EU RAGES Over Kellogg Plan ❌ Backs Zelensky 🇺🇦 | Demands Crimea & NATO for Kiev  | Trump Hesitates | Alexander Mercouris | Forbidden News - video Dailymotion

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🔥 The EU is fuming and doubling down. In this intense update, Alexander Mercouris breaks down Europe’s fierce reaction to the Kellogg peace plan and unwavering support for Zelensky 💥🇺🇦  Inside this episode: ❌ Why the EU rejected the Kellogg peace deal outright 🗺️ Their bold push to claim Crimea for Ukraine 🌐 The renewed demand to bring Kiev into NATO 🧍‍♂️ Trump's uncertain stance — what’s causing the hesitation? 📉 What does this mean for diplomacy and the future of the war?  💡 Geopolitics, strategy, and power moves — an unfiltered breakdown you won’t hear on mainstream media.  👉 LIKE 👍 | SUBSCRIBE 🔔 | SHARE 📲 if you value deep analysis over shallow headlines.  #AlexanderMercouris #EUUkraine #KelloggPlan #ZelenskyNews #CrimeaCrisis #KievNATO #TrumpNews #GeopoliticalAnalysis #UkraineWarUpdate #NATOTensions #RussiaUkraine #EUForeignPolicy #PeaceTalks #AlternativeMedia #TruthInPolitics #UkraineCrisis #InternationalRelations #PoliticalShowdown #UkraineNATO #RealNews

Transcript

00:00:00Good day. Today is Thursday 24th April 2025. We are a day from the collapse of the negotiations,

00:00:10the discussions in London, where the collective West, the United States, the Europeans and the

00:00:17Ukrainians were supposed to all unite in support of Kellogg's peace plan. As I discussed in my

00:00:25previous video, on Tuesday, President Zelenskyy made an extraordinary speech in which he rejected

00:00:32the Kellogg peace plan in its entirety. Every single part of it, he said that he was not prepared

00:00:41and Ukraine was not prepared to enter into negotiations on any of the final issues,

00:00:48any of the settlement issues in the conflict, as the Russians have repeatedly insisted. He wants

00:00:57an unconditional, indefinite ceasefire. Then and only then can negotiations begin, with no date as to

00:01:07the end of these negotiations and no indication as to the outcome of the negotiations, except, of course,

00:01:17that he will continue to insist on his own peace plan. Well, he didn't say this, but that's clearly

00:01:23what he means. A peace plan whereby every millimetre of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, or what

00:01:31he says is Ukrainian territory, should be returned to Ukraine. The Russians should, in effect, capitulate

00:01:38that the Russians should then enter into negotiations about paying reparations and war crimes trials,

00:01:46and all of that kind of thing. As I said, that was the speech that Zelenskyy made yesterday.

00:01:54He rejected outright Kellogg's peace plan. Now, prior to Zelenskyy's speech, prior to the meeting in London,

00:02:08the United States, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Kellogg himself, Whit Goff also,

00:02:18and Donald Trump in various comments, all of them had said that this was essentially a make or break

00:02:26moment. If a peace deal could not be agreed within the next few days, the point would have come when the

00:02:34United States would finally walk away from the conflict, that it had many other priorities and

00:02:42concerns, and that it could not continue to waste time and resources supporting a conflict where there

00:02:54was no clear end point and no satisfactory outcome. That was what Rubio said, that was what Whit Goff said,

00:03:04that was what Kellogg said, that was what Donald Trump said. And after Zelenskyy's speech on Tuesday,

00:03:12after the break-up and collapse of the talks on Wednesday, with no endorsement of the Kellogg's peace plan,

00:03:21the moment one might have expected had finally been reached, when the United States would act on what the

00:03:31President himself and his senior officials had said, and finally walk away from the discussions. Well, I said in my

00:03:40programme yesterday and in previous programmes that I doubted that that would be the case, and in fact, over the

00:03:47following hours we started to get comments from Donald Trump himself, which shows that far from walking

00:03:57away from the peace plan, from the peace negotiations, from the war, he continues to try to find some kind of

00:04:07elusive settlement to the war. He published a truly remarkable comment on Truth Social. I'm not going to

00:04:18read it in its entirety, but it begins with these words. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is

00:04:26boasting on the front page of the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of

00:04:33Crimea. There's nothing to talk about here. This statement is very harmful to the peace negotiations

00:04:41with Russia. So, Trump is signalling here that the negotiations, despite the outright rejection of the

00:04:54the Kellogg plan by the Ukrainians, the peace negotiations, are going to continue in some way.

00:05:02It's unclear to me, completely unclear to me, in what way exactly, but that apparently is what

00:05:12Donald Trump is saying. He's still clinging on to the idea that negotiations of some kind

00:05:19are going to lead to an outcome. He's nowhere in this Truth Social post, repeats warnings about this

00:05:27having to come to an end over the next, having to come, having to be resolved at some point over the

00:05:35next few days or this month. He still talks about negotiations and he still appears to think that

00:05:47negotiations can still achieve some kind of a deal, some kind of agreement to end the war, which remains

00:05:56apparently his objective. And then a few hours after he published this post on Truth Social, Trump followed

00:06:07up with a further post on Truth Social in which he criticised the Russians for conducting a big combined

00:06:15missile missile and drone strike across Ukraine focused on Kyiv. He said that this too was unhelpful

00:06:23in light of the negotiations that are supposedly still taking place. So all of those statements,

00:06:30all of those comments made a couple of days ago about the United States being prepared or on the brink of

00:06:37walking away from the entire negotiating process. Well, they've all been set aside, apparently,

00:06:43and exactly as I feared we're going to see this endless process of negotiations continue, apparently

00:06:51in the same chaotic, sporadic, incoherent way that we have seen happen previously. Now, I should say that over

00:07:02the last couple of hours, presumably, in expectation, in anticipation of Witkoff's visit to Moscow tomorrow,

00:07:15and his meeting with Putin, the Russians have been making completely clear that their positions remain the same

00:07:27as always. So Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, gave a massive interview to the French newspaper Le Point,

00:07:39and this is what he said about the four regions. He said if Ukraine withdraws its troops for these four regions,

00:07:47then yes, there can be a ceasefire. And he then went on to say that the regions are enshrined in the Russian constitution as an integral part of Russia.

00:08:00He noted that at the moment, some territories of these regions are still occupied by the Kiev regime.

00:08:07According to the results of the referendums, these territories have entered the administrative borders of Russia.

00:08:14From our point of view, this is a de jure and de facto situation.

00:08:21Now, a couple of days ago, there was an article in the Financial Times which spoke about

00:08:28Putin having supposedly told Witkoff at their last meeting in St. Petersburg that the Russians were prepared to allow

00:08:38the Ukrainians to remain in control of those parts of the four regions which the Russians have not so far captured or recaptured.

00:08:50Well, this interview by Peskov in to Le Point

00:08:57straightforwardly contradicts that claim.

00:09:00Here we have Peskov himself. He'd previously said that the comment, the article in, well, he'd basically insinuated that the article in the Financial Times was fake news.

00:09:16He's gone ahead. He's gone ahead. He's now said that the Russian demand that Ukraine withdraw from the entirety of the four regions,

00:09:27which are part of Russia, both de jure and de facto.

00:09:32So, he makes it clear that that demand has not gone away, has not been conceded, and that there is no intention of conceding it.

00:09:46The regions are enshrined in the Russian constitution as an integral part of Russia.

00:09:56And he made it also clear that these territories have entered the administrative borders of Russia.

00:10:03That's what he says. That is what Peskov said.

00:10:08And, of course, that's Peskov speaking.

