anchor: no breakthrough at a high-stakes meeting between the united states and russia, as it concludes in geneva, but both sides promised to continue negotiating to ease tensions over ukraine. they are fears of surgeons in the islamic state after militants launch a widescale attack on a syrian prison in an attempt to free those belonging to the group. and former french president nicolas sarkozy's chief of staff

slapped with a prison sentence over misuse of public funds. you are watching france 24, thank you for joining us. our top story, there has been no breakthrough in talks between the united states and russia over ukraine. the meeting in geneva was aimed at subverting a possible invasion by moscow, which has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the border with ukraine. the u.s. secretary of state and russian minister have agreed to keep diplomatic channels open, but the prospect of a military conflict on the ground is still a possibility. let's hear what they had to say after the meeting. >> the discussion today with mr. lavrov was frank and substantive. i believe we can carry forward work of understanding agreements together that assure mutual security. but that is contingent on russia stopping its aggression toward ukraine. that is the choice russia faces

now. it can choose the path of diplomacy that can lead to peace and security, or the path that will lead only to conflicts, severe consequences, and international condemnation. >> as far as allegations go, we have responded to everything, and when someone tells us that yes that is your territory, we recognize that, but there are too many troops, but at the same time they say it is not our business but the americans do with troops in europe. that is something we discussed with antony blinken during our talks today and he agreed that the dialect has to be more reasonable and i hope the motions will reseed to the background that there is no guarantee. anchor: joining us now is our international affairs commentator. tell us what the russians make of this? douglas: there are two views on the one hand you have

relentless propaganda from the state run television, which has convinced millions of russians who watch the channel and others like it that this is a proxy war in which the u.s. and nato in europe are essentially trying to take control of ukraine. they blame directly the u.s. and nato and its allies for the worsening situation in eastern ukraine. in fact, a pollster, a prominent pollster in russia, very respected, found in a poll in december that 50% of russians blame the u.s. and nato for the worsening situation. if you go to the 55 and older group, it is 65%, a large majority. only 4% blame russia. 16% blame ukraine. those are the numbers. a lot of that is due to distorted reality perhaps presented by propaganda. most russians are weary of war,

they do not want a large, full-scale war or invasion. they've had a lot of problems with their own inflati, economic stagnation. they have everyday woes and they don't want it. there is no longer the political capital in favor of a war that you had in 2014 when putin annexed crimea and moved in to support an insurgency in eastern ukraine. that enthusiasm just isn't there and that is something that putin is going to have to take into consideration. the public opinion. state propaganda still works, russians still blame the u.s. and nato, that does not mean the majority of the population are ready and willing to support a full-scale invasion. anchor: let's hold that thought, were going to bring in our next guest, the director of the eurasia center of the atlantic council. you are also a former u.s. ambassador to ukraine. can i start by asking you first, do you believe a russian invasion is a realistic possibility at this point?

john: i think it is a realistic possibility but not a probability. anchor: do you think today's talks have gone somewhere to diuse the tensions? john: the talks mean moscow wants to talk rather than launch troops. week ago, after three rounds of talks in geneva, brussels an heard what we want to hear,ven't there is no more reason to talk, but somehow they still wanted to talk. not only did the u.s. and russia meet today, they are talking about talking in the future. moscow is afraid that what the west will do is send it to read -- send troops to the ukraine. anchor: we have russian troops amassing on the border with ukraine and we have some talking about talks in the future. what is there in game? -- end game? john: they are trying to

intimidate others into making concessions. what they sent last week we have dismissed. this is normal and russian negotiations. they intimidate and then they ask for outrageous things they know will not be agreed to in the hope of getting something smaller but still valuable. douglas: it is interesting, anthony blinken said today he basically asked lavrov to a sling to him how the russians possibly think that what they are doing, the aggression or threat of action would somehow benefit russia or provide them the extra security they are supposedly seeking. what would your answer be to that question, from the russian perspective? how the answer that question? john: it is a pretty simple answer. sorry to say, but russian threats of these kinds have worked before. in georgia in 2008.

