in terms of belarus and belarus being possibly the last european dictatorship, if you are in a positionof hooton who runs quite authoritarian machines themselves, i don't think that the way that vocation is the dictator really registers much and influences your decision did not matter. in terms of other reasons, it is first about geopolitical reason. certainly been on the border with the e.u., which nato, certainly been one of the corridors for a supply of russian gas to europe with ukraine of course now it is difficult to predict what would happen there. so the more difficult things for russia are in ukraine. the higher is the state of belarus and its geopolitical gain. >> over here. >> hi, ron were my. i am reminded in this talk is sent and i read one that history, rather that geography is about not in histories about chaps. so let talk about chaps for a second. i remember at least that in 1991, most of the energy i was aware of in terms of dealing with the post-soviet world was to focus on direct relationships with russia in encouraging reform in the one. and now if i had been asleep

it could be a real domestic threat to the regime of moscow or belarus in a different group. looking as say a possible potential one with politics with success fall countries to become democratic sometimes for not a good reason at all and that is the message sent to the domestic audience. >> tavis going to ask a question about the of gorbachev's legacy but now i want to talk about putin is like is a. with the next decade rare juicy his policies and him and recently as an economic coup with china with gas and real? and commodities going both ways? thank you. >> let me predict the future [laughter] so that these times i was wrong that i decided it is a blessing i am paid as a historian. [laughter] because i've led the broke. but the way the guys understand putin looks at himself, as far as i understand with the russians soviets history that he reads books the first time since dahlin. he was not in avid leader for that matter but there were different kinds of books and literature. this is the person to as far as he knows is assured another 10 years. one of the legacies he wants

both countries were once soviet republics. >> this is belarus, and this here was lithuania. that is my garden. >> he jokes that he has the best guarded garden in lithuania. the region is patrolled night and day. during the soviet era, there was only a line on the map separating the two republics. the middle fence was erected in 2004 with lithuania became a member of the european union and joined nato. the new type of iron curtain keeps friends and family apart. >> there was not a border or fork. it was one village, and we could all visit each other, but now, our countries are separated. yet, i still know a lot of people there, and they know me. sometimes we go and have a chat at the fence. if i had a visa, i would be able to go over. but to get one, i would have to travel about dirty kilometers to the next border crossing -- dirty kilometers to the next border crossing to visit them, and then travel back home. >> along with the collapse of the soviet union came a new border which was strengthened with barb wire when lithuania joined the eu. there is high unemployment here, a

so belarus is often referred to as the last dictatorship in europe.ng this film was incredibly difficult. in fact, we made it almost entirely remotely over skype. so i don't know if it's a film or story we would have been able to tell even ten years ago. we worked with a really fearless group of underground cinemaing toer ifs and journalists who helped us smuggle the footage over the border to safer countries. >> let's talk about this theater group you are profiling. how does it change their performance when they know that performing could get them jailed or killed? >> what's interesting about this, a lot of the stories they're telling are actually just autobigraphic call. they're just telling stories about themselves, about their lives, family members who have died, difficulties with addiction and drug abuse. but even these are topics that are censored by the government. so for them, you know, they just feel that being honest about what life is like in their country and sharing those stories to their countrymen but also to the rest of the world is in

let's show you a map of that union that now comprises russia, kazakhstan, and belarus. ukraine would have expanded that market significantly to 220 million consumers. it would also have protected russia's southwestern flank, as you can tell from looking at that map. protecting it, making it a buffer zone with nato and e.u. countries to the west. this is a loss for russia. a tussle between russia and the west continues. lost to thebe association agreement, but eastern ukraine is not lost to russia yet. russia will continue to exert influence using the gas issue and its influence through those militants in eastern ukraine. >> you mentioned a buffer zone. we are also seeing moldova and online to sign association pact with europe. hopefully wetries, can show you where they are situated as well. george and moldova are both ex-soviet states and like ukraine have difficult relations with russia. moscow backing breakaway territories in mulled over and georgia. the reason is because nato cannot accept new members that have breakaway conflicts on their territories. comesof russia

