brendan kearney, retired us general, talking to us early.ack other official buildings. a few metres away, the main protest camp, named the gota go home village, a reference to the ousted president, gotabaya rajapaksa, who they forced to resign and flee the country. but those here have always also demanded ranil wickremesinghe, who looks likely to succeed him, should resign too. we're halfway there with gota going home, it is a win. but ranil still being there, still being acting president is a problem for us. we need him to step down as well. he is going the path that he's taking as we see it, is that he's going to be a failed leader, just like gotabaya. and as people gathered here to send a failed leader home, they'll gather again. but the longer this instability continues, the more difficult it's going to be to sort out the terrible problems with the economy here. yeah, that's true, but the thing is, without sending home the people that initiated, that started this crisis, we don't see a possibility of us getting into any sort of stability

earlier i spoke to brendan kearney — a retired us marine colonel. him for �*his take' on the siuation in odesa. well, i think, obviously, the russians are continuing to target, as they have for the past five months, civilian populations that pose no tactical value to anyone so other than being a port city, that is critical to questionable utility as to why the russians are doing what they are doing. we talk about this grain deal. to give some people some kind of context here, lebanon, crisis—stricken lebanon, imports 80% of its wheat from ukraine. children would often get food that comes from ukraine here. all of these events happening around the world yet president putin, 2a hours after this deal assigned is happy to bomb the port. what does this tell is of the leadership in moscow? well, again i think it is a very, very clear signal that the russians completely disregard the accepted norms of behaviour when it comes to conflict. war is bad. there is no doubt about that — for everybody concerned but to go ahead in civilian populations and especiall

earlier, i spoke to brendan kearney — a retired us marine colonel.im for his take on the siuation in odesa. well, i think obviously, the russians are continuing to target, as they have for the past five months, civilian populations that pose no tactical value to anyone. so other than being a port city that is critical to these shipments of grain, it really is a questionable utility as to why the russians are doing what they're doing. we talk about this grain deal. to give people some sense of context here lebanon, for example, cash strapped, crisis stricken lebanon imports normally 81% of its wheat from ukraine. yemeni children facing starvation would often get food that would come from ukraine here. all of these events happening around the world. yet president putin, 2a hours after this deal is signed, is happy to bomb the port. what does this tell us about the mentality of the leadership in moscow? well, again, i think it's a it's a very, very clear signal that the russians completely disregard the accepted norms of behaviour when it comes to confl

brendan kearney is a retired us marine colonel.f of staff for us marine corps forces in europe. he says he doesn't believe russia can �*step up' its ukraine offensive beyond its current form. i think there's an excellent chance that excellent chance that we'll see an increase in the number of cruise missiles and other high—technology missile attacks on soft targets in ukraine. that seemingly is something they're very enamoured with, and sadly, i think we will continue to view that on a daily basis. but when you get to the real aspects of increasing your offensive capability — say, taking over air control in the skies of ukraine — they failed so far. taking over the northern part of the black sea around 0desa — they failed miserably at that. and control issues continue, and they continue to the logistic issue seems to continue, their command and control issues continue, and they continue to have significant morale problems. so, i think it's more rhetoric than anything else. so, with that, i mention dnipro there. we also saw this wee

brendan kearney is a retired us marine colonel.gnment was as chief of staff for us marine corps forces in europe. thank you so much forjoining us here. i'm interested. what is your take on the situation in odesa. what you think is or isn't happening there?- isn't happening there? well, i think, obviously, _ isn't happening there? well, i think, obviously, the - isn't happening there? well, i| think, obviously, the russians are continuing to target, as they have for the past five months, civilian populations that pose no tactical value to anyone so other than being a port city, that is critical to the shipments of grain, it really is questionable utility as to why the russians are doing what they are doing. we talk about this grain deal. to give some people some kind of context here, lebanon, crisis stricken lebanon, normally imports 80% of its wheat from ukraine. that would often come from ukraine here. all of these events happening around the world yet president putin, 2a hours after this deal assigned is happy to bomb the port. w

brendan kearney is a retired us marine colonel.of staff for us marine corps forces in europe and hejoins me from california. thank you so much. how do you see this? can the russians really step up this? can the russians really step up as their defence minister is asking them to?— up as their defence minister is asking them to? first of all, great to be with yom — asking them to? first of all, great to be with you. to _ asking them to? first of all, great to be with you. to answer- asking them to? first of all, great to be with you. to answer your . to be with you. to answer your question, i don't believe they will. i think there was a smug and excellent chance we won't see an increase in the number of cruise mussels and other high—technology missile attacks on soft targets in the ukraine. that seemingly something they are very enamoured with and sadly, i think they will continue to view that on a daily basis. but when you get it to the real aspects of increasing your offensive capability, say taking over air control and the skies o