00:10:11And he is, it's important to remember, Putin's spokesman.

00:10:16Putin then also told Le Point that Ukraine, if there's to be peace, needs a neutral status for Ukraine and the recognition of reality regarding the territories.

00:10:29The security of some countries should not be ensured behind the backs of others.

00:10:34If you want to guarantee Ukraine security and involve it in NATO, you violate Russia's security.

00:10:42So, the Russians are not willing to bend on the issue of NATO either.

00:10:48As we will see, some Western countries continue to insist that Ukraine should be allowed to enter NATO.

00:10:58And then Peskov also spoke about European peacekeepers.

00:11:02Now, yesterday, Valentina Matveyenko, or rather, sorry, the day before yesterday, Valentina Matveyenko, who is a member of Russia's Security Council and also who is the speaker of the Russian Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament.

00:11:23Anyway, she said the deployment of European peacekeepers, so-called military contingents from Europe to Ukraine, was completely unacceptable.

00:11:36And Peskov has now followed up with that.

00:11:41And this, he said to reporters, as for the discussions on the deployment of military contingents on the territory of Ukraine, this is unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable for us.

00:11:54It carries a critical danger for the entire European and world security.

00:12:03And Sergei Shoigu, who is Putin's national security advisor, went even further.

00:12:11And he said that any deployment of peacekeepers to historical Russian lands would risk a third world war.

00:12:19And he said that in an interview to the official TASS news agency.

00:12:25Sensible politicians in Europe understand that the implementation of this scenario may lead to a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, or even cause World War III down the road.

00:12:38And the notion of peacekeepers conceals the pursuit of control over Ukraine and its mineral resources.

00:12:44It would be more correct to call such troops, invaders or occupants.

00:12:50For these would be troops from NATO countries whose presence Russia opposed even prior to the special military operation.

00:13:00Besides, potential peacekeepers would support the current regime, persecution of Orthodox Christians,

00:13:07and the campaign to deprive the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine of the right to speak their native language and keep their culture and traditions.

00:13:17This would not be a peacekeeping mission.

00:13:21And obviously, it is rejected.

00:13:25And he says that the real global majority has no inclination to join similar peacekeeping initiatives.

00:13:33So that was Shoigu.

00:13:36And then the Russian foreign ministry spokesman has also spoken.

00:13:40And she has said that the dialogue with the United States continues.

00:13:44There's nothing easy about it at this stage.

00:13:48Our countries are focused on finding long-term solutions.

00:13:52Our leaders have spoken about this.

00:13:55And then she drew attention to Putin's statements to the foreign ministry on the 14th of June 2024,

00:14:04in which, of course, he said that the four regions needed to be made, in their entirety, a part of Russia.

00:14:13This is not a position of demand.

00:14:16It is a basic position.

00:14:17The population of these regions has fully realized its right of self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter.

00:14:25Therefore, we should simply proceed from the realities, from territorial law, international law, from the situation on the ground.

00:14:32How long have we been encouraged to realize that everything should be decided on the ground?

00:14:37This is the point now.

00:14:39This is what we should proceed from.

00:14:41And so, the Russians have made, gone out of their way, over the last 24 hours,

00:14:51to say that their position continues to be the same as the one outlined by Putin when he spoke to the foreign ministry on the 14th of June 2024.

00:15:04That story in the Financial Times was clearly wrong.

00:15:07While the Russians expect the entirety of the four regions to be transferred to Russia,

00:15:13they insist on neutral status for Ukraine,

00:15:18and they are not prepared to compromise on any of these things,

00:15:24or on their demands about the rights of Russians in Ukraine,

00:15:32and of the Russian Orthodox Church, and those sort of things.

00:15:36So, all of this clearly set out by the Russians in various statements they have made over the last 24 hours,

00:15:48clearly in ahead of Zelensky's, oh, sorry, of, not Zelensky's, obviously, Witgov's visit to Moscow.

00:15:58Now, Professor Meersheimer, who has looked at all of this,

00:16:03he has said that the Russian and Ukrainian positions are so far apart

00:16:10that there is simply no point of contact between them.

00:16:16It is absurd to go on pretending that there is,

00:16:20or that there is some kind of deal that can be done,

00:16:24that can somehow reconcile the two.

00:16:27And we saw that when the Kellogg plan, which attempts to do that,

00:16:36was presented to Zelensky, he rejected it outright.

00:16:42These statements from the Russians make the same point, in a sense.

00:16:49The Russians are far more diplomatic, far more careful in what they say than the Ukrainians are.

00:16:59We're not going to have the same kind of angry speech from Putin that we got from Zelensky.

00:17:06Putin is going to speak quietly, courteously, with Witgov.

00:17:12He's going to discuss it all in detail, presumably over many hours.

00:17:20But in substance, it's not going to be that different.

00:17:24He is going to tell Witgov,

00:17:27Kellogg's plan simply won't work.

00:17:30It doesn't remotely address Russian demands.

00:17:35So, Ms. Heimer is obviously right.

00:17:41There is no bridge here that can be built between these demands of the Ukrainians

00:17:47and the demands of the Russians.

00:17:49The two are just too far apart from each other.

00:17:53Now, one person who does seem to have understood this

00:17:56is the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

00:17:59He apparently has said that the US,

00:18:07as a result of its dialogue with Russia conducted over the last few weeks,

00:18:14has developed a much better understanding of the Russian position about the war.

00:18:22But the way the Ukrainians and the Russians talk about both the origins of the war

00:18:30and about its optimal outcome

00:18:34is so different that it's as if the two occupy entirely different zip codes.

00:18:43So, that was what Rubio said.

00:18:47And again, the logic of that points to the absurdity of clinging on to this fiction,

00:18:56that there can be a negotiated outcome to this conflict any longer.

00:19:04And, well, over the last 24 hours,

00:19:09something truly extraordinary for me has happened

00:19:12in terms of the stance of particular countries

00:19:16with respect to the negotiations.

00:19:19And this is the stance of the European states.

00:19:23Now, in my last two programmes,

00:19:27I have said that I thought

00:19:29that even though the Europeans

00:19:31don't like the Kellogg plan at all,

00:19:35they basically support Ukraine's desire

00:19:39for an outright victory over the Russians.

00:19:45They never explain how that is to be achieved,

00:19:48but never mind.

00:19:51I thought that given the realities,

00:19:54given the position that the United States is taking,

00:19:57given the realities on the battlefronts,

00:19:59the Europeans nonetheless would grudgingly,

00:20:03very grudgingly,

00:20:05accept the Kellogg plan.

00:20:07Well, it turns out otherwise.

00:20:10It's absolutely clear,

00:20:12over the last 24 hours,

00:20:14that the Europeans are backing,

00:20:17again, Zelensky against Trump.

00:20:20We've had two articles about this,

00:20:23one in two articles in the Financial Times.

00:20:27There have been articles in all sorts of other places.

00:20:30But we read, for example,

00:20:31one article,

00:20:32Europe panics as US-Russia talks on Ukraine,

00:20:36race ahead without them.

00:20:39Let me say again,

00:20:40the Americans and the Russians

00:20:43are indeed speaking with each other.

00:20:46But as the Russians have repeatedly said,

00:20:50it's entirely open for the Europeans,

00:20:55if they wish,

00:20:57to establish their own dialogue with Moscow.

00:21:01The Russians have never said no.

00:21:05But anyway,

00:21:06for the moment,

00:21:07the Europeans are not speaking to Moscow.

00:21:10A couple of weeks ago,

00:21:11about two weeks ago,

00:21:13three weeks ago,

00:21:14there was a discussion

00:21:16at one of the endless meetings

00:21:19that the Europeans have been engaging in

00:21:24about appointing a representative,

00:21:27a European representative,

00:21:29to speak to the Russians.

