>> good morning. it's saturday, february the 25th. it's 11 am in new york, 6 pm in kyiv. ukraine's resilient capital city, which is still standing, despite tremendous odds after 367 days of war. you are hearing the bills, at st. michaels to theater. i'm ali velshi. as you can see, life is carrying on all around me and otherwise regular saturday evening, if not for the rested out captured russian tanks displayed in the streets, and the air raid sirens that have gone off a couple of times today that have become a regular part of everyday life for millions of ukrainians around the country. most residents have learned to live with it and adjusted this way of life, and as guests in this remarkable city, so must we. but if an air raid siren goes off during this show this morning, we will need to leave to immediately evacuate this location and go somewhere more secure. now, if that does happen, my friend and colleague, alex witt,

is standing by in new york to pick up coverage until i'm all set and safe to rejoin. while a raid sirens will always mean that there is an imminent threat in the area, they are precautionary measures that we have to abide by. particularly during the week, when everybody here has been on high alert. there was a concern that russia would mark the first anniversary of the war with an attack that would likely target kyiv. but these guys here have been eerily quiet and the anniversary came and went without any major new offensive or acts of aggression by russia. fighting, however, continues in the eastern and southern parts of this country, like in and around the city of bakhmut, where ukrainian and russian forces have been locked in battle for months. and while kyiv has been relatively peaceful in recent months, let's not forget that the outskirts and the suburbs of this city to were battlefields just a year ago. and few people thought that it would be able to send up to the apparent might and power of russia. instead, ukraine has persevered and stepped up to russia under the leadership of president volodymyr zelenskyy. he's proven to be an effective communicator, rallying international support for his country to ensure that

ukrainian fighters will be well equipped to stand up against russia. ukraine has received unwavering support from president biden, who made an unannounced trip to the capital on monday. it was right here on the square, what you're looking at right behind me. he toured the city alongside president zelenskyy to display of defiance and strength. yesterday, on the first anniversary of the war, the biden administration committed an additional two billion dollars in aid and military support to ukraine, and announced a new trans of sanctions against russia and russia aligned entities. poland also disclosed that it's already delivered for leopard tanks to ukrainian forces, and it's ready to deliver more. zelenskyy has been asking for f-16 fighter jets, and that's a request that president biden has so far denied, telling abc news yesterday that he's, quote, ruling it out for now. although he said similar things before about sanctions and missiles -- other military equipment that the united states eventually agreed to. but as ukraine shores of its relationship with its allies, so to does russia. u.s. officials recently said that china is considering

providing artillery shells to russia, and yesterday, china called for a cease-fire and for ukraine's allies to end the sanctions that have been levied against russia over the past year. this week's developments underscores the fact that even though a major new russian offensive has not yet materialized, the end of this war is not yet insight. it is a war of attrition that will test the strength of global alliances the longer it goes on. and the stakes are high. not only for ukraine, what for the rest of the world as well. a point that president zelenskyy reiterated to me yesterday, when i asked him a question during a press conference here in kyiv. >> last week, the president of poland had said that if this war is still going on one year from today, there is a real danger that an empowered russia will invade another state. given how effectively you have held back a russian advance with nato's help here in ukraine, is it even conceivable that russia could invade another state, particularly a

nato state? >> unfortunately, i believe it is possible. and that might happen. why? i can give you an explanation. president putin needs to demonstrate successes and victories. so, there is not going to be success on the battlefield in ukraine and he will not succeed with a massive relaunch. in ukraine. so, he would need to demonstrate success. they can have success in week areas and -- it would be countries that were under the influence of russia before the war or during the -- soviet times. you know, the example of moldova. there are -- that they wanted to replace the

leadership of the country. but think how they can do that. how? i mean, they don't have communists with moldova. that means there will be -- operation. i think that russia will try to have at least some sort of success. look, a missile across the airspace of romania, you know? that and then that missile hits ukrainian territory, so they will keep on doing stuff like that. i mean -- it is better to prevent such capabilities through sanctions and through making many other sacrifices. >> joining me now is the united states ambassador to ukraine, bridget brink. ambassador, good to see you, thank you for being here. to warn our viewers, a bit of weather has just come through here. for all the rest of the city faces, this is actually just wind and rain, but that's what you will probably be hearing. thanks for being here and i have to say, we've got big politics to discuss.