the french took the lead, nicolas sarkozy was in charge of a cease-fire that moscow violated from the beginning and violates to this day without consequence. they took crimea and all they got were some small sanctions. they are facing real pushback now. they look at the past and think maybe this will work again, but i think west hasn't wised up -- has wised up. douglas: what if it results, as we have seen in recent polls suggest, a swing in hostility toward pressure than was the case before the crimea annexation in 2014? they have a territory, they have what they were seeking on the ground militarily perhaps, but they don't have the hearts and minds, far from it. three quarters of the ukraian population consider russia to be a hostile ste, not an ally. john: that is absolutely right.

putin is the father of modern ukrainian nationalism. the reason why he is threatening a major new offensive is because his current limited war, quasi-covert war, is a failure. it has not change ukrainian foreign policy. anchor: just to cut in quickly, because we are running out of time, do you think there is a correct response to russia? what do you think western nations should do to deter anymore military buildup? john: i think biden has outlined a pretty good course of major sanctions if the troops go into ukraine. the positioning of nato forces along russia's border for their protection if pressure goes into ukraine. and more arms to ukraine. but the biden administration should be sending weapons to ukraine now. it should be moving within nato to put forces on russia's border now to complicate russian military planning as a threat of

invasion in ukraine. anchor: let's turn to yemen, the u.n. has condemned a saudi led stke on a city. earlier, thousands of protesters took to the streets of the capital amid the new escalation in the long-running conflict. according to save the children, coalition were plans killed over 60 civilians in an airstrike on a detention center in the north. a separate bombardment killed three children further south in a port city. the strike in targeting a nearby telecommunications facility, leading to a nationwide internet outage. next, kurdish led forces in syria have killed 23 islamic attack by thgroup on a prison housing jihadists. the facility is in a northeastern city and is one of the groups most -- and this is one of the group's most

significant attacks since the caliphate was defeated. our specialist tells us more. >> yesterday night, we had two things happening at the same time. in one of the detention facilities, we are going to see it on the map, because there are more than one facility in the area. we are talking about al-sinna prison. there was an attack on the entrance of the facility with a suicide bomber in a car. then riots inside the facility by islamic state fighters. it went on yesterday night and we have images where we can see them trying to get out of the facility, out of their cells. then it will happen like this all night. they will fight with the kurdish fighters that are holding this

prison and ec they are fighting ongoing -- we see they are fighting ongoing. it was also ongoing outside of the prison and they burned the petroleum station across the street from the prison. it went on until this morning and we have also the footage. you can hear the sounds of the fighting where american choppers entered the dance i attacking those inside the prison. maybe you can hear the sound of the shooting, they are shooting missiles. this went on this morning. anchor: the chief of staff of former president totalenergies -- nicolas sarkozy has been handed a jail sentence for misuse of funds. he is already in prison because of a separate offense. alison sargent tells us more. reporter: he was considered

nicolas sarkozy's right-hand man. his former chief of staff was sentenced to eight months in prison on friday, along with the former head of nicolas sarkozy's office, found guilty of favoritism and misuse of public funds. between 2007 and 2012 while nicolas sarkozy was in office, they allegedly spent 7 million euros of government money on opinion polls, asking the public to weigh in on topics like his relationship with a singer. contracts awarded without being made public and notably given to the company of a nicolas sarkozy confidant. he was given a two-year suspended sentence and a 150,000 euro fine, while another poster was also fined and given a six-month suspended sentence. nicolas sarkozy himself could not be tried in the case because of presidential immunity, but according to this lawyer, he is responsible. >> we know the president can't

be tried under the constitution, but my client gets tried, so to me that is a violation of the constitution. reporter: the 77-year-old has already been in prison since december for another case and was not present in court to hear his latest sentence. anchor: finally, aid is starting to arrive in the south pacific island of tonga after a volcanic eruption and tsunami. ports are opening to receive badly needed food, fuel, and drinking water. the united nations has reassured tonga it is adopting zero covid methods of aid delivery. we have more on the relief effort. reporter: a lifeline for tonga, on brd this royal australian air force plane with badly needed humanitarian aid for the pacific island nation. in the days ahead, more flights expected, carrying supplies of