00:21:30That was apparently proposed

00:21:32by the Spanish Prime Minister,

00:21:35Mr. Sanchez.

00:21:37He was immediately criticised

00:21:39by the EU's high representative

00:21:44of foreign policy,

00:21:46Kaya Callas,

00:21:46who basically said that

00:21:48if anybody should be in charge

00:21:51of negotiating

00:21:52and speaking to the Russians

00:21:53on behalf of Europe,

00:21:55that must be herself.

00:21:58An impossible position,

00:22:01given her attitudes towards Russia.

00:22:04The idea that she's

00:22:04in any position

00:22:08to conduct negotiations

00:22:10with the Russians,

00:22:11given her biases

00:22:12and attitudes towards Russia,

00:22:15is absurd,

00:22:16as apparently Sanchez

00:22:18pointed out to her.

00:22:20Anyway,

00:22:20there was then a row.

00:22:21Then,

00:22:22apparently,

00:22:23some kind of consensus

00:22:24was reached

00:22:24that the Europeans

00:22:25would indeed

00:22:26appoint

00:22:27some kind of

00:22:28high representative,

00:22:31not callous,

00:22:33to represent their views

00:22:35in Moscow

00:22:35and to begin the dialogue

00:22:37with the Russians.

00:22:38Macron predictably

00:22:42proposed himself.

00:22:45Apparently,

00:22:46there wasn't

00:22:46many takers

00:22:48for that particular idea.

00:22:51And since then,

00:22:52we've heard nothing.

00:22:53There's been no appointment

00:22:55of any kind

00:22:55of representative

00:22:56from Europe

00:22:57to conduct dialogue

00:22:59with the Russians.

00:23:00There's been no attempt

00:23:01by the Europeans

00:23:03to reach out

00:23:04to the Russians.

00:23:05There's been no calls

00:23:06to Putin,

00:23:07no contacts

00:23:08with Lavrov.

00:23:09No one has gone

00:23:10to Moscow

00:23:10or met with

00:23:12Russian representatives

00:23:13in any other place.

00:23:15So,

00:23:15that whole initiative

00:23:16appears to have come

00:23:18completely to nothing.

00:23:21So,

00:23:21the Europeans

00:23:22continue to complain

00:23:24that they have been

00:23:24frozen out

00:23:25of the American-Russian

00:23:27discussions.

00:23:29But,

00:23:30to repeat again,

00:23:32since they refuse

00:23:33to speak

00:23:34to the Russians

00:23:35themselves,

00:23:36the reality

00:23:37is that

00:23:38they themselves

00:23:39have frozen

00:23:41themselves

00:23:42out of the

00:23:43discussions.

00:23:43But anyway,

00:23:45there was

00:23:46apparently

00:23:47a

00:23:49anger

00:23:52at the meeting

00:23:54on Wednesday

00:23:55when,

00:23:57after

00:23:58Zelensky's

00:23:59extraordinary speech,

00:24:01Rubio and

00:24:04Witgoff

00:24:06decided that

00:24:07they would

00:24:07walk out

00:24:08of the

00:24:08meeting.

00:24:09We're told

00:24:10that

00:24:10the

00:24:14Europeans

00:24:15were furious

00:24:16about this

00:24:17and then

00:24:18the Financial

00:24:18Times article

00:24:19goes on to say

00:24:20as if to

00:24:21rub salts

00:24:22into the

00:24:22wounds,

00:24:23Witgoff

00:24:24is instead

00:24:25planning to

00:24:25fly to

00:24:26Moscow

00:24:26later this

00:24:27week.

00:24:27his fourth

00:24:28set of

00:24:29talks with

00:24:30Putin,

00:24:31the real

00:24:31negotiating

00:24:32negotiation

00:24:34table.

00:24:35And as I

00:24:36said,

00:24:36there was

00:24:36again,

00:24:37absolute

00:24:39fury

00:24:39apparently

00:24:40about this.

00:24:41The Europeans

00:24:42complaining that

00:24:43they've been

00:24:43cut out of

00:24:44the discussions

00:24:45even though

00:24:46they refused

00:24:47to engage

00:24:48in the

00:24:49discussions.

00:24:51And then

00:24:51this article

00:24:52says that

00:24:53there was

00:24:54great anger

00:24:56about the

00:24:58fact that

00:24:58the Americans

00:25:00are now

00:25:00talking about

00:25:01Ukraine

00:25:02relinquishing

00:25:03claims to

00:25:04areas of the

00:25:05four regions

00:25:05that Russian

00:25:06troops have

00:25:08partially occupied

00:25:09in exchange

00:25:10for US

00:25:11recognising

00:25:12Crimea as

00:25:13Russian.

00:25:14And then

00:25:14we're told

00:25:15that aside

00:25:16from the

00:25:16fact that

00:25:17it would

00:25:18violate

00:25:18Ukraine's

00:25:19sovereignty

00:25:19and territorial

00:25:20integrity,

00:25:22European

00:25:22officials hate

00:25:23this proposal

00:25:24for two

00:25:24reasons.

00:25:26Firstly,

00:25:27it is a

00:25:27forced

00:25:27concession.

00:25:28Putin does

00:25:29not control

00:25:29the Ukrainian

00:25:30land.

00:25:31He would

00:25:31be giving

00:25:32up.

00:25:33But his

00:25:34troops are

00:25:35occupying,

00:25:37gaining

00:25:38control of

00:25:39more and

00:25:39more of

00:25:40the land

00:25:40every single

00:25:42day.

00:25:43Maybe

00:25:43slowly,

00:25:44but who

00:25:45knows,

00:25:46before long

00:25:47quickly.

00:25:48And then

00:25:48we go on

00:25:49to read,

00:25:50secondly,

00:25:50they fear

00:25:51that Trump's

00:25:51desire to

00:25:52strike a

00:25:52peace deal

00:25:53as soon

00:25:53as possible

00:25:54means he

00:25:55would force

00:25:55this arrangement

00:25:56and likely

00:25:57other demands

00:25:57from Moscow

00:25:58upon Kiev.

00:25:59You can't

00:26:00give up

00:26:00something you

00:26:01don't have,

00:26:02said one

00:26:02European

00:26:02diplomat.

00:26:03This is

00:26:03just to

00:26:04trick the

00:26:04Americans

00:26:05into doing

00:26:06a deal.

00:26:07And we're

00:26:08then told

00:26:08US recognition

00:26:09of Crimea

00:26:10would spark

00:26:11a major

00:26:12diplomatic

00:26:12crisis for

00:26:14the EU

00:26:14and even

00:26:15more so

00:26:16for NATO,

00:26:17whose current

00:26:17policy states

00:26:18the Allies

00:26:19do not and

00:26:20will not

00:26:21ever recognise

00:26:22Russia's

00:26:23illegal and

00:26:24illegitimate

00:26:24annexations,

00:26:26including of

00:26:27Crimea.

00:26:28Well,

00:26:28that was one

00:26:29article.

00:26:30Then a

00:26:31subsequent

00:26:31article appeared

00:26:33in the

00:26:35Financial Times,

00:26:37which actually

00:26:38went still

00:26:39further in

00:26:40telling us

00:26:41the extent

00:26:42to which

00:26:42the Europeans

00:26:45are furious

00:26:46with what the

00:26:48Americans are

00:26:49proposing.

00:26:50Trump's

00:26:50move on

00:26:51Russia-occupied

00:26:53Crimea

00:26:54forces Europe

00:26:56to choose

00:26:57sides.

