i know what this thing to some extent. i would argue that we're still fighting the civil war. in the south is winning a headlines. they're wanting international personal views, that can cost you your job. a german navy admiral steps down off to respond to diplomatic route by publicly saying crimea, is now a part of russia. meanwhile, a quote, useful meeting with a candid exchange of opinions at a critical moment. that's how the russian and u. s. foreign policy chiefs describe round to that told to geneva this week, which do commonly rising tensions over ukraine and the issue of nato expansion. we recently notified congress of our intent to deliver and 17 helicopters, part of the latest round of the escalation told the u. s. joins other nato member

states and ramping up supplies of weapons, the key, but tell to russia to pull back its own troops on its own soil. and a fight of fact checking russia lockers out at u. s. officials and the media pushing a fresh unproven claims against moscow, published right ahead of those crucial security tools. with to scroll through a couple of random pages to be sure, none of the provisions stand up to any critical analysis. in many cases, it is simply alive with thought, with the top stories up today and the main headlines of the week. this is the weekly here or not, you international and what a busy week it's b. welcome to the program. it does look like showing even the slightest support for russia these days can cost you dearly, particularly in this whole current political climate. a german navy chief has had to resign off the saying, the crimea is now

a part of russia and the west. it should stop demonizing vladimir putin, his words as one might imagine, spoken, major diplomatic backlash, more details. now his art is peter vice admiral k. r. him shown by caused big shocks on saturday evening as he stood down from his role as chief of the german navy. it follows comments that he made about the russian president vladimir burton and the ongoing tensions between russia, ukraine, and nato. following this fall out from what he said and everything revolving around it, he felt his position had become untenable. i have just asked the federal minister of defense to release me from my duties as inspector of the navy with immediate effect. the foulest comments i made in the neon security and military policy are increasingly weighing on my office in order to prevent further damage to the german navy. i consider this a necessary step. the federal minister has accepted my request. well, it all relates the comments that shown by made while he was in india speaking to

a defense think tank. he was speaking about crimea, which he said would remain part of russia also about the russian president, vladimir burton, who he said only once, respect, and probably deserves respect is folly russia because he can do it is easy to give him the respect he needs and also his us economy opens was, is got no commer. this is the fact once the video became public, there was outcry from sections of society saying they had shown by hand to go more than an embarrassment what the german maybe commander says here on the label. utterly unacceptable, there must be consequences. but this is not the position of german foreign office vice admiral playing down the russian sabre rattling. this is a shocking statements. this crimea was annexed by russia. it almost sounds like god,

blush for putting fire hen and navy chief must not play his own foreign policy game in a crisis. clearly vice admiral schon box thought he was off the record, but he was also fundamentally wrong on prospects of appeasing russia. ukraine is also not happy with what has gone on. in fact, the foreign ministry in t f is calling on germany to officially distance themselves from their former navy chief. and what he talked to say, they saying that these comments went on to undermine the sovereignty of ukraine, the foreign minister, they're calling them on acceptable. but this is just the latest issue that we've seen very recently between berlin just last week. there were problems over the fact that berlin doesn't want to send weapons into ukraine. also, germany has blocked the sale of a stony and weapons that were german made to ukraine. this su concerning the now

former navy chief, just the latest and was becoming a growing number of problems. let's learn a little bit more about this right now. building data with thomas fast spend journalist and author joining us live here on this sunday program. great to see you today. why do you think there's so much anger at this navy chief? well, i guess, daring to state his opinion. well, it's not only that he did not even say that the crimea belonged to russia. he just said it will not be returned. and the respect that mister putin, i think, is just a fair level of respect. any leading off is the one power should should give to the command in chief of a foreign and maybe even all power. so it is definitely within common sense what he said, and that was probably that made probably his downfall because of course the,