water, shelters, and communication equipment. >> the priorities from the tongan government, what we are working to, primarily in the first instance, the provision of clean water, that is a priority the government has asked for. reporter: new zealand has also heeded the call for help. this flight was onef the first from the country to touch in tonga, carrying supplies of essential goods. a ship carrying 250,000 liters of water is also coming to the rescue. saturday's russian --eruption covered parts of tonga with the thick like it of ash and triggered a tsunami, flattening communities and sweeping people into the ocean. one survivor was a stranded so far out to see that it took them 27 hours to swimack to shore. >> the sea kept taking me underwater. the next time i go underwater,

that is it. my arms were the only things keeping me above water. toldyself, the next time i co up and i can't handle it, that is it. the ninth time i went under, i came up and grabbed a log and that cap me going. reporter: at least three people have been killed and thousands more may have difficulty getting their hands on safe drinking water. anchor: more news up next. stay with us. ♪ >> when i first met her, i was just immediately in love. >> belongs to old new york, my dear. >> nothing new. >> what a fine young man you

have become. >> from a dark depiction of contemporary high school life to the pitfalls of sudden success in 19th-century new york, welcome to this month's show on the latest releases on the small screen. we are talking about tv picks. we are starting with the much related -- much awaited return of euphoria. >> it is about high school students dealing with relationships, friendships and substance abuse. it is prettier -- grittiter -- grittier than other shows. it is not for the faint hearted. i personally think the series is fantastic. the cinematography, the dialogue, the delivery, the complexity of the characters as well as the meticulously chosen soundtrack. >> i was super impressed by season one. you must have had high

expectations. >> the first episode was a triumphant return. we finally get the back story about a drug dealer and his brother as well as a massive new year's party attended by most of the kids. the main character is played by zendaya and using drugs again. there has been a change and lighting in season two. >> apparently that is a deliberate choice, as the creator and developer explains. >> why do i get the feeling there is something you're not telling me? >> you can judge me if you want but i do not care. >> i wanted to create something that had the heart and soul of euphoria but it looks and feels different. if season one was a house party at 2:00 a.m., season two should be 5:00 a.m., way past the time everyone should have gone home.

we reached out to kodak to see if they could remake a certain film stock for us. they converted their factory to remake it for 35 and it looks absolutely beautiful. >> i love you. i have always been with you. before you were gone and after you were gone. ♪ >> stunning visuals indeed. there's always a danger with the series like it euphoria that it becomes a style over substance. what do you think, do the aesthetics gloss over violent themes? >> euphoria is undeniably visually pleasing, but i think the show does delve into sensitive topics in a

thought-provoking way. this is down to zendaya and hunter schaefer's performance. it doesn't glamorizing drug use. when rue using, i think viewers want her to get better and she doesn't glamorizing drug use. we might have explicit scenes and takes on what being high might feel like but we also see how awful she looks and what these bad choices mean for her. no one wants to end up like her when you are watching the show. the writer was in and out of rehab himself when he was a teenager and i think this adds to the realism of euphoria. hunter schaefer plays rue's love interest in the series, and apart from raking the barriers of trans representation, she does a great job depicting being the left one or friend of someone dealing with addiction. >> staying in the u.s. but changing gears. this comes from the creator of downton abbey, a period drama

set in the 19th century new york. tell us more. >> it centers around a penniless orphan who has moved to the big apple to live with her rich aunts, part of old money who refuse to mix with the nouveau riche. it depicts the economic expansion in the u.s., and to illustrate that, we have a secondary family, the husband a railway tycoon and the wife desperate to fit in with the other ladies in town and they just bought the biggest mansion off of 5th avenue. >> i hope you are not against her. >> maybe we need a bit of disruption. >> let the tournament began. >> let's just go outside and roll in the gutter, it will save time. >> you know newport well. >> the mistress is not a player in the great game. >> she is not a suitable acquaintance. >> i will make them pay one day.