00:26:59And in

00:27:00fact,

00:27:00we go on

00:27:01to read,

00:27:01we learn

00:27:02that in

00:27:03practice,

00:27:04they've chosen

00:27:05sides.

00:27:07The sides

00:27:08that have been

00:27:08talked about

00:27:09are Trump

00:27:10versus

00:27:11Zelensky,

00:27:13America

00:27:15versus

00:27:16Ukraine,

00:27:17and predictably

00:27:19they are

00:27:20choosing

00:27:20Zelensky

00:27:21and Ukraine

00:27:22against the

00:27:24United States.

00:27:25And we're

00:27:26told that

00:27:27Washington's

00:27:27offer to

00:27:28endorse

00:27:28Moscow's

00:27:29control of

00:27:30Crimea,

00:27:30breaking with

00:27:31the agreed

00:27:31policy of

00:27:32NATO,

00:27:33is possibly

00:27:33the biggest

00:27:34concession it

00:27:35has made to

00:27:35Moscow.

00:27:36In recent

00:27:37months, it is

00:27:38haste to

00:27:38strike a deal.

00:27:39A close

00:27:40ally of

00:27:41German

00:27:41Chancellor

00:27:42to be,

00:27:43Friedrich

00:27:43Merz said

00:27:44late on

00:27:45Wednesday

00:27:45that Europe

00:27:46could not

00:27:47accept the

00:27:47proposal.

00:27:49I mean,

00:27:49it could not

00:27:50accept the

00:27:52United States

00:27:53making its

00:27:54own sovereign

00:27:55decision to

00:27:56recognize a

00:27:57part of

00:27:58territory which

00:27:59Russia occupies

00:28:00as Russian.

00:28:02But anyway,

00:28:03it then goes on

00:28:04to say,

00:28:06Putin,

00:28:07this is the

00:28:07senior

00:28:08ally of

00:28:11Friedrich

00:28:12Merz,

00:28:13who was

00:28:13then revealed

00:28:14to be

00:28:14Torsten

00:28:15Frey,

00:28:16a senior

00:28:16MP within

00:28:17the

00:28:18central-right

00:28:18Christian

00:28:19Democrat

00:28:19party.

00:28:21Putin would

00:28:22achieve all

00:28:23his goals

00:28:23and the

00:28:24message that

00:28:24would be

00:28:25sent out

00:28:25would be,

00:28:26I can

00:28:27afford such

00:28:27aggression,

00:28:28I will

00:28:28prevail in

00:28:29the end

00:28:29and achieve

00:28:30my goals.

00:28:31And that

00:28:32means if you

00:28:32look at the

00:28:33tradition in

00:28:34which Putin

00:28:34sees himself,

00:28:35that he will

00:28:36continue.

00:28:37What tradition

00:28:38is that

00:28:39exactly?

00:28:40And then

00:28:41we also

00:28:42read that

00:28:44the Trump

00:28:44administration,

00:28:45this is the

00:28:45Financial Times

00:28:46article,

00:28:47has also

00:28:47ruled out

00:28:48Ukraine's

00:28:49membership

00:28:49of NATO.

00:28:51And we

00:28:53then are

00:28:53told that

00:28:54the worst

00:28:54case,

00:28:55this is a

00:28:56senior EU

00:28:57diplomat,

00:28:57says the

00:28:58worst case

00:28:59would be if

00:29:00the United

00:29:00States cannot

00:29:01reach a deal

00:29:01between Ukraine

00:29:02and Russia.

00:29:04And this is

00:29:04all pushed

00:29:05on Ukraine.

00:29:07This is when

00:29:07Europe would

00:29:08have to

00:29:08choose between

00:29:09Ukraine and

00:29:10the United

00:29:10States.

00:29:12And of

00:29:12course,

00:29:12as I

00:29:13said,

00:29:13at least

00:29:14the European

00:29:15leaders,

00:29:16the leadership

00:29:17class in

00:29:18Europe,

00:29:19in that

00:29:19situation,

00:29:20have made

00:29:21it already

00:29:21clear that

00:29:22they're going

00:29:23to side

00:29:24with Ukraine

00:29:25against the

00:29:27United States.

00:29:28And then

00:29:29we're told

00:29:29that EU

00:29:30foreign policy

00:29:31chief Kaya

00:29:33Kallas has

00:29:33said Crimea

00:29:34is Ukraine

00:29:35and she

00:29:36said this

00:29:37to the

00:29:37French news

00:29:38agency

00:29:39Agence

00:29:40France

00:29:41Press.

00:29:43And we're

00:29:43told that

00:29:44for Europeans

00:29:44the idea of

00:29:45recognising

00:29:46Crimea's

00:29:47annexation,

00:29:48the first

00:29:48land grab by

00:29:49military force

00:29:50in Europe

00:29:50since 1945.

00:29:52That is not

00:29:53true, by the

00:29:54way.

00:29:55In Cyprus,

00:29:57as I pointed

00:29:57out many

00:29:58times,

00:29:58as my

00:29:59colleague

00:29:59and friend

00:30:00Alex

00:30:01Christopher

00:30:02has also

00:30:03pointed out

00:30:04many, many

00:30:04times,

00:30:06there was

00:30:06a Turkish

00:30:07invasion of

00:30:08Cyprus in

00:30:091974.

00:30:11Around 40%

00:30:12of the

00:30:12island of

00:30:13Cyprus,

00:30:14a nation

00:30:15of Cyprus,

00:30:16fell under

00:30:16Turkish

00:30:17control and

00:30:18continues to

00:30:19be so to

00:30:20this day.

00:30:21Well, there

00:30:22we go.

00:30:22We don't

00:30:23talk about

00:30:23that.

00:30:24The first

00:30:24land grab

00:30:25by military

00:30:26force in

00:30:26Europe since

00:30:271945 is

00:30:28an anathema

00:30:29since it

00:30:30would eviscerate

00:30:32the rules-based

00:30:33order that

00:30:33has underpinned

00:30:34peace on the

00:30:35continent for

00:30:37generations.

00:30:38Crimea and

00:30:39future NATO

00:30:40membership

00:30:40aspirations are

00:30:43red lines

00:30:44for us.

00:30:45We can't

00:30:46give them

00:30:46up, said

00:30:47a second

00:30:48senior EU

00:30:49diplomat.

00:30:51So Ukraine

00:30:52must join,

00:30:54must be able

00:30:55to join NATO.

00:30:57In fact, it

00:30:57must eventually

00:30:58join NATO

00:31:00and it

00:31:01must retake

00:31:03possession of

00:31:04all of its

00:31:05land,

00:31:06Crimea

00:31:06included.

00:31:09And that

00:31:09apparently

00:31:10continues to

00:31:12be the

00:31:13European

00:31:13position.

00:31:14In other

00:31:15words, it's

00:31:16not just the

00:31:17Ukrainians and

00:31:18the Russians

00:31:19who are

00:31:20rejecting the

00:31:22Kellogg

00:31:22plan.

00:31:23one, it

00:31:24is the

00:31:24Europeans

00:31:25also.

00:31:26The United

00:31:27States'

00:31:27own NATO

00:31:29allies are

00:31:30saying that

00:31:31they won't

00:31:32accept the

00:31:33Kellogg plan.

00:31:34Now, I have to

00:31:35say I'm

00:31:36absolutely stunned

00:31:37by this.

00:31:38I am

00:31:38incredulous.

00:31:40The Europeans are

00:31:41saying that they

00:31:41won't accept the

00:31:43Kellogg plan.

00:31:44I can understand

00:31:45why Zelensky

00:31:45won't accept the

00:31:47Kellogg plan.