well the president of belarus is not the first among the world's movers and shakers to fall victim to a phone prank here's some of the most successful tourist jokes back at the twenty twelve in twenty twelve indeed during the u.n. general assembly secretary-general ban ki moon was too busy to tell right away the person calling him was not the actual canadian prime minister. yes hello. yes hello stephen harper speaking how are you mr secretary general how are you are you find out how are you. in fact that was a cute comedy due calling this i could be general the conversation was well pretty awkward with the fake canadian prime minister citing the need to comb his hair with superglue that's the reason why he couldn't attend the u.n. conference ki-moon later claimed he quickly realized that was a prank a little the call did last five minutes. even cuban revolutionary leader retired president feel castro failed to escape the joker's. castro thought it was his friend venezuelan president hugo chavez calling to tell about his lost luggage containing some sensitive material after the prankst

iraq has turned to russia and belarus to buy fighter jetters.ys two mass graves has been found with bodies of iraq soldiers and civilians. aaron miller's an distinguished scholar at the woodrow wilson center, author of several books on the middle east. u.s. armed drones with hellfire missiles now flying over baghdad. what does that say to you? >> protect the 180 who are there and position for possible military action -- >> drones with hellfire mifssils protect military advisers who may be in the green zone, very, very heavily populated area. are you going to start firing -- >> because if we're going to collect intel, they're not going to stay in the green zone. forward operators will need to be in the northern area to gather intelligence and they need protection. >> you wrote a fascinating piece this week. basically saying a cohesive iraq or cohesive iraq strategy, it's all a fiction right now. >> it's tough because iraq confronts two major problems that no nation, even functional nations, can't really alter. what it is, its demockogrademog. and

. -- russian military in places like belarus. >> it came at the start of a trip that was meant to reassuretners and show a unified front in response to russia's actions in ukraine. what do the allies want to hear from president obama? europeallies of central and the interim area, they want to hear what he actually said, that there will be an increase in troop resins. however there is a break within the europeans and within nato on exactly what nato needs to be doing against russia. see, the european states are very happy with what today.nnounced however, the heavyweight european states like germany or france are much more cautious of a buildup. the other european states are not on board that we can see with the u.s. plan. >> i'm speaking with lauren goodrich for my senior eurasia analyst at stratford. we did receive word today that german chancellor merkel and vladimir putin will meet on friday at the d-day ceremony in normandy. does president putin have some explain to do? chancellor merkel has criticized him for his actions in russia -- in group training -- in the ukraine and crimea. wha

western ukrainian street from east to next to go the battalion that massacred jews in ukraine and belarus is led by mr tighe the book the simon wiesenthal center in twenty twelve named him one of the world's five worst anti semites who calls for quote ukraine of its last four hundred thousand jews taking books indoors by john mccain and assistant secretary of state vic nuland who in a leaked conversation was caught no minutes in ukraine's post-coup leader's reward forceful but does farland in the coup d'etat with six have been opposed first nazis in government since the third reich first of barley tucci vice presidents of new york's holocaust memorial committee points out new land of jewish descent when asked why she helps one of the world's most appalling anti semites replied that's a question for a psychiatry to most psychotic behavior mainstream media have received perhaps the toughest white house assignment to date to convince the public there are no neo nazis in ukraine it comes as the country's fascist no go quote door to door in eastern ukraine if anyone is. when they are beaten al

your welcome back to the program the president of belarus alexander lukashenko has been left on linked by i know what explains rang up the administration of the president on the low question to himself during the bellows was there intense it could be handed over to key but i'm content making dissident who never goes away from using colloquial language in public candid station which. then have a hospitality by the president and his family to stay in bellows yes or no question but you're below spoke the reporter with. the piece of the shoe. that was found in the residence he seems to have fought every bit of that prank and he's now angry alexander lukashenko gave his security service a week to track down the russian prankster or else he said he would send the head of but the prankster hacked into the phone call decided it was the real thing and leaked it before the prankster himself we feel the truth about one suspects that it could be the ukrainian intelligence service it's no secret intelligence service to spy on world leaders we remember merkel's phone they may have some interesting b