>> the challenge for julian fellows is to come up with a show that doesn't look like an american copy of downton abbey. to me, he has failed at that because of some of the casting and characters are so similar to the british show it feels completely contrived. i am referring to the household staff, they have a chubby cook, a brazen amid and 00 m-- maid ad stubborn butler. >> what about the upstairs characters? >> they have a little more depth. louisa jacobson with a convincing performance. christine bring free -- christine brantley is fantastic although she does sometimes remind me of a character from one of her other shows. all and all, there is very good

chemistry. for me, the scenes sealer is carrie coon, the wife of the railway tycoon, it is impossible to hate her. also the show is attempting to bid to -- depict racism and prejudice. there is an aspiring writer who becomes friends with marion. we will have to see how the plot line develops. >> staying with historical drama, completely changing eras and locations. this is 1987, south korea, when the country was on the cusp of becoming a democracy. that is the backdrop for a new series, a controversial new k drama. >> it has several lawyers. a love story between two students, the hunt for spies, and political power struggle. it stars a k pop star.

on paper it sounds like you have the ingredients for an exciting, entertaining tv show, but in one week, 350,000 people signed a petition on the government's website demanding the drama be canceled. >> why so controversial? >> critics accuse it of historical revisionism. the male student is a north korean spy, and in real life, during south korea struggle for democracy, police routinely rounded up activists and opponents for allegedly communist similar. accusations that led to countless accounts of torture, arrests, arbitrary killings. even if we are talking about a fictional show, many people were surprised as to why the writers chose this angle. >> let's look at this political and polemical series. here is a look. ♪

>> [speaking korean] >> now, the show is available on disney plus in the asia-pacific market. a group of korean studies professors wrote a list need -- wrote a letter to disney criticizing the show. he mentioned that the original character was named after a democracy activist whose husband really was tortured on suspicion of being a north korean sympathizer. the academics wrote, the drama use the name of a victim and anti-communist propaganda in a narrative that echoes the propaganda. >> so the premise is problematic then. what about the rest of the show, any redeeming qualities? >> snowdrop doesn't do it for me i am afraid. characters are not fleshed out.

most of the female students seem like airheads. after several hours of viewing, we know very little about them except they all want to date. the political side plot fails to intrigue and the narrative falls flat. quite disappointing as the writer was the woman behind the netflix hit sky castle. a shout out to the actress who did a lot with a bland role. what i like to wear the clothes, props and the girls dorm drama. it partially takes place on a fictional campus based on a real-life university. which rings me to another missed opportunity. the university recently published a book on the role of women in student activism, but you barely see it. >> what a shame, sounds like it was lacking for you. you have chosen to end with another historical drama being praised for its insensitive depiction of a crucial period in american history this time. >> a historical drama that feels

all too relevant today. abc's women of the movement revisits the birth, murder and afterlife of emmett till, framed through the eyes of his mother. the 15-year-old boy's brutal murder sent shockwaves through the u.s. his mother became a prominent civil rights aivist afterward as she famously proclaimed, let the people see what they did to my boy and ordered an open casket for her son. the lead role depicts grief, love and anger with sincerity. this is the first of several stories we will be seeing as abc has made it part of an anthology on women of the civil rights movement and i am very much looking forward to seeing the rest. >> a tragic and pivotal movement -- moment in that movement. we will leave you with a clip from that series and moment. thank you for being with us. durham ever to check out our website and we are also on

twitter, facebook and instagram. there is more news coming up after this. >> one round-trip ticket to mississippi. ♪ >> mississippi is not like chicago. white folks are going to treat you different. it's just the way that it is. [splash] ♪ >> if they can't repatriate how are they going to repatriate you to a country haven't lived in?

01/21/22 01/21/22 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> t dav man for decades s proceeded in putting of antiust enforcement, labor mobilization by essentially saying "i've got this, we don't needediment to invasion like liver union and penl necked