we are joined by amy mckinnon. amy, thank _ a contrast. we are joined by amy mckinnon. amy mckinnon. amy, thank you for i a contrast. we are joined by amy - mckinnon. amy, thank you forjoining us. this deal was several years in the making. what got it over the line? ~ . , the making. what got it over the line? ~ ., , ., line? well, as we heard in those ackaues line? well, as we heard in those packages before, _ line? well, as we heard in those packages before, the _ line? well, as we heard in those packages before, the real - line? well, as we heard in those i packages before, the real linchpin of this deal was releasing the assassin from russia from a german prison. and that became apparent over these months and attempts at diplomacy that that is what the russians wanted, that they were not going to budge, so that been launched this huge behind the scenes very tightly controlled very quiet diplomatic effort to try and persuade and cajole the germans to take this very significant step to release somebody who's been convicted for assassinating somebody in broad daylight i

steve: amy mckinnon, national security reporter, foreign policy magazine. this deal took years. over the line? amy: the linchpin was releasing that russian assassin from the german prison. that was what the russians wanted. they weren't going to budge if they didn't get him. that launched this tightly controlled quiet diplomatic effort to persuade and cajole the germans to take this step to really someone collected for assassinating someone in broad daylight, in a park in berlin. steve: how did they secure them from these other countries? amy: we are still learning, piecing together the timeline which extends for one year or longer, and how these discussions went on with the germans. kamala harris played a role in this in her meeting with the german chancellor at the munich security conference in february. there was a lot of back-and-forth, trying to persuade the germans. there were several russians released as part of this deal who do not have german or u.s. citizenship. they are russian nationals. the germans wanted something significant if they were going to let vladimir go. n

mckinnon. welcome to the program piece folks underway in geneva to end the 16 month pool between the suit and these ami, the power military rapids support forces are assessed, but only one side has showed up to those tools that has made it difficult to address the humanitarian dissolve. that is unfolding as a result of the war officer don's population of 50000000 is now facing food and security. simon, one of the negotiations main goals now is to open 3 border crossings, which would allow motion monetary and aid into the country. dw correspondent and mariel miller traveled to child support a with saddam to speak with refugees. they said the stories with her about the brutal to force them to flee that homeland a hi, at most stuff i was lucky to escape and attacked by the power ministry rapids support forces hometown engine. you know what you witnessed. it's baton a t c big deal. i mean, i don't know, they just made the info into his house down. they didn't shoot him, they tied him up and set him on fire. the fire killed him of the select model mostly that hey, she was forced to abandon her farm and floo