welcome back to the program the president of belarus alexander lukashenko the conversation itself was recorded on no one source guy nature counts were it wasn't her. a russian prankster who goes by the name of vaughan rang up the administration of the president of bellows and introduced himself as the son of victor young a call which the ousted president of ukraine he got to talk to the bell russian president alexander look at the himself during a conversation the princess suggested that his father may have to move to belize because there's a chance they could be handed over to fellow russian president who never shies away from using colloquial language in public with more can. when you moved over when you put water ashore. then present ukrainian president and his family to stay in the garage which i'm just to. thank him pranks have on offer the president the gift but they hope to look to the issue a. little bit. but. we do know there could be good i believe most of the. issue. they're talking about the golden loaf that was found in the residence of the ousted ukrainian president many

belarus does not have any external protection. the others i mentioned do in varying degrees. it follows from what i'm saying that the ukrainian problem is a challenge that the west, by which i mean the united states and europe and nato particularly, must address on three levels. we have to effectively deter the temptation facing the russian leadership regarding the use of force. we have to deter the use of force more simply put. we have to, secondly, to obtain determination of russia's delivered efforts at the progressive or continuing destabilization of parts of ukraine. very hard to judge how ambitious these goals are, but it is not an accident. i think that's one single portion in which the russians actually predominate one single portion of ukraine in which they actually predominate. the use of force has been sophisticated. participants in the effort have been well armed, even tanks, certain effective antiaircraft weaponry. all of that is something that even disagreeable, disaffected citizens of the country to which they feel

well the president of belarus is not the first among the world's movers and shakers to fall victim to a phone prank your some of the most successful notorious jokes back in two thousand and twelve during the u.n. general assembly secretary-general ban ki moon was too busy to tell right away the person calling him was not the actual canadian prime minister yes hello. hello yes hello stephen harper speaking how are you mr secretary general how are you are you i find how do you find. the conversation well it was pretty or crude with the fake canadian prime minister citing the need to comb his hair with superglue that's the reason why i couldn't attend the u.n. on prince. even the cuban revolutionary leader fidel castro feel to escape the chokers who pretended to be his friend fenice whelan president hugo chavez. but man oh. he did not. going to be going to label. me. as i see you know and like i thought those who don't but all of them i am going slow i think up until he had the guy if they wanted to which i always. go by. and we're not finished their radio host targeted sarah palin back

this week leaders of russia belarus and kazakstan signed a treaty setting up a eurasian economic union scheduled to come into force next january it's yet to be ratified by national parliaments the new economics from asian accounts for a fifth of the world's gas reserves and fifteen per cent of oil the agreement guarantees free movement of goods and manpower for the common market of more than one hundred seventy million people nations are set to bolster economic cooperation in key economic industries like energy agriculture and business and it merges previous agreements reached under the customs union and single economic space deal with patrick young an expert in global financial markets always it would you might be when you think about it this way i mean amongst these three countries alone in the customs union they've had over the last few years they've increased their trade between themselves by the equivalent of mind of the entirety of russia's trade with the united states of america russia and the rest of the world have alternatives and why they trade just because you happen to be o

after collapse of communism washington had the choices one is to make every effort to make russia belarus to make russia part of the rest part of it would be called western civilization and the second option was simply to continue to weaken russia and back it up and then geopolitical corner unfortunately. second the very worst and whatever reagan only could do the job of getting rid of communism and bringing russia does arrest all presidents after him did everything possible to move russia or east and to weaken it in the end instead of making the friend and ally tried to turn it into enemies which is stupid and i don't know how who are those thinkers who are doing this you know alexander ed mentioned earlier in the program that there would have been many opportunities windows of opportunity that had been purposely intentionally missed by the west it because i will stand with this i think that if they can't get all of ukraine including crimea by the way which they will never get this trash the place ok make russia pay for it cause misery in this part of the world and in that sense said it