but i told you what i really wanted to ask you as what it felt like when you are at the train station here in kyiv, very early monday morning. this train pulls in after a ten-hour ride, the president gets off, there's a picture, there are only a few people in it, you are in it. >> ali, thanks so much for the time to talk to you and thank you for being here. what i can tell you as the u.s. ambassador, as president biden's representative, is it felt fantastic. it was really great to have him come off the train. it was 15 years since we had a u.s. president here in kyiv, and he came on the anniversary of the war, so it was very meaningful, truly historic, and i'm so proud to have been a part of. it >> now let's talk a little bit about what happened in that visit. people have been asking me all week, and you are an expert on this part of the region. you work in this part of the world a lot. what did it do for ukraine? because there is a package announced later in the week that we can talk about, but nothing was announced there other than, we are standing by you. what does that do for this war effort? >> i think fundamentally, it's really important and i know the president was very excited to be able to come to kyiv himself, and to show, by that visit in

his purse and during this time of war, how we and he, and the whole administration, and the american people stand with ukraine. so, it sent a very powerful message because of the time since the last presidential visit, because of the state of war. i think that was a very important message that was very positively received by president zelenskyy and by the ukrainian people. but more than that, we did a lot. we've been doing a lot for a long time, but in the last week, we've provided additional military assistance, including two billion dollars worth of assistance yesterday, on top of 400 and $50 million on the day of the presidents visit. in addition to that, we've just also provided 9.9 billion dollars economic support to help pay teachers, health care workers, emergency workers, and finally, we also have done things that vice president denounced in munich, the designation of crimes against humanity. this is a response to the terrible atrocities that have been committed here. and i just want to say, especially to americans, that it's not just the united states alone, it's the whole world

that has stood up to help ukraine fight for freedom. and also, just last week, united nations approved a general assembly resolution, calling for a comprehensive just and lasting peace in ukraine, and 141 nations signed on to this resolution. it is not just the united states, it's all of us, it's all freedom loving nations supporting the u.n. charter, supporting the fact that borders should not, and cannot, be changed by force. >> let's talk a little about the countries that did not sign on to that. there were 30 countries that abstained. led by china, it looks like. there were seven countries that voted against that, no big surprise the seven countries that voted against. china has sort of talking a lot more this week about ukraine. there's some intelligence that suggests they may be getting ready to provide russia with the artillery and the ammunition that they are short of. they come up with a so-called 12 point peace plan that nobody asked volodymyr zelenskyy about. what do you think is happening with china? what's the role and what are you worried about? >> i can tell you, as someone

who also lives in kyiv, that there is no one more than ukrainians who want peace. that could happen tomorrow, should vladimir putin decide to pull his troops and his equipment out of the country of ukraine. what it can say also is that we all support a just and durable peace. and for a just peace, it has to be consistent with the u.n. charter, which means consistent with sovereignty and territorial integrity of states for durable peace, it has to ensure that russia cannot rest to refit and return in six months, or one year, or six years. so, we all support that outcome and it can happen tomorrow. >> because you've spent time in eastern and central europe, you know that when we talk about working one year of this war, most ukrainians, but particularly in the south and east, say this is not one year, this is nine years of a russian incursion and a land grab in ukraine. most ukrainians at this point, after a year of this thing, with however many thousands of civilians have died, want russia out of crimea.

