of course you read a lot of things in the newspapers but boris johnson was in moscow that was on the twenty second of december and. we discussed this problem that was raised but i love rove he said mr secretary you don't have any affects you joe we hear just the statements in the british press which are very let's say they're not proved by anything why don't we have the consultations between our specialists russian british and if you have any facts you know if you have something in your hands please present it to us and the professionals could sit down talk about the sources about the proof and you know what what was the response was from boris johnson's into his to no. good question you know if you don't have anything. of course. you can expect this kind of response ok you deny to cyber war what about actual war not a week appears to go by without. the usual mainstream sources b.b.c.

sky news channel four news suggesting that your military is invading or he's threatening to invade our airspace and our waterways first of all only british soldiers are standing on our borders this is in the store eight hundred british soldiers located there it's not russian soldiers on the border with scotland or england this is the british soldiers on the border of russia this is first. second i think that. all this legations about the interference into the brits or sky is you know in the zone of the british interests they're not supporting by any fact russians aircraft are flying in international airspace they never cross the air spoiler space over britain so that's why we allowed like anybody else to fly in the international airspace ok but then the overriding context of this

obviously is the british government's attitude that you have invaded crimea. a view as usual going to say you did not invade crimea you know what we did. we supported the people of crimea because you know whence the once there was a coup in kiev. and the legitimate president unocal which was removed by the regime of poroshenko and the government of the winner so they call it the people in premier decided to have a referendum and so they voted ninety seven percent voted in favor of independence crimea because the they were freed of the changes that took place in kiev and later on very soon they decided to ask in other referendum to join russia and this is you know how how the creamier became part of russia is a point made repeatedly by a foreign minister as well but there you see as the saying that nato battle groups

now as you mentioned on a stone in poland in lithuania latvia they're wasting their time and including british troops that is wasting their time on your borders and spending money but you're not denying that vladimir putin is a militaristic leader who is looking for expansionism of a russian federation he has expanded the russian federation you know like this deals because. there is a very good institute international institute of strategic studies which is based in london and they just released a report and if you look at that you know about the military budgets you will find that the budget of russia one year is forty six billion dollars the budget of the u.k. is fifty two billion dollars so the british are spending more than we're doing and the budget of the united states military budget for one year it's seven hundred billion dollars it means that the whole nato spends almost a trillion against forty six billion dollars so roughly twenty times

more so make your own conclusions another context of this course is what we're hearing about for the united states. and rex tillerson this existence as you will be meddling with us but you already have plans for the twenty twenty lectures in the united states and of course we here in british media repeatedly that you. meddled and i suppose i can give you that one they haven't got proof of that the rex address for and what do you think of it when the sec us secretary of state says you have plans well i'll tell you first of all the run no effect that's exactly what my minister said several times to rex tillerson you know if you have something please present it so far no effects were presented but there was a quite an interesting story you know with the social media you remember that the facebook was asked how much money the russian side or the russian companies you know spain spend on so-called you know breaks to complain and it was almost peanuts

you tube they answer they fishel and so worse and that was published in the british newspaper zero and you have this memory serves in the twitter almost. the same answer so basically from my point of view this is just the complaint which is not supported by any evidence. ok as well as all of that on mainstream channels the same day to b.b.c. channel four news group of iraq sky news we are told repeatedly that your country is currently murdering hundreds of civilians in syria using warplanes and we have white helmets footage which is broadcast that appear to prove that you are engaged in a very these contravening any kind of principles of war we don't trust the white helmet because first this is. financed by the british government is clear this is just a fact of life so they are biased in this case this is first and their

participation in aleppo in some other places you know where allegedly was used the chemical weapons was put on the question by the facts and. they they were participating in so many operations which were parishioners that's where stage that we don't have a new trust. to the white helmets and they're basically the whole information that they're presenting has nothing to do with the reality we're waiting to statements from the white helmets and the foreign office but. why on earth would the british government want to fund a proxy guerrilla force and i know there have been allegations that they are cooperating with al nusra lied to are going to what would be in the british interest to do that and then forge information that the russian military were engaged in atrocities it's a question to the british government you know the only thing that i want to say is that there were quite interesting discussion you know debates in the in the parliament and the british government was ask you know how was two hundred million

spent for so-called moderate opposition and so on they could justify only forty eight million all the rest they couldn't even find the answer how this money was spent and i'll tell you that a lot of m.p.'s were surprise and we were surprised but of that money went to the what hellman's where the other one. so that's the question to the government and that's the question was posed by the m.p. you know by the russians so make your own conclusions i know it's early late breaking news but. ministry of defense in russia this. of that appears to say they received a call that the white helmets might be involved in perhaps a future chemical attack anything on that here in the i don't know i don't have any information that would be like saying a british funded agency was threatening a chemical attack in syria well i'll tell you but a listen you know to the commands of the foreign office they are very quick on some comments russian ambassador thank you more from the ambassador after the break plus