welcome back to the program the leader of belarus has offered political asylum to the oxford ukrainian president and his family well at least that's what i like some of the thought he was doing during a phone chat with a man posing as the son of ukraine's former leader the prankster even offered an extravagant reward in return is. now reports. a russian prankster who goes by the name of von braun rang up the administration of the president of bellows and introduced himself as the son of victor young of coverage the ousted president of ukraine he got to talk to the bell russian president alexander lukashenko himself during the conversation the princess suggested that his father may have to move to bellows because there's a chance he could be handed over to kiev the one pretended to be worried that the current authorities in c. of may not treat the ousted president well the belo russian president who never shies away from using colloquial language in public was even more candid doing what he thought was a private conversation. problem that you know. unusual push push push toward the stor

because after collapse of communism washington had the choices to make every effort to make russia belarus to make russia part of the rest part of what they called western civilization and the second option was simply to continue to weaken russia and back it up and then geopolitical corner unfortunately there was cheers a second the very worst and whatever reagan or only could do the job of getting rid of communism and bringing russia does arrest all presidents after him did everything possible to move russia or east and to weaken it and instead of making the friend and ally tried to turn it into enemies which is stupid and i don't know how who are those thinkers who are doing this you know alexander ed mentioned earlier in the program that there would have been many opportunities windows of opportunity that had been purposely intentionally missed by the west hear it because i will stand with this i think that if they can't get all of ukraine including crimea by the way which they will never get this trashed the place ok make russia pay for it cause misery in this part of the world and in

already struggling because sixty percent of ukrainian experts go either to russia or to kazakstan or to belarus is the e.u. ready to compensate for that. loss of revenues because i mean we can talk about while you support a valid long time but let's talk about money i think what ukrainian ukrainians need now money and revenues where those revenues that ukraine will lose in associating with europe will come from world first of all there is no determinism in economy an economy you negotiate an economy as they say. we cannot go into the details of the association agreement but i can say with all respect that it's not at all what you are presenting this is not an either or russia has taken a position and i hope that these negotiations are tough presently on the table and progressively on the platform that mr poroshenko her stress that the first thing he has done and that he is to reestablish with crimea what all the all the utilities all the flows that were there and that he has expressed that he wants the best relationship possible with russia and this should not be incompatible and it is not inco

, because belarus does not have any external protection. there are others that i have mentioned do in varying degrees. it follows from what i am saying that the ukrainian problem is a challenge that the west, by which i mean the united states and europe and the nato, particularly, must address on three levels. . . >> event tankses affected aircraft weaponry. all that is something that even disagreeable, disaffected citizens of a country for which they feel they do not belong will be storing somewhere in their basement. these are weapons providing in effect for the purpose of shaping formations capable of sustaining serious military engagements. it is a form of interstate aggression. you can call it anything else. how would we feel if all of a sudden, they're saying the drug oriented gangs in the united states were on from abroad from neighbors by equipment which would permit violence on that scale on a continuum basis. this is a serious challenge. so that is the second objective. and the third objective is to promote and then discuss a form

at the same time, iraq's government says it's buying fighter jets from russia and belarus and hopes to put them into action soon. meantime, human rights groups say they have evidence of mass killings by i was and its sunni allies and by iraqi troops and their shiite allies and the leader of the kurdish region in the north has now announced the virtual annexation of the-rich city of kirkuk and other disputed areas in the north. let's get account latest from our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. i take it more u.s. forces military advisors heading to the region and elsewhere? >> more u.s. troops, u.s. marines on the way to the asian gulf, wolf. the "uss baton within 1,000 marines on board is now moving we have learned from its position in the mediterranean back down south it will go into the persian gulf with those 1,000 marines joining another thousand marines already in the gulf region. seven warships are already there. they are upping the firepower, they say not because they expect president obama to order air strikes but to be ready just in case. and the just in case comes along