the leadership, the jump, political leadership and the media are concerned about the fact that within the rank and file of the government of the army and among the population, there is this common sense understanding that crimea will remain within russia and that there is, there is this common understanding that whatever mister put in did over the last 20 years, whether it's against us so far as whether we like it or not, demand deserves a certain level of respect. so i would say he is the fact that that provoked the anger was that this was not that he does not represent a solitary, an individual opinion here. but the why you say he doesn't represent, perhaps some of the narrative opinion i was going to ask you, i mean, this is a vice admiral here. this is a boss of germany's navy. it's not some sort of little cadet making these comments . this is a man with a glowing military career,

the recipient of honors. do you think, stepping down, resigning off your lifetime career with the only option he had? well, i think it was not much less his option or his choice, but request the new minutes of defense. miss lumber, it has made it already clear that she is taking tough stands on the russia ukraine issue. and i'd say the, the, the office, the admiral reacted with the soldierly discipline and accepted the fact that he had to take his demise. what about ukraine's foreign minister expressing outrage over berlin? distinct thing itself from nato supply of lethal weapons to keep the german leadership saying that it didn't. it might be counterproductive, whereas there are other nato countries who are sending lethal weapons. well, of course it's got to do with germany's past with the law at the strong pacifist

same line of thought or philosophy that has characterized german for lots of politics for decades. but there is an intense conflict going on within germany. whether for the sake of avoiding war in, in ukraine, germany has to deliver weapons to ukraine. so is this one position. there is the opposite position that we should refrain from doing that? the ukraine minister has, of course, all reasons of the world. i mean, he wants he wants and he's got west and support any weapon delivery will help him. and if not today, because of a lack of attack from, from any side from russia, it may be tomorrow after tomorrow, due to reconquer rebel hold territories or even crimea. when you, when you look at the comments of the german vice admiral, the vice admiral of the navy, do you think it's possible that germany might want less tension with moscow? i know washington has been putting pressure on the german leadership. for example,

you got to shut down north stream to if or if russia does go into ukraine. but did you think germany wants less tension? do you think it better relationship with moscow? you get this feeling over the last weeks that not only among the population, there was always a great strong consensus in, in terms of good relations with russia. but among the countries leadership, the leading media, there are certain initiatives that, that say, well, it's not side to, to strongly here with one side in this conflict. and people understand that the ukraine is not the model democracy that we have to defend, that germany has to defend at all costs that this is, but by and large, an effort to project us power and us geostrategic aimed right up to the, to the russian border. and the extent to which germany wants to support such an

effort by the u. s. g politicians. busy does not meet consensus here in this country. thomas fast by journalist and author, joining us live here for the sunday weekly program. many thanks. we appreciate it. thank you. well, in the week, the top diplomats of russia and the us held a 2nd round of security talks in switzerland. washington has now promised to provide moscow with a written response to the crab berlin's concerns next week. just a moment here are some of the key points of those talks. ah, not here. any reasoning, justifying the american position on the bush ukraine border. only concerns, concerns, concerns with bush and officials have never threatened ukrainians as a nation. not even once president zalinski who has been under the wing of our western colleagues who patronize encouraging any sorts of action publicly said that

if any ukraine citizen regards himself and russian, he should get out of ukraine. greece, who is the one making threats, and what can these threats possibly lead to? that is the big question, is we will not go back on the fundamental principles that we have and that we are committed to defend. and one of those is a narrows opened, or russia has amassed very significant forces and ukraine's order and continues to do so. $100000.00 troops, most recently, including forces deployed to dealers. russia has addressed every concern which has been voiced, they admit that it's our own territory. was still say that there are too many troops, and then immediately in the same sense. and they say that whatever americans are doing with their own choosing your, it is not of our business. we do not

claim any spheres of influence, but what nato is doing in regards to ukraine is clearly showing that the alliance sees it as a sphere of its own influence. it reflects the mentality of the west and community fully confident in its exceptionalism. they can do anything and the rest of us, only with the commission. and in yet another wave of accusations against russia or the british foreign office claimed to have gathered evidence of a plot to install a pro moscow government and key. of course, russia slamming this as nonsense. the misinformation spread by the british foreign office is more evidence that it is the nato countries lead by the anglo saxons, thus escalating tensions around ukraine. we call in the british foreign office to stop provocative activities. stop spreading nonsense and concentrate on studying the history of the total mongol yoke. awhile so there's no evidence published

