depended on him that he would survive. but of course under the conditions which the hostages have been held, there's so much not in their control. almost nothing is in their control from what they can eat, whether they sleep on the ground or a mattress. nothing at all is in their control. there was never a moment where i

did not believe that he would have the inner strength to survive in order to get back to the love of his life, his wife, that they've been together since he was 16 and she was 14. i knew that alone, and his love for his daughters would get him home. caitríona: there are of course families who are waiting for the return of their loved ones, some will be seen in the next coming days and others do not have a date yet. many are waiting for the release of remains as well. what do you say to those other families at this time? >> for those who might have loved ones and might still be alive, i say keep the faith as difficult as it is. for those whose loved ones will come home for burial, shockingly, including a young mother and two very little boys,

who were my neighbors, they lived 100 meters from me, and a much older great-grandfather. think of the barbarity of what hamas has done here. a two-year-old boy, who actually was probably murdered around the time he was six months old, and at great-grandfather. they are all coming home to be buried together. very mixed emotions. we are looking for it of course to the six releasees this coming saturday. no one can be whole again here in israel until all the hostages are released. but just as important, no one in gaza, no civilian in gaza will be able to live in peace, never mind prosperity, as long as hamas is in control. we look forward to a day, i'm not sure how we can get there, to a post hamas gaza and which everyone in our region can begin to think again about some kind

of coexistence. caitríona: jonathan dekel-chen speaking to me earlier. in washington, the u.s. senate has confirmed kash patel for the fbi had, the lawyer who is always -- a former federal prosecutor, was a controversial vote. he still received a vote of 51-49. all senate democrats opp narrator: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... bdo, accountants and advisors, funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation, the judy and peter blum kovler foundation, upholding freedom by strengthening democracies at home and abroad. ♪ ♪ usa today calls it "arguably the best bargain in streaming" that's because the free pbs app let's you watch

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geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz. and i'm amna nawaz. on the news hour tonight. at the end of donald trump's first month in off