now, we didn't, some say, do that the right way in 2014 when it happened. what now do we do about that? some people will say, that is off the table. >> i might say, as someone who's worked for 20 years plus in this region, it's not just nine years. it's actually much longer. i've worked in georgia, i've worked on moldova, on the whole region, and have seen basically, since independence, russia has taken bites out of different countries in this region for the whole period. so, this did not just start yesterday. it did not just art in 2014, and the ukrainians are right about that. but it needs to stop now. it's very dangerous because the question, the real question is, if it doesn't stop, what signal does that send to russia? and further aggression, and also what signal does it send to other would-be aggressors around the world? >> let's talk about what president zelenskyy said to me, when asked about whether russia would do more of this, whether they would go into other countries. he talked about moldova, he suggested that certainly, if you're not a nato country in this part of the world, you're engraved danger. but he suggested he might even

be in danger if you are a nato country. obviously, poland, lithuania, latvia, estonia, they all feel that way, that they don't want, they want nato to be strong. when i talked about the fact that a few years ago, a lot of us worried about the strength of nato, you said to me before we were on camera, you are not worried about the strength of nato. you feel that it's actually stronger than everybody thinks it is. >> well, thank you for that. i can't predict the future, so i don't know what vladimir putin will decide to do. i can't say that the past offers concern and it means that we need to help ukraine stop this, not just us, other democracies and freedom loving nations around the world. it's very important because to continue means that it does move into other places, even potentially beyond ukraine. it sends the terrible signals elsewhere. but i would say also, while putin's goal may have been to divide nato and divide the world, the result has been just the opposite. nato's stronger and more unified than ever. and so, he may have had one intention, but now it's turning out that we are coming together,

we have come together, and we are staying together in support of ukraine's fight for freedom. >> thank you for taking the time to be with us i'm, sorry you got wet in the, rain but you actually had a lot of -- this rain does not do anything. we appreciate you being. here and i'm still thinking about the image of you at the train station. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. embrace ambassador bridget brink, america's current passenger to ukraine. currently on this a vision of velshi, up -- to celebrate ukrainian author andre kirk of and his novel -- it's a satire that takes place in crimea in 2014, great peasticks close look at what i deadly, home, community, and culture looks like as the sounds of war a fade into the background as life carries on. here in ukraine, there is darkness, there is that, there is destruction. but the ukrainian people and their stories of bravery and resilience shine bright. i want to bring you one of the stories about the strength of when a young woman and her loving family. th o enwh a young woman and her loving family. loving family. ike to bank their own way. luckily they've all got chase.

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>> last year as the war unfolded, i was stationed in poland covering the tens of thousands of refugees pouring across the country bordering with ukraine. while there, i met 15 year old -- who was flee from her home an ace in ukraine. like all ukrainian and then at a certain age, her father victor had to stay behind in support of the war effort, but staying to serve the country was also his choice. victor serves as a chaplain the ukrainian military visiting supporting troops fighting on the fight line for freedom and their lives. i had the privilege of sitting down with victor and five of his chaplain colleagues, we had a deeply moving discussion about their role in the war, the toll the death has taken, and supporting soldiers and prayer. here's a piece of the interesting conversation. >> what is the rule of chaplains in the military in ukraine? >> the role of chaplains to be

close to the soldiers, to support them. a person is not just a complex machine, but also spiritual. it's a support. to be near war is constant stress. it's constant stress that never ends. and a person simply burns out. not even from the fact that something it close, it is dangerous, but internally psychologically, not even if it's a fear of death, injuries, but also worries her one's family, country, and all of this in a complex exhaust the person and strength. >> let's talk about death for a moment. when i spoke to people last year, they said we will mourn later, right now we have to fight. right now you have had a year of soldiers dying, civilians dying, and in this area, it has been nine years of people fighting and dying. how do you handle all the death and mourning and sadness when you have a war to fight?

>> i did not serve in the front line with the boys. to besides being a chaplain, i'm a pastor of a church. i travel, every week i tried to bring something to both military and civilian people. i don't see death on the front lines. our friends are dying. my good friend died this summer. it's hard. you can't get used to get. death is always scary. it is always pain, eternal pain. i'm a religious person, i cope with this with the help of god, with a prayer. >> that is an inevitable part of life. that seems a part of life you're now because it's not normal. we may have gotten used to death in a way, but every death is a pain for us. >> we have a lot more of from that conversation, which will air tomorrow morning i velshi, you don't want to miss that. but, for now, victor's daughter, victor you heard, from has a remarkable story of her own. i will bring that to you next. you are watching velshi live from ukraine. ng velshi live from ukraine from ukraine i'm bill lockwood, current caretaker and owner.