supporting this claim. brittany has already called for de escalation. london says that one of the potential candidates is former ukrainian. m. p. yevgeny, mariah. it's something that seems to have taken him by surprise, saying he's been banned from russia since 2018 was not only the u. k, which moscow believes as bog down and so called fake news. just hours ahead of this week, security talks, the u. s. the state department outline what it's cited as examples of russian disinformation in a report that presented opinions as facts. a rushes or foreign minister was critical of both the content and its timing it tomorrow you can go to rosie, but the lease documents which the u. s. state department has of course prepare deliberately for today's meeting is simply impossible to read. it's enough to scroll through a couple of random pages to be sure, none of the provisions stand up to any critical analysis. in many cases, it is simply align reduce. well, in response to russia has draw up its own fact checking list and accused washington

of a, quote, toxic campaign against russia. well, let's have a look at both sides of this story is auntie's marquez div. you may have seen this list. oh, fantastic exposure. they have russian fiction, that's a good read, bold print and a world painted in black and white. simplified, pre digested and regurgitated russians. bad americans, good lito does not encircle russia. nato enlargement is not directed against russia. over the last 20 years old nato coalition potential has been a mass on its eastern frank. the lance is expansion towards russian borders is accompanied by the creation earned modernization of military infrastructure. russia has 60 neighbors in the ninety's. only one of those was a nato state that it became to poland joined. then it became 5 with ukraine and ga,

potentially joining that would be 7 with all the perks that carries like us bases and troops. pray tell how is that not the dictionary definition of encirclement russia is use a statement from high level officials as well as disinformation and propaganda outlets to intentionally spread outright falsehoods, to attempt to create a pretext for military action. we all know how the u. s. uses differ information to create a pretext for invading independence states. the irony seems lost entirely on the us state department, we still remember colon pow right sadam. hussein has not. verifiably accounted for even one teaspoonful of this deadly material. the chief of the state department. whether of all around 2 decades ago, lying to the world,

about saddam's weapons of mass destruction. and setting the stage for the invasion of iraq, which killed an estimated half a 1000000 people. because i don't believe that russia has come close to that level of misinformation. there are no credible reports of any ethnic russians or russia. speakers been under threats from the ukrainian government violations of the rights of the multi 1000000 russian speaking population in ukraine have reached an enormous level. the government wps a discriminatory laws on language education and so called indigenous peoples driving the russian language. out of all the spheres of life, ukraine is not that democratic paradise. the washington portrays it to be at is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. say various reports, a country where the leaders of the 2 biggest opposition parties are right now being

prosecuted and persecuted, a say to keep them out of power. a country where opposition media has been forced to shut down one after the other or attacked without any sort of international reaction. ethnic russians are no longer recognized as native residents. the russian language, the native language of a 3rd of the ukrainian population. as now forbidden and schools and government in coffee shops in supermarkets. yes, russians in ukraine are very much the de finish it of persecuted. nato never promised not to admit new members. on the 9th of february 1990 u. s. secretary of state, james baker said, during the meeting with the soviet foreign minister, edward shivered. not say about the ironclad guarantees that nato jurisdictions and mil for units won't move an inch eastwood. it's a sorry world where,

where russians know what the state department said better than the state department . the shame, the director of the cia robert gates famously warned against the expansion of nato because and i quote gorbachev's and others were led to believe that that wouldn't happen. west german, foreign minister hantz dietrich denture, and i quote, this is to a large crowd. nato should rule out any expansion of its territory towards the east moving it closer to the soviet borders. i have much more just not enough time, but it is remarkable how a document that sets out a fight russian. this information bays and basks in so many lies of its own la even arts. he is become a target of the accusations from washington. the u. s. t. a department insisting that arts, he and fellow news outlet. sputnik using this information instead of supporting