made f-16 aircraft on hold, the iraqi recently purchased second-hand jet fighters from russia and belarusuld arrive in the coming days. maliki blamed the u.s., saying it is the lack of air cover. but sunni's say a military solution will only increase the problem, and blame the prime minister for narrowing down the rebellion to a fight against isil. >> if they didn't accept our political solution, they will face just isis and destiny. [ speaking foreign ] >> translator: and that clearly would be division of iraq. but not -- it's not the -- our -- our decision. that's a different decision. >> reporter: parliament is due to reconvene on july 1st. but the fighting is now at the doors of bagdad. hoda abdel hamid. >>> as it stands now in iraq, kurdish forces are in control of the oil-rich region, while rebel fighters lead by isil hold large parts of anvil province. sunni rebels are also consolidating their hold on key targets including a major syrian border crossing and an airport. but iraq's military is fighting back, sending another 200 troops to defend the oil refinery, and launched an offen

you point out the issue of sanctions, you know, i wrote the belarus democracy act and worked closelyh the europeans on who we sanctioned in the lu. luka shchlt henko regime. 90 have been sanctioned to our 1 and you are encouraged there's at least, the mayor of tehran. but where are the others? we have the law in place to do it. 90-1. if it was a world cup score it would be a blowout. we need to update and add to that list. you also finally -- i do have a lot of others but i'll just go to your answers. dr. george. >> yes, thank you, congressman smith. i'll take a moment to address the particular issues that you wanted me to talk about. we have noticed our staff has noticed that since rouhani assumed the presidency there has been a toning down of the anti-jewish rhetoric that we had seen from government officials during the ahmadinejad period. but what we haven't seen is any corresponding diminution of the pressure against the jewish community as still 20,000 jews remaining in iran, a fraction of the -- what was once a flourishing and large community there. so, yeah, there's been a ton

because belarus does not have any external protection. the others that i have mentioned do, in varying degrees. it follows from what i'm saying that the ukrainian problem is a challenge that the west, by which i mean the united states and europe and the nato particularly, must address on three levels. we have to effectively deter the temptation facing the russian leadership regarding the use of force. we have to deter the use of force, more simply put. we have to secondly obtain determination of russia's deliberate efforts at the progressive or continuing destabilization of parts of ukraine. it's very hard to judge how ambitious these goals are. but it is not an accident that in that one single portion in which the russians actually predominate, one single portion of ukraine in which they actually predominate, the use of force has been sophisticated. the participants in the effort have been well armed. even tanks. certainly effective anti-aircraft weaponry. all of that is something that even disagreeable -- disaffected citizens of a count

russia belarus sent to kazakhstan this week officially formed a new economic union the treaty will come into force next january this means free trade financial interaction and labor migration between the three countries to more saves may join by the end of the year the new document emerges previous agreements reached under the customs union and the single economic space deal patrick young an expert in global financial markets told r.t. the new deal they send a wake up call to europe and the us just think about it this way i mean amongst these three countries alone in the customs union they've had over the last few years they've increased their trade between themselves by the equivalent of mind of the entirety of russia's trade with the united states of america russia and the rest of the world have alternatives and why they trade just because you happen to be on the eastern fringes of the european union it doesn't automatically mean that you're going to try and fight your way into the european union that's currently years why not go with something like this eurasian union where you've go

. >> iraq is buying secondhand military jets from russia and belarus, essentially, the iraqi prime ministerat essentially they are fed up with waiting for the u.s. to step in and provide this kind of aid. >> the iraqis have contracted for fen -- f-16s. they have been delivered in texas where the pilots are undergoing training. it's going to tam a while. they are going to go to other countries and buy secondhand equipment because they wanted an immediate capability. this presupposes that they know how to fly this secondhand equipment. they may have pilots from old school who may be able to fly these. isis presents a real threat to them. >> it's complicated. who is going to fly the russian planes, what happens to those personnel that do fly them? >> the russians will be happy to fly them in. this gives russia another in in the middle east. they are in syria and they are making deals with iran, they are making deals now with iraq because they want to be players they want to be powers in the region again. >> you have the syrians, you have the iranians, you have the sunnis, kurds and shias in ir