00:31:49After all, if

00:31:50the Kellogg

00:31:51plan were

00:31:51implemented in

00:31:52any form, there

00:31:54would have to be

00:31:54elections in

00:31:55Ukraine, which

00:31:56he would almost

00:31:57certainly lose.

00:31:58He would be out

00:31:58of power and

00:31:59he would face

00:32:00all the risks

00:32:01and vulnerabilities

00:32:02that go with

00:32:03that.

00:32:04But the

00:32:04Europeans?

00:32:06What is

00:32:08their

00:32:09alternative to

00:32:11the Kellogg

00:32:12plan?

00:32:12What exactly

00:32:14are they

00:32:16proposing

00:32:17in place

00:32:19of the

00:32:20Kellogg

00:32:21plan?

00:32:22They're not

00:32:22coming up

00:32:23with any

00:32:24peace proposal

00:32:25of their

00:32:26own.

00:32:27They're not

00:32:28coming up

00:32:28with any

00:32:28suggestion,

00:32:29any proposal

00:32:30which could

00:32:31be taken

00:32:32and placed

00:32:33before the

00:32:34Russians and

00:32:35which the

00:32:36Russians would

00:32:37accept.

00:32:38In fact,

00:32:38they're not

00:32:39coming up

00:32:39with any

00:32:39proposal of

00:32:41any kind

00:32:41whatsoever.

00:32:43There was

00:32:44some talk

00:32:44a few weeks

00:32:46ago,

00:32:46when the

00:32:48Americans and

00:32:49the Russians

00:32:50began their

00:32:52preliminary

00:32:55discussions of

00:32:57the Europeans

00:32:58proposing their

00:33:00own peace

00:33:01plan, but

00:33:03as happened

00:33:03with the

00:33:04suggestion of

00:33:06appointing a

00:33:07European high

00:33:08representative to

00:33:10conduct dialogue

00:33:12on Europe's

00:33:14behalf with

00:33:15Russia, we

00:33:16have had

00:33:17heard no

00:33:18more about

00:33:19that.

00:33:21And, well,

00:33:23all right,

00:33:24there's not

00:33:24going to be a

00:33:26peace plan,

00:33:27a European

00:33:28peace plan,

00:33:29and they're

00:33:30rejecting

00:33:30Kellogg's peace

00:33:31plan, and

00:33:32they have no

00:33:33ideas,

00:33:34alternative ideas,

00:33:36about how to

00:33:37achieve peace.

00:33:38peace, but

00:33:39what exactly

00:33:40in that

00:33:41case are

00:33:43they proposing?

00:33:44What are

00:33:44they saying

00:33:45should be

00:33:46done?

00:33:47What is

00:33:49their way

00:33:51forward in

00:33:52terms of

00:33:53this particular

00:33:55crisis?

00:33:56And I

00:33:57say that,

00:33:59of course,

00:34:00we're talking

00:34:01about the

00:34:02EU, but

00:34:03I've also

00:34:03been reading

00:34:04in the

00:34:05Financial

00:34:05Times,

00:34:07that the

00:34:07NATO

00:34:08Secretary

00:34:08General,

00:34:09Mark

00:34:09Rutter,

00:34:10is now

00:34:10also

00:34:11apparently

00:34:12in

00:34:13Washington,

00:34:14and he's

00:34:14going to

00:34:14meet with

00:34:15Trump

00:34:15administration

00:34:16officials,

00:34:17and he

00:34:18also is

00:34:19going to

00:34:19tell Trump

00:34:20administration

00:34:21officials not

00:34:22to try to

00:34:24force Ukraine

00:34:25to accept

00:34:26the Kellogg

00:34:27plan.

00:34:28In other

00:34:29words, he's

00:34:30telling Trump

00:34:31administration

00:34:32officials to

00:34:33scrap the

00:34:34Kellogg

00:34:34plan,

00:34:35but again,

00:34:36what exactly

00:34:38is it in

00:34:39that case

00:34:40that he

00:34:41suggests that

00:34:42America,

00:34:43the West,

00:34:45the collective

00:34:45West,

00:34:47actually do?

00:34:48Well, it's

00:34:50impossible to

00:34:51see, if you're

00:34:52not prepared to

00:34:54make peace, it's

00:34:55impossible to

00:34:56see that you

00:34:57have any other

00:34:58choice other

00:34:59than to continue

00:34:59the war, to

00:35:01continue the war

00:35:02in exactly the

00:35:03same way that

00:35:04it has been

00:35:05continued over

00:35:06the last three

00:35:06years.

00:35:07So the

00:35:08Russians advance,

00:35:10the Americans

00:35:11and the

00:35:12Europeans send

00:35:13more and more

00:35:13weapons to

00:35:14Ukraine, they

00:35:15take charge of

00:35:17military planning

00:35:18in Ukraine,

00:35:19they look for

00:35:20ways to

00:35:21escalate against

00:35:22Russia, they

00:35:24crank up

00:35:25sanctions

00:35:25constantly against

00:35:28Russia, they

00:35:29do, in other

00:35:30words, more

00:35:31of the same.

00:35:32The whole

00:35:32policy followed

00:35:34for the first

00:35:36three years of

00:35:36the war by

00:35:38Joe Biden is

00:35:39what the

00:35:40Europeans

00:35:42apparently want

00:35:43to see

00:35:44indefinitely

00:35:45continued.

00:35:48Now, this

00:35:49is extraordinary,

00:35:52this is

00:35:52unreal, it

00:35:55suggests an

00:35:57inability to

00:35:58address the

00:35:59realities that

00:36:01even for

00:36:02European leaders

00:36:03I find

00:36:04remarkable,

00:36:05because, well,

00:36:08that would be a

00:36:09viable strategy

00:36:10if Ukraine and

00:36:13the collective

00:36:14West were

00:36:15actually winning

00:36:16the war in

00:36:17Ukraine.

00:36:18But no, they're

00:36:20not winning the

00:36:21war in Ukraine,

00:36:22they are losing

00:36:23the war in

00:36:25Ukraine.

00:36:26Now, to get a

00:36:28clear understanding

00:36:29of where we

00:36:29are, let we

00:36:31go to someone

00:36:32who has a

00:36:33much, much

00:36:34better

00:36:35understanding of

00:36:36the realities

00:36:36than, it

00:36:38seems, the

00:36:39entire

00:36:39collective

00:36:40leadership of

00:36:42the European

00:36:43Union and

00:36:44of NATO.

00:36:45And that, of

00:36:46course, is

00:36:47David Sachs,

00:36:48American

00:36:48entrepreneur,

00:36:50friend of

00:36:51many people,

00:36:51apparently

00:36:52Elon Musk

00:36:53himself,

00:36:54person who

00:36:55has been

00:36:56kind enough

00:36:56to do

00:36:58programmes with

00:36:59us on

00:37:00the Duran.

00:37:01And anyway,

00:37:02he has

00:37:02published a

00:37:04post about

00:37:05Rubio and

00:37:07Witgoff

00:37:08walking away

00:37:10from that

00:37:11collapsed

00:37:12meeting on

00:37:14Wednesday,

00:37:15which to me,

00:37:16again,

00:37:18is a

00:37:20shining

00:37:20example of

00:37:22good sense.

00:37:23This is what

00:37:24he says,

00:37:24Crimea should

00:37:25be the

00:37:26easiest

00:37:26concession

00:37:27for Zelensky

00:37:28to make

00:37:29because,

00:37:30one, it

00:37:31has been

00:37:31part of

00:37:32Russia for

00:37:32the last

00:37:33decade,

00:37:33two, the

00:37:34vast majority

00:37:35of its

00:37:36population are

00:37:37ethnic

00:37:37Russians,

00:37:38who, as

00:37:39Western polling

00:37:40shows, want

00:37:41to be part

00:37:42of Russia,

00:37:43three,

00:37:44Ukraine has

00:37:45no military

00:37:46way to

00:37:47retake it.