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russia's full scale invasion last february. during the first trip last spring, i'm awake ukraine, i made stop to hungary and poland. i made dozens of refugees during that time, and so many of their stories stuck with me. during my time in poland, i met a 15 year old ukrainian at you refugee, she was forced to flee her eastern ukrainian hometown. which is about halfway between dnipro and donetsk. during the course of the war, we have countless examples of how the strength and determination of the women of ukraine have been crucial to the country's resistance, and that spirit was evident that day as well, with all the more remarkable given how young she is. at the end of the interview, and a balcony in poland last march, she had one request. >> it makes me feel better

because i know i am not wrong. >> you are not alone. >> for sure. thank you for being with us. >> can i hug you? >> you will get through this. see you at school in the united states. then we will see you back in ukraine. >> last week, i make good on that promise, i visited her in her hometown in eastern ukraine, learned my young friend has big plans for her future, for her studies, and how to help her country. right now, as you will see, anastasia knows when way to help her people's actually by shearing the hug. >> thank you. >> hello, my friend. >> hello, hello. >> this is our church. i spent all my childhood here. and when i was a kid, i spent it here.

they're on the piano. wow >>, i saw you when you were in poland on the piano. >> yeah. ♪ ♪ ♪ what is happening today? >> it was like, yeah, it's thursday, it's the morning prayer. and the morning prayer, we pray for ukraine. it is the main reason we pray because we hope the war will soon be over. >> julia? ali, mister mayor. thank you for coming. you ready for lunch? let's see. hold on, hold on, hold on. there we go. you? you have some? >> i had some, yes. enjoy your meal. >> enjoy your meals, yes. when i met you in poland, you were missing your father so

much. you are missing or grandparent. you are missing your friends. when i saw you today, this is the church you grew up in? and you were performing today. and you steam a very, very happy to be back here. >> yeah. i am, it is not so often, we don't have t on the table toget. nowy grateful for that. >> i'm grateful for you, we have a chance to eat lunch. your father acts like a counselor, or a psychologist in his role as a chaplain in the military. that is giving you idea of what you want to do. >> i would just ecologist, it's an interesting topic. it's really interesting to work with people, understand why people behave like that. why people do that. and now, and ukraine, we are able to -- after people, after the war, and just people who have this anxiety because sirens every

day and it's still, it's still working for people. >> since we came to the church this morning, i think we heard two sirens, two or three while we were here? >> for, in the church. >> more at lunch? we have had sirens all day. >> yes, all day. >> how does that affect your own anxiety? >> now, i mean, i feel like, the first time, when it started in march, february, it was really dangerous. i was scared of a lot -- i was having another exact, the and cry, and just don't understand what is going on. now, it's part of life. you know? it's like, an ambulance goes with the sirens. >> right, when i hear an ambulance, i don't worry about. it when you hear eric siren, you don't and worry about. it >> it's or to be routine. >> let's go back a year when we first met. you had a just gone to poland. you left your home, your

grandparents are still here, your father was still here. and you were a refugee, essentially you. left the country. >> yeah, left the country, come to poland as a refugee. i don't know, i was going to the refugee hostel. and then how we came to be useful, it was like, okay, i want to help people. >> tell me why your first thought was how can i be useful? >> because my dad, he's on the front line for -- he gave me this idea that i need, he teaches me how to help people. how to be useful. and i would stay here, but i can't, you know my dad's in the russia tribunal. >> your dad is on a list of names that the russians, who are now in control of some of

donetsk, he's on a list of people that they will arrest? >> they will be killed. >> killed, okay. >> there is a lot of russians that will go after my dad. >> we are close to the occupied region? >> yes. donetsk, 100 kilometers from here, it is far away. >> yet he goes to the front? his name is on a list that the russian occupiers hold. if they catch him, he's in trouble. >> he's in huge trouble, yeah. they give money for his death. >> how do you get from where you are today to being somebody who can help rebuild your country? >> it's like war changed everything. your mind. i grew up in one day, one night. look at 4 am, you grow up. you just understand that you are, a lot of people now just exist. people just try to survive.

