kurt volker, the defences inside russia. kurt volker. good — the defences inside russia.ssia. kurt volker, good to talk _ the defences inside russia. kurt volker, good to talk to, former us ambassador to nato and special envoy to ukraine to stop this collector other story of the day the tensions across the middle east and iran is missing because from western leaders to hold back from retaliating against israel in response to the killing of the political leader of hamas in iran last month. let's go to washington — and speak to laura blumenfeld, a middle east analyst and former senior policy adviser on the state department's israeli—palestinian negotiating team thank you for being with us. first of all, israel is bracing itself for an iranian attack. do you think iran will in some shape or form retaliate for what's happened? that will in some shape or form retaliate for what's happened?— for what's happened? that is the ruestion for what's happened? that is the question of _ for what's happened? that is the question of the _ for what's happened? that is the question of the

ambassador to nato and former united states special eny to ukraine kurt volker, who joins us now. ndent james waterhouse just use the word "gamble." is that what you think this is? james: i wouldn't call it -- kurt: wouldn't call it a gamble, no. it was a decision to show to the world that russia is more vulnerable than it looks, to show to the russian people that this is indeed a war and it can come to them as well, and to kind of expose putin as the only russian leader since world war ii who provoked an invasion of russia on russian territory. i think it was a decision to make a step that would change the narrative in a significant way compared to what we had been seeing of the slope erosion of the front -- slower motion of the front in each ukraine where russia has been making gains. ben: ok, it's a change in the narrative, but can ukrainian troops hold onto the territory, do you think? at the moment they seem to be advancing further and further inside russia. kurt: david vance quite a bit already, 1500 -- they have advance quite a bit already, 1500 square kilometers, taking sev

very good to | talk to you, as ever, kurt volker.d we many thanks once again to you for your time and we will begin some reaction from kyiv itself very shortly post first, though, a quick break. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. more now on ukraine's surprise incursion inside russian territory. we have looked at the uk position on the use of tanks and had reaction from the us. now let's head to kyiv. inna sovsun is a ukrainian mp and joins me now from the ukrainian capital. what is the reaction there in ukraine to this surprise attack by ukrainian forces, because some people have questioned the military wisdom of it, but is it a morale booster, would you say, for the ukrainian people? it booster, would you say, for the ukrainian people?— booster, would you say, for the ukrainian people? it was definitely a morale booster, _ ukrainian people? it was definitely a morale booster, after— ukrainian people? it was definitely a morale booster, after a - ukrainian people? it was definitely a morale booster, after a year,

ambassador to nato kurt volker. >> reaction. >> i think what we need to do is show strength here, wetration business holding back whether israel or ukraine or elsewhere they don't provide weapons, providing restrictions on weapons slowly trying to prevent escalation all will that does is give ukrainians hezbollah encouragement thinking they can keep going they know we do not want to respond. maria: israel is prevails for retaliatory attack from iran proxies iran weighing whether or not to scrap its plans for retaliation, in exchange for a gaza cease-fire but hezbollah reportedly ready to strike israel independently qatari officials inviting leaders to negotiating table for talks beginning august 15 we know american fade f-22 jets arrived in israel yesterday signaling support for nation but apprehension growing over strength of the american led arab could listing that helped defend israel from iran's attack april 13, jordan saudi arabia egypt distancing from future violence, yesterday u.s. qatar egypt called for another cease-fire factuals between imz in doha or cairo what are thought

. >> thank you for joining us colts -- kurt volker.s it launched a deadly ra targeting a member of hamas in lebanon fueling wars of a wider conflict. the israeli military confirmed friday it killed a senior hamas official in the lebanese city of sidon amid heightened tension in the region after iran filed response against his real after the death of ismail haniyeh last week. israel agreed to send a delegate to a new round of talks next week on a possible cease-fire deal with abbas -- hamas that would potentially see hostages released. hamas has not responded. the united nations agency for palestinian refugees said 60,000-70,000 people have been forced to flee from gaza's southern city of khan yunis since thursday. al humanitarian zone is overcrowded with displaced families from across gaza and is the target of israeli strikes, most likely -- recently in july when palestinians were killed in a displacement camp where israel said they were targeting the hamas military chief behind the october 7 attacks. the chief humanitarian officer at

kurt volker is the former us ambassador to nato. he gave me his take on the prisoner swap.ate tactic by putin to take hostages, then trade them for genuine intelligence officers, assassins, and criminals, and so forth. so that's what he's done here, and he's done it successfully, and i think he feels good about it. and that means he's likely to keep up this pattern of behaviour — that's the big takeaway and the big problem. now, that said, i think this was the right thing to do because we saw what happened to navalny injail, in russia — that could very well have happened to vladimir kara—murza, could very well have happened to any of the americans being held hostage, as well. so it was probably time to do this, from a western perspective. now, the interesting question is from putin's perspective — why was it time to do this? this is right in the middle of the us presidential election campaign, kamala harris is trying to shore up her position. this is a win for the biden administration, and it makes you wonder what it is that is causing putin to do this now? right, and ambas

for more, i spoke to kurt volker, former us special envoy to ukraine and former us ambassador to naton. how significant is this counteroffensive? i invasion. how significant is this counteroffensive? i get is significant — this counteroffensive? i get is significant. most _ this counteroffensive? i get is significant. most important i significant. most important thing is that interrupts putin's narrative. he is trying to sell his words been —— wore to sell his words been —— wore to the russian people. that is clearly not the case. ukraine is able to penetrate inside russia and seize territory. bringing more home to the russian people in a way that's not been done before, that's significant. eye is also significant. eye is also significant for the west. —— i also think. it has the ability to fight. also think. it has the ability to fiuht. ,, also think. it has the ability to fiuht. ~ also think. it has the ability tofiuht. ~ , to fight. do you think this was the subject — to fight. do you think this was the subject of— to fight. do you think this was the subject of kersk_ to fight. do

earlier, i spoke to former us ambassador to nato and former united states special envoy to ukraine, kurt volkerhe narrative in a significant way compared to what we have been seeing of the slow erosion of the front in the east of ukraine, where russia has been making gains. and i think they would dig in and hold it for a long time. i don't think they want to keep the territory, it is not like putin seeking territorial expansion of russia, i think this is positioning ukraine for the future because there would have to be to end to this war, some kind of negotiation, and i think they want to put the lie to idea that russia just gets to take territory and that is all. it is going to have to be given back territory. let's get back to her panel. elise labott and henry bonsu. henry, let me ask you the same question, do you think this is a gamble that could backfire on ukraine and president zelensky? it backfire on ukraine and president zelens ? .., backfire on ukraine and president zelens ? _, , ., zelensky? it could be if that particular— zelensky? it could be if that particular elite _ zelensky? it

particular the lobbying of former us secretary of state mike pompeo and special envoy to ukraine kurt volkerceived a tomos from the istanbul patriarch. which will put pressure on the priests hierarch, as is known to exert pressure, the same schismatics were sure that both churches and parishioners would quickly go over to them, but they failed to attract the majority of ukrainian believers to their side, and forceful methods were used. mass seizures of churches, searches, interrogations, arrests and accusations of clergymen of treason, this is father andrei novikov, several years ago he served in the odessa diocese, he was also first threatened by nationalists, and then he was accused of separatism and terrorism, as a result, the clergyman had to flee from countries, it is necessary to create a common state political church, and the basis of the religious picture of the world will be, which... hatred of russia and russian people, this is what you need to understand, the orthodox church does not fit into this picture, that is why it is banned. the other day, the sbu reported that more than 10