russia delivered -- why russia deliver their aircraft as well and they're trying to get aircraft from belarus and elsewhere. they're trying to get the thataft back from iran some of their defectors flew in their many, many years ago. part of the problem with that, he will take time to get these aircraft in shape and including the russian aircraft, and to train the pilots. it is not like you just walk in it these things and drive them like a car. >> dresser sullivan, can you help us understand the tension for saudi arabia which is effectively sunni and isil? in other words, the tension sunni against sunni? >> it is really not a tension of sunni against sunni, but a tension of extremist against those who take a more moderate stance. it is not just was saudi arabia, but many others. many muslims, i'm certain, look at this group of murderers, thieves, thugs as harley representative -- harley representative, but if anything, an insult. this is their holy month of ramadan. it is doubly insulting. the fact this guy calls himself caliph uber hang is an absurdity. if you look at his name but he said i

i wrote the belarus democracy act. we worked with europeans on who we sanctioned.the numbers of people on both sides, it is almost the same people. you point out that the european union had 90 people that had been sanctioned to our one. where are the others? we have a law in place to do it. to update and add to that list. i do have a lot of others. i will just go to your answers. >> thank you. i will take a moment to address the particular issues you wanted me to talk about. sincee noticed that rouhani assume the presidency, there has been a toning down of the anti-jewish rhetoric that we had seen from government officials in the previous regime. any diminutionn remaining jews in iran. this was once a flourishing community there. there has been some toning down of the rhetoric but no real action to make things any different for the jewish community. they are third class citizens or worse. they are always subject to harassment of all sorts. we don't have any good news to report beyond the rhetorical side. you asking me about the jewish community in iran. ? >> about

for kazakhstan, ukraine, belarus, everybody. >> all emerging markets, not just russia or even europe. >> i agree but for a many emerging markets, doesn't perceive them is a part of the world as in russia. and if you are genuine in trying to help us create a democracy in the country, none of these type of help would be appreciated because that's not a doing harm to russian people, from the west don't make west seem as our enemy, but vice versa, it is positioning the life of our prosecutors. search tor for the soldier money inch regards to -- in regard to -- it was very much advertised. i think that the price that was negotiated is a good price. and as much as the china buys, but the issue is that they're buying gas from the eastern parts of the country which are infrastructurally disconnected from the western, siberian and central russia. so, that means that you cannot redistribute the production which goes now to europe and direct that to china. it's totally new gas fuels which are being developed in that part of the country, and that's good we're developing them with jobs, taxes, you

if we give them a free pass, then the question is, what possible standing to we have to condemn belarus, which is in the deep freeze. i am told they have 11 political prisoners and we have come down hard on them. if i had the right friends in china and we flew there and landed in any city and got in a car, i could find you 11 political prisoners in a couple of minutes. what we have done with this massive page in our foreign policy is to sacrifice our credibility on the whole issue. that will be hard to rebuild. that is just a comment. thanks very much. >> for briefly, on china in particular, as you know, there has then a cycle in the emphasis, the public emphasis placed on human rights by american political figures. at the outset of the opening, it was utterly absent. it begins to come into the picture at the end of the cold war and particularly after tienanmen. at least for a while you have high-ranking american political figures including presidents of the united states saying rather remarkable things, sometimes sharing the stage with chinese counterparts and saying we are eager to he

as they rent them, around the life of this community in a synagogue and belarus.i know that even at the darkest hour cannot prevent a new dome in the next state and it will arrive. my friends, today and together we must tackle to monumental challenges we face. terrorism and poverty. terror knows no borders and obeys no rules. it kills hundreds of thousands and it turns millions into refugees. seed in iran and iraq, syria and lebanon, gaza and elsewhere. by sanctioning their suppliers, by preventing the financial aid, we know the terrorists are global. there they should we fought globally. we must fight not only the act of terror, that the roots of terrorism. not just by military means, but by their financial supply by demilitarizing their action, by leaving a modern regional gnat that can catch terrorists and protect the innocent old. religions can play a meaningful role in destroying terrorists and end restoring tolerance and hope. the region can never permit terrorists to hijack phase and perpetrate violence in the name of having. we need voices small lake hope