>> you say some people exist rather than live in the war because you have to make sure you have food, and safety. you are trying very much to live and not just survive, right? you are trying to play your music, spend time with their family. you are almost, you are trying to make this norm wore normal than it is. >> yeah, i'm trying. even my friends we work, we just don't see this as some dark as it is because we try to enjoy it. >> what is it due to you to be helpful? how does it make you feel? >> i mean, i know that i have an opportunity to help people because now a lot of people in trouble, they lost homes, they lost siblings. they started building left from scratch here. they come here because it's

always safety. when you understand, okay, i can help people, it makes you feel joy. i think in some way what makes me more happy is to help someone. >> when i first interviewed you, people kept sending me messages on social media or asking what is she going to do next? >> yeah. >> let me ask you, what are you going to do next? >> i'm trying to check universities. nowhere to go. i think that tells you i want to go to cornell. i think it is one of the best universities for sociology and psychology programs. i tried to work really, really hard to go to cornell. i hope to go to a scholarship. >> all of this is to keep your studies going? you on your sister are both, your older sister and, you are

spending your time to make sure that you don't stop your education. >>eally good education here. and then steadying into two countries, just to make this balance, but in some ways, it's pretty hard. >> i was sitting with your whole family, we were having lunch, it seemed like the most normal thing in the world. there is nothing normal and here. >> yeah. >> no part of it is normal. >> it i am jealous, i want to come back. there is a time when you can be a kid, every front is in town. you can be with friends just to be a kid. but with education, you have to finish school. i missed this a lot. >> are you going to get your childhood back? are you going to be a kid again? >> i think no, i'm a grow up.

i did not have time to be a kid. we do like [speaking non-english] hard me. and people just who want a hug. [speaking non-english] there was a woman if she was a guy from the donetsk region, and my city got destroyed, my home destroyed, she just hugged me. it was so sweet. she was so sweet. she hugged me three times. [speaking non-english] >> hold on, you create my ukrainian it getting better. hug me. >> yes. >> that is a great message.

>> a lot of people like it. maybe part of the team, i would love it, just for me. [speaking non-english] peaceful sky. okay. okay we're done, i hugged all team. >> peaceful sky, that's what she said i she hugged my entire team. a freeze most of us would take for granted. but a wish i hold deeply for my friend anastasia and all the people of ukraine. still ahead, a special edition of the velshi banned book club live from ukraine, we are reading grave bees from andre kirk. of a remarkable story of his own, and author who had not stopped rating once since the onslaught of the war he wants the world to know about the people of ukraine and there are basing culture.

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ukrainians on the latest trip to the country, one thing that most of them have in common is the appreciation of vladimir zelenskyy. he was elected as a former actor and comedian, and transformed into a true wartime leader. does appear that the war hardened him a bit, as it would anybody, but it still takes time for impromptu moments like this during a recent trip to the uk. >> translator: mister president, i would really like to how you, but i'm not allowed. >> please, give me a hug. if >> it was like you took a page out of anastasia's book. -- who works for the bbc. went on to joke that he needs better security. right after the break, we have a very special edition of the

velshi banned book club. in the past year, we have been reading for resistance, back home in the u.s., but in ukraine, that sentiment mean something more. today's future novel is grey bees by the celebrated ukrainian offer andrey kurkov, we are reading this book in resistance, but celebration of ukraine and the literary work warren here in the great book still to come. still to come. spend $30 on your next visit to ihop and get a fandango movie ticket to see marvel studios: ant-man and the wasp: quantumania.