00:37:49The

00:37:49disastrous

00:37:49summer

00:37:50counter-offensive

00:37:51of 2023

00:37:52made that

00:37:54abundantly

00:37:55clear.

00:37:56If

00:37:57Zelensky

00:37:58won't

00:37:58concede

00:37:59this, he

00:38:00won't

00:38:01concede

00:38:02anything.

00:38:03So a

00:38:04deal with

00:38:05him is

00:38:05impossible.

00:38:07The

00:38:07Secretary of

00:38:08State is

00:38:09right to

00:38:09walk away.

00:38:11What David

00:38:12Sachs might

00:38:13not have

00:38:13realised when

00:38:14he wrote

00:38:14that extremely

00:38:16astute

00:38:17comment is

00:38:19that it

00:38:20looks as

00:38:20if that

00:38:21a deal

00:38:21with the

00:38:22Europeans

00:38:22is impossible

00:38:24as well.

00:38:25Now let's

00:38:25go back

00:38:26to the

00:38:27point that

00:38:27David Sachs

00:38:29makes about

00:38:30Crimea.

00:38:31Ukraine has

00:38:32no military

00:38:33way to

00:38:34retake it.

00:38:36The

00:38:36disastrous

00:38:37summer

00:38:37counter-offensive

00:38:38of 2023

00:38:40made that

00:38:41abundantly

00:38:43clear.

00:38:43that is

00:38:45absolutely

00:38:45true.

00:38:46That is

00:38:47completely

00:38:47right.

00:38:48I would

00:38:48add that

00:38:49what we

00:38:49now know

00:38:50from that

00:38:50article in

00:38:51the New

00:38:51York Times

00:38:52is that

00:38:53the summer

00:38:542023

00:38:55offensive

00:38:56was actually

00:38:57the second

00:38:58attempt by

00:39:00Ukraine and

00:39:01its western

00:39:02allies to

00:39:03recapture

00:39:03Crimea.

00:39:04The first

00:39:05one was the

00:39:06so-called

00:39:07Herson

00:39:07offensive of

00:39:08the autumn

00:39:09of 2022

00:39:10which was

00:39:11supposed to

00:39:12result in

00:39:13the complete

00:39:13defeat of

00:39:14the Russian

00:39:15army west

00:39:16of the

00:39:16Dnieper

00:39:17river

00:39:17defending

00:39:18Herson

00:39:19city and

00:39:20then supposedly

00:39:21the Ukrainian

00:39:22army would

00:39:22cross the

00:39:24Dnieper and

00:39:25march on

00:39:27Crimea and

00:39:28recapture it

00:39:29which of course

00:39:31never happened.

00:39:32and by the

00:39:33way the

00:39:35summer

00:39:352023

00:39:36counter

00:39:37offensive

00:39:37had a

00:39:40dreadful

00:39:41grisly

00:39:42epilogue

00:39:44in that

00:39:45after its

00:39:48failure a

00:39:49third attempt

00:39:50was made

00:39:51to advance

00:39:52on Crimea

00:39:53with another

00:39:54attempt by

00:39:57the Ukrainian

00:39:58army to

00:39:58cross the

00:39:59Dnieper and

00:40:00to advance

00:40:01on Crimea

00:40:02one which

00:40:04came to

00:40:05disaster

00:40:06a grisly

00:40:08horrible

00:40:09disaster

00:40:09when the

00:40:10Ukrainian troops

00:40:11were trapped

00:40:12in the

00:40:13village of

00:40:13Krynky.

00:40:14So there

00:40:15it is.

00:40:16There is no

00:40:17military victory

00:40:18to be won

00:40:19in this war.

00:40:21It cannot

00:40:23be done.

00:40:24Now it's

00:40:25not just

00:40:25that the

00:40:27West

00:40:27ever since

00:40:28the failure

00:40:29of the

00:40:30summer

00:40:302023

00:40:31and

00:40:32Krynky

00:40:32offensives

00:40:33has had

00:40:34no actual

00:40:35plan to

00:40:38win the

00:40:38war.

00:40:39There is

00:40:40no

00:40:40road map

00:40:42towards winning

00:40:44this war in

00:40:45Ukraine,

00:40:45towards achieving

00:40:47any of these

00:40:47objectives,

00:40:48to retaking

00:40:49the four

00:40:49territories,

00:40:50to recapturing

00:40:51Crimea,

00:40:52to doing

00:40:53any of

00:40:54these things.

00:40:54things.

00:40:55But the

00:40:58reality is

00:40:59not that

00:41:00Ukraine is

00:41:01not winning

00:41:02the war.

00:41:03The reality

00:41:04is that the

00:41:05Russians are

00:41:06winning it.

00:41:08And Ukraine,

00:41:09and by extension,

00:41:10the collective

00:41:11West,

00:41:11are losing

00:41:12it.

00:41:12Now,

00:41:13again,

00:41:14this has

00:41:14been the

00:41:15subject of

00:41:15an enormous

00:41:16amount of

00:41:17obfuscation

00:41:18and misrepresentation,

00:41:20some of which

00:41:20unfortunately appears

00:41:21to be influencing

00:41:23Donald Trump

00:41:24himself.

00:41:25The idea that

00:41:25the Russians are

00:41:26taking enormous

00:41:27losses,

00:41:28the idea that

00:41:28their economy

00:41:29is in dire

00:41:30straits,

00:41:31the idea that

00:41:32they can't

00:41:33sustain this

00:41:33offensive that

00:41:35they've been

00:41:35undertaking since

00:41:36October 2023

00:41:37for much

00:41:38longer.

00:41:39None of

00:41:40these claims

00:41:40are true.

00:41:41Every single

00:41:42day,

00:41:43the Russians

00:41:43take more

00:41:44ground in

00:41:45Ukraine.

00:41:45More and

00:41:46more of the

00:41:47territory of

00:41:48the four regions

00:41:49is falling

00:41:49under Russian

00:41:50control every

00:41:52single day.

00:41:53This advance

00:41:55may not appear

00:41:56particularly rapid

00:41:58to some,

00:41:59but it is

00:42:00incremental,

00:42:02and it is

00:42:02gaining momentum,

00:42:03and it is

00:42:04bringing the

00:42:05Russians up

00:42:06against

00:42:07what is

00:42:09probably,

00:42:10well,

00:42:10certainly in

00:42:11Donbass,

00:42:12Ukraine's last

00:42:13line of defence,

00:42:15the cities of

00:42:15Slavyansk,

00:42:16Kramatorsk and

00:42:17Konstantinovka,

00:42:19and the town

00:42:19of Pakrovsk.

00:42:21And all of

00:42:22these cities

00:42:22now are

00:42:23vulnerable to

00:42:24Russian attack,

00:42:25and probably

00:42:26will be the

00:42:27subject of

00:42:27Russian attack

00:42:28over the

00:42:29course of

00:42:30this year.

00:42:31More likely

00:42:32than not,

00:42:33all four of

00:42:34these cities

00:42:35will have

00:42:36fallen to

00:42:36the Russians

00:42:37over the

00:42:38course of

00:42:39this year.