a look at the papers with associate fellow chatham house professor matthew goodwin that's all coming up in bottom of going underground. last kaiser's financial survival guide liquid does it you can convert that as quite easily. to keep in mind that to me the place is a. record. in twenty forty you know bloody revolution. the demonstrations going from being relatively peaceful political protests to be increasingly violent revolution is always spontaneous or is it you know here i mean you know let's put video. pulling you to the former ukrainian president recalls the events of twenty four. those who took. over five billion dollars to assist in these enough to ensure

a secure and prosperous and democratic. welcome back we're still here with the russian ambassador to britain alexander i know the context of all of this is the uk. in russian presidential elections and it's particularly liberal outlets so-called liberal out as like the guardian i think the assistant editor for the guardian simon tisdall saying the u.k. should be outraged by russia because of the treatment of opposition leader novell me that he cannot run against vladimir putin what do you think about this growing sense in britain as we approach the recent russian presidential elections that you know really democracy up state and you're not allowing people to run it's very interesting you know the british media they always say hop truth because you know work in every country we have rules and we have our constitution so basically

anybody in the in russia could run for the president lee presidency but the one of the conditions you shouldn't have a criminal record. and nobody has this. criminal record at least two of them how they he can run for the president once you have this big round so this is the simple answer but it's not you will never read it in the any british newspaper that he has he had a criminal record so this is under the constitution he cannot simply run for the presidency that's it there are so many articles which is written you know in the u.k. and unfortunately all of them are very negative to putin i didn't read any single article which is more or less even neutral and from my point of view it's sort of we have been meddling you know to the to the elections because you know it's just. to present a very negative information of one candidate it's not the pygame the british government regulating the russian nurse never to go with them talking about the

media freedom free and independent i really about that bridge ago and i have to ask you have in britain very much still involved in the syria campaign what was your reaction when you heard these reports that you came back u.s. warplanes wiped out perhaps a hundred. syrian forces fighting isis to hash in syria the major problem that we have with the british side is that the british. steel holding the position that assad must go and from my point of view is an acceptable because in a best democratic traditions of the west this is the people of syria should decide you know whether who is going to be the president so basically we're trying to convince our british. colleagues and the portman's you know just look at this you know from the different points of view and but as far as i know the foreign office didn't change its position you know sometimes it sounds

a little bit louder sometimes you know less loud but the core of that position is the same so basically. is this some kind of a follow up of that the. pro-choice is what what what you hear today in the british press you know in the statements of the ridges go and i know that the russian president appears to have a cold according to british media sources that are whether you can confirm that or not he has met with the palestinian president what do you think of what the palestinians are saying that the united states cannot at all be an honest broker rule russia be taking a bigger. space in this so-called peace process well i understand the palestinians because you know when when when the u.s. decided to acknowledge the druce them as the capital of. israel so that was very one sided approach so basically and what about the

two state solution where the police teenie ends and in a police news today they believe that. the united states simply don't take into account their position so i fully understand you know what they feel and from that interview of course from my point of view that the u.s. should have a little bit more balance position on that subject could we see a moscow summit well we're always open to you know for the conversations and the proposal to held a meeting between the israelis and the police genius in moscow it is on the table we will behavior to be honest brokers but it's up to the two sides i mean a lot of people are a political and or at least apathetic about politics but they are probably watching the winter games in korea only pleased to watch the two koreas botching in unison at the opening ceremony what does it make you feel as the russian ambassador representing a country where so many of your athletes aren't even able to compete well except

for me it's a beauty but you know i always look at the positive side and the positive side is that first of all the russian athletes. to show that they're the best and probably you know whether there is some cases which were fabricated by some people you know in the olympic movement. could be just. this will be another but you need to show that we're the best and. the olympics is politicize as they've been in previous decades yes i think so i think so because the whole the whole story would be would adopting with the with everything what happened you know with the russian team is just exactly be the be example of the political it is a shame because you're a member there was and there was a decision of the court in laws honor and you know a lot of russian at least were lowered to participate the decision of the olympic committee not to listen to the decision of the court that was

a very wrong and political move from my point of view and sad that the united states will be there to could be the fee for world cup soccer tournament we would welcome everybody who are qualified. as a bank you're. joining me now to go through some of the week's headlines is author professor matthew goodwin he's a senior fellow with the u.k. and russia back to chatham house think tank amongst others and he's a former member of the u.k.'s working group on anti muslim hatred his most recent book brics it's why britain voted to leave the european union is out now matthew thanks for coming on i know for it's actually boris johnson giving a speech today on breaks it what is this fast headline let's go straight to yes absolutely this is george soros i want buffed out of politics well i think there's been a bigger.