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visceral and deadly. it has crystals deal, children climbing on tanks like a school playground. mass graves, millions of families of utterly devastated. at this point, every person in the u.s. and around the world knows these images. but the people in ukraine, right here, what i am standing, i'm not just fighting for their lives, they're fighting for something else. it's hard for me to capture on camera. they are fighting for their culture. the russian president vladimir putin made it clear, time and again, the systematic -- is the ultimate aim of his

invasion. putin has said, there is nothing here. the language, no history, no identity. he used it as a pretext to justify the war. this is not hyperbole, nor a distant possibility, it is happening in realtime, a few hours from where i am standing right now. according to our report from the united needs you -- in these new green, and the region of crimea, who was annexed in by russia in 2014, ukrainian history books and literature has been removed from public libraries in schools, and quote, destroyed by the occupying power. and quote. the reason? because the texts are, quote, extremist. that means ukrainian children in those parts of the country occupied by russia, children who have ukrainian parents and grandparents may never again have access to the country's history, their literary classics, or the growing cannon of modern literature. they may never feel pride for their heritage and homeland because they may not learn about it. in the last year, since the its inception of the velshi banned book club has become clear, reading's own form of

resistance. today, we are reading a modern ukrainian classic, a defiance of those. but also in celebration of this country's great culture. today's velshi banned book club future is grey bees by the prolific ukrainian author andrey kurkov. ironically, set in eastern ukraine where flagrant censorship is occurring right now. grey bees takes place in 2014 right after the russian annexation of crimea. the book follows a beekeeper name sergei who lives in virtual solitude in the gray zone of the dundas region. neutral and unmoved by the politically-charged and very dangerous war surrounding him. sergei's greatest investment in the conflict is what will become of his regional beekeeper society. as the novel progressives, sodas soared's view on the war. especially after witnessing the way russian forces treat his friend and fellow beekeeper. grey bees is every bit a book about war, but the devastation on the pages and not from a bloody battle, but the monotony of the whole thing. the characters in grey bees

must keep living. not just surviving in that small gray space between soldier and citizen. that idea of living, not just surviving, is something i heard from people off the page in real life in ukraine. from -- who fled the fighting east new crane to pull in last year, but has since returned home. >> it's like war changes. i grew up in one day, one night, wake up at 4 am and you grow up. you just understand that you are, a lot of people are not leaving, just existing. people just try to survive. >> a lot of people don't live, they just exist, they try to survive. that's what she told me on. the pages of gray bees, quote, they blew something up, they thought, was not that close, just the caliber down. if it was closed it would have thrown out a bed and it's a shell hit the house i would've stayed in my dream where it is cozier and low -- warmer and life, and quote.

gray bees -- a year into the war, and nearly a decade into russia invaded crimea, it tax things of idly, home, community, and culture. such a short words for such a big concept. grey bees celebrate ukraine and the cultural nuances as much as it bears witness to the war, yet the book is using using the deadpan humor in which the author andrey kurkov is known, and is, surprisingly, full of hope and charm. he is known for more than just a satire, one of ukraine's most prolific and well regarded writers. publishing some 13 novels and five children's book and writing more than 20 scripts for feature films and documentaries. four in russia in 1961, race in ukraine he writes his book in the russian language, the readily it often clarifies, quote, i write in russia, i'm not a russian writer, and quote. he was outspoken critic of putin and the kremlin his entire career, a stance easy to conclude from his writing, quote, putin calculation is

simple, ukraine with a permanent war in the eastern region will never be fully welcomed by europe or the rest of the world, and quote. as russian troops cross the border this time last year, he received a warning from a friend that he, along with other ukrainian writers and artists are on a list of what is called pro ukrainian activists. essentially a black list with potentially life-threatening consequences. of course the work is banned in russia. since then, he dedicated themselves to contextualize in the war for the entire world from television appearances and of course, through his books. up next i'm joined by andrey kurkov, the author of numerous books including today's velshi banned book club feature gray bees.

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kirk of the, author of numerous books including today's feature for the velshi banned book club, great piece. andrea joining me from california, though usually in ukip. andrea, welcome, thank you for being with us. thank you for your breaking and in the introduction i touched on how you write your books in the russian language, despite being ukrainian. despite being born in russia. i've spoken to many people in this country who speak both. many ukrainians, people that are young, are choosing to speak the ukrainian, depending on where they live, some of them speak russian, the distinction gets lost in the u.s., tell me a bit about this. >> actually, i rate than in