mainstream narratives. this is this information of propaganda. ecosystem usa diploma has something to say in their brand new reports. but stop for a moment and enjoy top people did devote their time and passion of drool, tear off 3 favorite parts, partying. have nick frequently give favorable coverage to organizations such as the week meeks, that have received information from hackers working for russian and telecom services to the people in the state department or on number one, funds, reading and watching only r t and sputnik otherwise. how can this be explained? a blow for julian assange and for press freedom. julian, a sans he infuriated washington, now he's facing life in prison. julian assange, indictment failed to mention with felix video that exposed us school crimes in iraq . there are several indicators that share our c and sputnik.

i'm not analogous to journalistic me. independent media outlets such as b. b. c. invoice in america, aussie and start making flex bdc invoice from american transparent, organizational, and financial structures. we never lie about our budget. however, the us agency for global media us, hey jim doug. well, i don't know exactly what they invest in r t and, and spoof mac and in other russian media. but i know that is more than what the united states government and best of course, all media in russian is 10 times 100 targets around 10 x factor. absolutely. let's follow the dollars. in 2019 usa gym allocated $808000000.00 to its networks. while in 2019 artist budget was almost 316000000. combining it with the budget of rusty as to what it was, only 430000000. or here we have to agree with people in the state department ortiz, definitely not the same in likely attempt to damage the reputations of

may done revolution activists, ukrainian leadership and the ukranian armed forces in the eyes of both ukraine's allies in the russian population. the criminal pushed the narrative, the neo nazis in bozeman, in ukraine, cried you during and after the annexation of crimea. why isn't anyone questioning this narrative, brutal attacks on roma people, l g, b, t, people, and rights activists happening on the rise in recent months in ukraine. the government has taken little action in response, which cannot but embolden and encourage the attackers message to the us state department, question mo, follow speaking of that, our last clip mentioned right there. at the u. s. the state department accused our russian meter of portray ukraine as a nazi state. one of the articles presented as evidence was written for ot by mr. paul robinson. the problem here is note that the government is

a fascist john to the is clearly an enormous exaggeration. despite restrictions on the use of the russian language and the recent repression of some anti government meter personalities, ukraine remains rose, be free and open society. it's not remotely fascist. an article i wrote in which i actually say that the idea about ukrainian government is fascist, is an enormous exaggeration. and that ukraine is not remotely fascist. specifically what i say in the article, and yet this article is linked to in the state department report as evidence r t is spreading the false narrative that ukraine is a fascist state or is the article in fact as the direct opposite. and then there's more similar sort of full statements on the next page about something else. the story about a boy who was killed in a rebel occupied don't bass,

and the russian press reported that he'd been killed by ukrainian drone. the state department report says that the o s. c. investigated and stated that the boy was not killed by a drug and event provides a link to the o. s c e report. but when you go to and you can read what the o s c said, it does not say that the boy was not killed by a drug. it's simply states that the boy was killed by shrapnel and lost injuries. so the statement in the state department report, b o s e said that is in totty on true. i mean was the u. s. calls for russia to pull back his troops on the ukrainian border. the 1st shipment of washington is $200000000.00 military aid package arrived in kia on saturday. i would note that the united states has delivered more security assistance to ukraine in the last year than any point in history. these deliveries are ongoing, including today there's more deliveries coming. we recently notified congress of

our 10 to deliver and 17 helicopters or the other nato members, austonia lafayette. and the way you have place to send lethal weapons to strengthen ukraine's ability to defend itself in the event of a russian invasion. russia course denies all the allegations about finding any kind of military offensive. germany doesn't support sending weapons to ukraine, saying it would help defuse the crisis. but key of accused berlin of undermining the unity between nato allies and of encouraging putin's invasion. over germany, claims arms exports will only push tensions higher. the federal government has had a clear stance regarding arms exports in recent years. we have not supported the export of lethal weapons from germany. meanwhile, local authorities and the self proclaimed don. yes, republic claim around $120000.00 ukrainian soldiers have now gathered on the border of civilians and the water and region have been living in fear for more than 7 years already. and now it seems that lives might be at even greater risk due to the