00:42:41So,

00:42:42when understood

00:42:43in this way,

00:42:45the whole

00:42:45unreality of

00:42:47the European

00:42:48position becomes

00:42:50starkly obvious

00:42:52because the

00:42:54strategy that

00:42:55they seem to

00:42:56want to fall

00:42:56back on,

00:42:58which is the

00:42:58Biden,

00:42:59Sullivan,

00:42:59Blinken

00:43:00strategy of

00:43:01going on to

00:43:02send more and

00:43:02more weapons to

00:43:03Ukraine,

00:43:04going on to

00:43:05supply Ukraine

00:43:05with more

00:43:06intelligence and

00:43:07more assistance,

00:43:08conducting missile

00:43:09strikes against

00:43:10Russia,

00:43:11doing all of

00:43:12those things,

00:43:13is not

00:43:14working.

00:43:15It is

00:43:16failing.

00:43:17It is a

00:43:18strategy that

00:43:19is going to

00:43:20result,

00:43:21ultimately,

00:43:22in Ukraine's

00:43:23defeat.

00:43:24Now,

00:43:25in that same

00:43:26true social

00:43:27post which

00:43:29Trump has

00:43:29made,

00:43:30which I

00:43:31have

00:43:32criticised,

00:43:34Trump at

00:43:35least makes

00:43:36that very

00:43:37point.

00:43:38He makes

00:43:39the point that

00:43:39Ukraine has

00:43:40suffered terrible

00:43:41losses over

00:43:42the last three

00:43:43years,

00:43:44but that if

00:43:45Zelensky continues

00:43:46to maintain the

00:43:47stance that he

00:43:49is maintaining

00:43:50now,

00:43:51he will lose

00:43:52his entire

00:43:53country,

00:43:54or could

00:43:54lose his

00:43:56entire

00:43:56country,

00:43:57over the

00:43:58next three

00:43:59years.

00:44:00And that is

00:44:01absolutely

00:44:01right.

00:44:03In any

00:44:04war,

00:44:06it is

00:44:07almost

00:44:08axiomatic.

00:44:11It really

00:44:11should not

00:44:12need to be

00:44:13explained.

00:44:14But in any

00:44:15war,

00:44:17the final

00:44:17terms are

00:44:19going to

00:44:19favour the

00:44:20winner over

00:44:22the loser.

00:44:24It is the

00:44:24winner who

00:44:25will dictate

00:44:26the terms,

00:44:28and it is

00:44:28the loser

00:44:29who must

00:44:30accept them.

00:44:32By

00:44:32definition,

00:44:33this is

00:44:34so.

00:44:36Now,

00:44:37if we come

00:44:38back to

00:44:38that,

00:44:39and we

00:44:40look at

00:44:40the Kellogg

00:44:40plan,

00:44:41which is

00:44:44causing the

00:44:45Ukrainians and

00:44:46the Europeans

00:44:47so much

00:44:48trouble,

00:44:49then we

00:44:50can see

00:44:50immediately

00:44:51what the

00:44:53problem,

00:44:54the real

00:44:54problems

00:44:55with the

00:44:56Kellogg

00:44:56plan are.

00:45:00The real

00:45:01problems

00:45:01are not

00:45:03that it

00:45:04goes too

00:45:05far in

00:45:06favouring

00:45:07the position

00:45:09of the

00:45:10Russians

00:45:10who are

00:45:12winning.

00:45:13It is

00:45:14that it

00:45:15doesn't go

00:45:16far enough.

00:45:19If

00:45:19the Russians

00:45:21are saying

00:45:22that the

00:45:23Kellogg

00:45:24plan is

00:45:25unacceptable

00:45:26to them

00:45:26because it

00:45:28leaves territory,

00:45:29that they

00:45:30will eventually

00:45:31capture,

00:45:33still under

00:45:33Ukrainian

00:45:34control,

00:45:36if it

00:45:36makes clear

00:45:39that Ukraine's

00:45:41membership of

00:45:42NATO really

00:45:43is not a

00:45:44topic,

00:45:45even for

00:45:46consideration,

00:45:47then unless

00:45:49you want

00:45:50to see

00:45:50a complete

00:45:52military

00:45:53defeat in

00:45:55Ukraine,

00:45:56for Ukraine,

00:45:58and by

00:45:59extension for

00:46:00Europe,

00:46:00and for the

00:46:01collective

00:46:02West,

00:46:03then you

00:46:04see,

00:46:05you look for

00:46:06ways to

00:46:06satisfy those

00:46:07Russian conditions

00:46:08in a way that

00:46:10will not

00:46:10compromise or

00:46:12do further

00:46:12damage to

00:46:14Western

00:46:14security.

00:46:16And that

00:46:16means ceding

00:46:18the four

00:46:18regions,

00:46:19the entirety

00:46:19of the four

00:46:20regions to

00:46:20Russia,

00:46:22accepting that

00:46:22Ukraine cannot

00:46:23become a

00:46:24member of

00:46:26NATO.

00:46:27The point

00:46:28about your

00:46:29red lines

00:46:29is that the

00:46:31war has

00:46:32erased them.

00:46:33You cannot

00:46:33insist on

00:46:36enforcement of

00:46:38red lines

00:46:39after a

00:46:41war that

00:46:42you're about

00:46:43to lose,

00:46:44and certainly

00:46:45you cannot

00:46:46do that,

00:46:47after the

00:46:48war has

00:46:49been actually

00:46:50lost.

00:46:52That ought

00:46:53to be

00:46:54obvious.

00:46:56So,

00:46:57if you

00:46:58are losing

00:46:59the war,

00:47:00which you

00:47:01are,

00:47:02the priority

00:47:03should be

00:47:04to try to

00:47:05stop the

00:47:06Russian army

00:47:07from advancing

00:47:09further beyond

00:47:10the territory

00:47:11of the four

00:47:12regions to

00:47:13positions where

00:47:14the whole

00:47:15future of

00:47:16Ukraine as

00:47:17an independent

00:47:17country might

00:47:19indeed be

00:47:20put at

00:47:21risk.

00:47:23Now,

00:47:23one person

00:47:24who has

00:47:26grasped this

00:47:27is Ukraine's

00:47:29former spin

00:47:30doctor in

00:47:30chief,

00:47:31former

00:47:32associate of

00:47:33Zelensky,

00:47:34now in

00:47:35bitter disagreement

00:47:36with him,

00:47:37and I

00:47:37understand in

00:47:38exile,

00:47:39perhaps in

00:47:40New York,

00:47:41and that is

00:47:41of course

00:47:41Alexei

00:47:42Aristovich.

00:47:43He has

00:47:43said,

00:47:44he has put

00:47:44it very

00:47:45simply,

00:47:46if you

00:47:47are not

00:47:47prepared to

00:47:49give up

00:47:49the four

00:47:50regions now,

00:47:52then prepare

00:47:53yourself for

00:47:55the prospect

00:47:56that you're

00:47:57going to have

00:47:57to give up

00:47:58four more

00:48:00regions,

00:48:02eight regions

00:48:03in total

00:48:04later.

00:48:06Lavrov,

00:48:07the Russian

00:48:07foreign

00:48:08minister,

00:48:09put it that

00:48:10way also,

00:48:11and he's

00:48:12done so on

00:48:12several occasions.

00:48:14He said that

00:48:14every time

00:48:15Ukraine reneges

00:48:17on an

00:48:18agreement or

00:48:18walks away

00:48:19from an

00:48:20agreement or

00:48:20stonewalls an

00:48:22agreement,

00:48:23its long-term

00:48:24position deteriorates.

00:48:26It loses

00:48:26more territory,

00:48:28more population,

00:48:29more economic

00:48:32assets than

00:48:33it would

00:48:34have done

00:48:35or would

00:48:36do if

00:48:38instead it

00:48:39faced the

00:48:40realities and

00:48:41compromised.

00:48:43Now,

00:48:44that's

00:48:45obviously

00:48:46true.