ukrainian, and i published them -- a nonfiction book about history of homeless people in the world. but yes, before the beginning of a new onslaught, i would say up to 40% of ukrainians are russian speakers. now probably the number fell down to 23%. this war, and putin himself, are killing the russian language culture in ukraine. but still, the is a minority of russian language writers, as well as there is a -- in crimea and other languages. ukrainians is a rich multicultural country. of course, -- but, it is all everything about ukraine, it belongs in ukraine, it's the culture. >> let's talk about the book. and that these. first, the b dictate sergei's behavior, he put a pause there,

quote, communism, human can learn from the bees. any reprimands, then says why are you actually people when they reject an outsider. clearly this mirrors sergei's inner growth. tell us more about that. >> sergei is a typical representative of dundas region, the dan bau's penalities. it's a huge country with 26 regions. the regions are different, like different countries, western ukraine, the mountain region is completely different from the steep region of kherson. of course in donbas it was live alive until recently. it was supported by the russian media one of the favorite tv channels -- it broadcasted victims and had a tv comedies and comedy shows. so for sergei, this was an

awakening. first attempt to understand the real life when the war surrounds him, when he finds himself between the russian army and ukrainian army. he has to take his own decisions because, actually, and i lost it was not traditional to take decisions. ukrainians are, in nature, -- people in donbas, like soviet people, for a long, time they still are fighting with themselves. trying to become independent. understanding that left depends on them, personally, not on higher forces. >> i want to talk about the idea of home that ukraine in the book. you created a padded bubble in the gray zone. that when it is time to leave, the reader is not ready. i want to read an excerpt from the book. quote, it wasn't his fault that his home was now in the middle of the war. in the middle, yes, but taking

no part in eight. no one shot at the enemy from his yard, his windows, his fans, which meant his home had no enemies. and quote. tell me more about this. >> hundreds of thousands of homes and apartments have no enemies, but they are destroyed by russian artillery, russian shelling. and the house and home is very important in ukraine. it's almost like the united kingdom, my home is my fortress. everybody is caring about the home, about the surrounding, about the garden. it's a sacred thing for ukraine. and therefore, actually, people, even when they find themselves in the middle of the war, they are reluctant to leave the home because they have a choice. they are choosing between two tiers. tear to be killed inside his own home or fear to go inside and become a refugee with no home. who will help them where they

end up. the concept of home for ukrainians, it's more than a castle. it's very important. >> you know, a few times i have mentioned in this set up to this book, the gray zone, the metaphorical gray zone. it's not metaphorical in your book. there is a physical gray zone, and an emotional gray zone. tell me more about this. >> the physical gray zone, i started thinking about this, only in 2017, i met a young businessman who fled from donbas to kyiv, opened a small kathy, he told me he goes to the front line every months, bringing medicine and other supplies to seven families remaining in the village, which has no electricity, no gas, and had no infrastructure. this was not the first time i realized what is a gray zone. and then i checked the maps. i realized more than the gray zone in ukraine, most of the

time, until the 24th of february last, year 430 kilometers long. sometimes 300 meters wide, sent them several kilometers. why there were visit visit villages morales happy with electricity, with some kind of infrastructure still existing in the gray zone for some time. i'm starting sorry to say, the gray zone is destroyed, even this island of relative possibility of survival is destroyed by russia, by the war. if we have the pros and cons list, the gray zone will be 2000 kilometers long. which nobody wants. and i don't think anybody questioned that and find themselves living in that. >> andré, thank you so much for your time, thank you for your writing. i hope our viewers enjoy reading your book. andrey kurkov, the author of numerous books, including today's future grey bees. here that bells, that means,

that does it for me, thank you for watching. catch me tomorrow morning as the live coverage from ukraine continues and then you timeslot 10 am to noon eastern. stay where you are. alex witt joins us in a moment. alex witt reports. alex witt reports. a >> very good day to all of you from msnbc world headquarters in new york. welcome everybody to alex witt reports. developing this hour. new conserves this weekend as we mark one year since russia launched its full scale invasion of ukraine. the u.s. ramping up sanctions and terrorists on russia. while boosting its support for ukraine with a new two billion dollar aid package. but new questions this week and as -- as new reports suggest that beijing is considering giving russia drones and ammunition. president biden addressing the possibility in a new interview. >> i do