escalating engines. we spoke with a former us marine corps intelligence officer, scott ritter. he believes washington's alms export to ukraine a counterproductive and at the end of the day, they undermine secured. if you don't leave a weapons in the united states, that opens up joe biden to criticism from congress at a time when he needs congressional support for domestic programs. so where we're seeing here is the consequences of allowing your foreign policy, your national security policy to be hijacked, by domestic little the fact that tony blinking his meeting with lab rob to discuss a diplomatic off ramp for the current crisis. at the same time, the united states is green lighting of the delivery of weapons for the sole purpose of killing russians, because you don't have deterrence unless you have a real capability, it's totally counterproductive and it undermines the american position when they say, you know, we won't allow nato to join for years. you don't need to worry about what's the

difference between a ukraine that's a member of nato receiving western military aid and ukraine, who's not a member of nato receiving western military from the russia perspective. there's no difference. so would you be surprised? said no hair on the program on asi international, the wealth of the world's richest people has doubled during the pandemic or the poor have suffered increased death rates and poverty. these are the findings of report by oxfam, cold inequality kills of the charity, basically says that policy choices by governments are skewed in favor of the rich the well for the world's 10 riches men has doubled to the pandemic began the incomes of 99 percent of humanity a worse off because of coven 19. this is not by chance, but choice. economic violence is perpetrated when structural policy choices are made for the richest and most powerful people. this causes direct. com to us all

the time they make has really expose. been all it is and fuel them. so ox, i'm has been tracking billionaire wealth for some time and of course the full list shows that it has been growing over the last 40 years. but over the last 2 years it's been really exponential. so we call it a billionaire bonanza. and at the other end of the spectrum, of course, for 99 percent of humanity. it's been a very, very difficult time. and most people are worse off as a result of the. and then, of course, more than a 160000000 people have fallen into poverty during this time. and if in a moment when you can see the difference is really showing very, very starkly can't cause success. when there is such disparity, that at one end of the spectrum, you have people who have more wilson, they can spend in several lifetime, and the other we have people struggling to pay their next health bill or, or not knowing where the next meal is coming from. having such

a level of disparity affects everyone, even the wealthiest, because you know it's a sign of unhealthy state of affairs, of a unhealthy society that needs addressing well, according to walks, 5, cobra is pushed more than 160000000 people into poverty. while an estimate of 17000000 have died and around 6000000 more have also lost their lives due to lack of health care in poor countries. meanwhile, the top 10 people on forbes rich list, including well known figures such as the eli mosque. jeff bay is awesome, bill gates, they have 6 times more money than the poorest. a 3000000000 come bind. while they double their wealth, the incomes of 99 percent of the world's population simply wasn't. and since covert began, a new billionaire has been created roughly every single day, and oxfam believes a key reason for such inequality is that of vaccine supplies. one of those key drivers for inequality has been

a vaccine access to vaccines. so the difference between rich and poor countries has grown, but inequality. so, and the poorest countries in africa, in general, only 10 percent of the population has had its 1st course of vaccination america. and it's, it's economic power and several other countries in the world can help reverse that from unlocking that and from the calculations that, that we have made. it would be possible, for example, to vaccinate the whole world to achieve in health care for all universal healthcare . and their ways and an awesome and others have campaigned for lifting those intellectual property rights. that in fact, mean that pharmaceuticals have a monopoly over coby vaccines that are not readily available or produced as, as, as, as they could all over the world. i running down the top headlines off the weekend off today. here we're not international. this is the weekly program. thanks so much for sharing your sunday with us here in moscow. we're back soon with more of your

weekly highlights in about half an hour. with situation forces can overwhelm, can dominate even the best of us, ordinary people put in a bad evil environment can become transformed to become part of that negative environment. and it's any of us, or in fact most of us the office of naval intelligence, it was pretty consistent cut out front for.