dylan sure could 91,000 robberies in the same day from his pajamas and belarus.at is the challenge we face with cyber. it blows away the concept of time and spice they have shrunk a the world because they can move at the speed of light through the internet. so i know only nine months in that mine tenure will be dominated to make sure we are equipped and deploy and train that we shrink the world and we are well of the way banks to the work of my predecessor i hope you saw some of the good work we have done with respect to the chinese and massive criminal enterprises this is no different than kicking in your front door or stealing a company's most precious property be have to treated that way to send a message we will find you a hand to touch you significantly wherever you are in the world because we will not put up with this just because it happens in cyberspace. that issue will dominate over the next 10 years. briefly, a counterterrorism you mentioned the threat from al qaeda but i do see the thread diminished in the region but at the same time i see the progeny

the western front, the russian people made incredible sacrifices, as well as the ukrainian people, belarus people, all the people of the soviet union. given the circumstances in ukraine, a lot of people view this as a distraction. putin does have those three meetings with gee seven leaders. president obama will not meet him. they will be rubbing elbows, there's no question. president obama said they very well might speak, just not in a formal meeting around this event today. >> mike viqueira, reporting from the american cemetery in normandy, france. thank you. >> coming up at 7:30, an emotional journey for two world war ii veterans. we are along for the ride as they board the same plane that one of them piloted and the other parachuted from on d-day. >> stay with aljazeera america throughout the morning for our continuing coverage of the d-day remembrance. we'll have live coverage of the international ceremony starting at 9:00 a.m. eastern time. >> senators struck a bipartisan deal aimed at fixing the department of veteran affairs. if passed, the bill would reduce wait times and hire more

in fact, in large measure on belarus soil which brings them much closer to baltic states. and these are enormous exercises by our standards. large army formations, repelling an alleged attack and then moving forward. and the last one ended with a simulated nuclear attack on the central european capital. nuclear attack. no one has used nuclear weapons since 1945. i mean, these are things that we haven't paid much attention to but are part of this equation. and building security has to be very much a reciprocal responsibility in addition to solidarity in the face of challenge. >> thank you so much. this was a terrific round table. let me just congratulate the ambassador again on the volume, highly recommend it the all of you. thank you, dr. brzezinski, for your extraordinary keynote, your very thoughtful comments, ambassador pifer and all of you for joining us. we're adjourned, thank you so much. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> and live now to remarks there former health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius. she'll be sharing her reflections on the challeng

the soviet union fell apart, it left many successor states with many nuclear weapons, and ukraine, belarus and kazakhstan decided to give up their nuclear weapons, one of the great achievements of the clinton administration, but in the case of ukraine, it wasn't prepared to do that until it had a firm commitment by russia, by the united states, by the united kingdom, that its sovereignty and territorial integrity would be guaranteed. and so, the four countries signed the budapest agreement that purported to guarantee just that. the idea that this piece of paper could be in effect torn up by this move by russia into ukraine profoundly called into question what message this would send to other countries around the world who might be considering giving up nuclear weapons. a terrible message to send, a terrible precedent to set. the united states response, i think, can be looked at in two points of time. first, before russia went into crimea, that is, from the moment the protests were met with a violent reaction, we worked very hard to try to de-escalate the crisis, to bring the parties togeth

the soviet union fell apart, it left many successor states with many nuclear weapons, and ukraine, belarus and kazakhstan decided give up -- in the case of ukraine, it wasn't prepared to do that until it had a firm commitment by russia, by the united states, by the united kingdom that its sovereignty and territorial integrity would be guaranteed, and so the four countries signed the budapest agreement and purported to guarantee just that. the idea that this piece of paper could be in effect torn up by this move by russia into ukraine profoundly called into question what message this would send to other countries around the world who might be considering giving up nuclear weapons. a terrible message to send, a terrible precedent to set. the united states response irks think, can be looked at in two points of time. first, before russia went into crimea. that is from the moment the midon protests were met with a violate reaction, we work very hard to try to de-escalate the crisis to bring the parties together. the vice president was constantly on the phone with then president. the president w