00:48:47I can

00:48:48understand

00:48:49why,

00:48:51as a result

00:48:52of the

00:48:52emotion and

00:48:53the anger

00:48:54that must

00:48:55exist in

00:48:55Ukraine,

00:48:56there are

00:48:57some people

00:48:57in Ukraine

00:48:58who struggle

00:49:00to understand

00:49:01and accept

00:49:02that,

00:49:03but that

00:49:04the same

00:49:05blindness

00:49:06would exist

00:49:08in European

00:49:09capitals,

00:49:11I have to

00:49:11say,

00:49:12at this point

00:49:12of the war,

00:49:14astonishes

00:49:15me.

00:49:16As Trump

00:49:17correctly

00:49:19says,

00:49:20sticking to

00:49:21this line

00:49:21will ultimately

00:49:23mean that

00:49:24in three years

00:49:25there will be

00:49:26no Ukraine

00:49:27left.

00:49:27That is

00:49:28what the

00:49:29Europeans

00:49:30apparently

00:49:32want to

00:49:34see,

00:49:35because there's

00:49:36no other

00:49:36explanation

00:49:37that I can

00:49:38see for

00:49:39what they're

00:49:40doing.

00:49:40They would

00:49:41rather

00:49:42sacrifice

00:49:43Ukraine

00:49:43than

00:49:44compromise

00:49:45with the

00:49:46Russians,

00:49:47and,

00:49:48well,

00:49:49there it

00:49:49is.

00:49:50Anyway,

00:49:52Trump

00:49:53apparently

00:49:55is paying

00:49:56little attention

00:49:57for the

00:49:58moment,

00:49:58at least,

00:49:59to any

00:49:59of this.

00:50:01Zelensky has

00:50:02rejected

00:50:03Kellogg's

00:50:04plan,

00:50:04the plan

00:50:05that Kellogg

00:50:06sold to

00:50:09Trump

00:50:10and told

00:50:11Trump

00:50:12would

00:50:13easily end

00:50:15the

00:50:15war.

00:50:15One of

00:50:16the,

00:50:17I have

00:50:18to say

00:50:18this,

00:50:19I don't

00:50:19like to

00:50:20use this

00:50:20word,

00:50:21but one

00:50:21of the

00:50:21most

00:50:21pathetic

00:50:22moments

00:50:23for me

00:50:23over the

00:50:24last 24

00:50:25hours was

00:50:26a comment

00:50:27that Trump

00:50:27made

00:50:28impromptu

00:50:29in which

00:50:29he said

00:50:30that he

00:50:31has found

00:50:31Zelensky

00:50:32much more

00:50:33difficult

00:50:33to work

00:50:34with than

00:50:35he'd ever

00:50:35expected.

00:50:37Well,

00:50:37all I can

00:50:38say about

00:50:38that is,

00:50:40again,

00:50:41had he

00:50:41spent any

00:50:42time actually

00:50:43observing the

00:50:45realities of

00:50:46the conflict,

00:50:47if he'd

00:50:48spent any

00:50:48time listening

00:50:50to Zelensky

00:50:51and informing

00:50:52himself about

00:50:53the political

00:50:54realities of

00:50:55Ukraine.

00:50:56Nothing about

00:50:58Zelensky's

00:50:58intransigence

00:50:59or boorishness

00:51:01or refusal

00:51:02to accept

00:51:03reality would

00:51:05have surprised

00:51:05him.

00:51:07But anyway,

00:51:08there it is.

00:51:09He says that

00:51:10he's found

00:51:10Zelensky much

00:51:11more difficult

00:51:12to work

00:51:12with than

00:51:12he imagined.

00:51:14He says

00:51:14that, by

00:51:14contrast,

00:51:15he's found

00:51:15Putin easier

00:51:17to work

00:51:18with than

00:51:18he has

00:51:19found

00:51:19Zelensky.

00:51:21But he

00:51:21still seems

00:51:22to cling

00:51:23on to

00:51:23the idea

00:51:23that somehow

00:51:24or other

00:51:25in some

00:51:26unknown

00:51:26way or

00:51:27other,

00:51:28someone

00:51:29somewhere

00:51:29will give

00:51:30the Europeans

00:51:33apparently

00:51:34backing

00:51:35Zelensky

00:51:36against him.

00:51:37The

00:51:38Russians,

00:51:40as I

00:51:40said,

00:51:40reinforcing

00:51:41their

00:51:42stance

00:51:42as they

00:51:43have been

00:51:43doing

00:51:44over the

00:51:44last

00:51:4524 hours.

00:51:47Apparently,

00:51:48Trump still

00:51:49clings to

00:51:50the hope

00:51:50that something

00:51:51somehow

00:51:52can be

00:51:52retrieved.

00:51:53If he

00:51:54continues

00:51:55along this

00:51:56path,

00:51:57I'm going

00:51:57to say

00:51:58it,

00:51:58he risks

00:51:59appearing

00:52:00on the

00:52:01international

00:52:02stage,

00:52:03weak

00:52:03and even

00:52:04ridiculous.

00:52:05People will

00:52:06start to

00:52:07say that

00:52:08he is all

00:52:08bluff

00:52:09that he

00:52:09says he's

00:52:11going to

00:52:11do

00:52:12something,

00:52:12but then

00:52:13whenever

00:52:13objections

00:52:15start to

00:52:16be made,

00:52:18he immediately

00:52:19retreats.

00:52:21And I

00:52:22don't think

00:52:23that is a

00:52:24position that

00:52:25Donald Trump

00:52:25wants to

00:52:27find himself

00:52:28in.

00:52:29Just saying.

00:52:30Anyway,

00:52:31there it is.

00:52:31That's

00:52:32the state

00:52:34of the

00:52:36negotiations

00:52:36at the

00:52:37moment.

00:52:38Now,

00:52:38there is

00:52:39something

00:52:39further

00:52:39that I

00:52:40do need

00:52:40to say,

00:52:41and it's

00:52:41a point

00:52:42that's been

00:52:42made very

00:52:43eloquently

00:52:44and very

00:52:44powerfully

00:52:45by my

00:52:45colleague

00:52:46and friend

00:52:46Alex

00:52:47Christoforo,

00:52:48which is

00:52:48that one

00:52:48of the

00:52:49most bizarre

00:52:49aspects

00:52:50of the

00:52:51Kellogg

00:52:51plan

00:52:52is that

00:52:53it makes

00:52:54concessions

00:52:55to the

00:52:56Russians

00:52:56or purports

00:52:58to concede

00:52:59to the

00:53:00Russians

00:53:00demands

00:53:02that in

00:53:03fact the

00:53:03Russians have

00:53:04never made.

00:53:05The whole

00:53:05topic of

00:53:07recognising

00:53:08Crimea as

00:53:09part of

00:53:10Russia is

00:53:11actually an

00:53:13absolutely

00:53:13bizarre one

00:53:14because up

00:53:16to this

00:53:16point the

00:53:17Russians have

00:53:18never demanded

00:53:18that the

00:53:19United States

00:53:20recognise

00:53:21Crimea as

00:53:23part of

00:53:23Russia.

00:53:24I've no

00:53:25doubt

00:53:26that if

00:53:27there ever

00:53:27was a

00:53:28final

00:53:28settlement

00:53:28the

00:53:29Russians

00:53:29would

00:53:30prefer

00:53:30that

00:53:30but the

00:53:32official

00:53:33Russian

00:53:33position

00:53:33was

00:53:34and

00:53:35continues

00:53:36to be

00:53:36that

00:53:37Crimea

00:53:37is a

00:53:38part of

00:53:39Russia

00:53:39and will

00:53:40remain

00:53:40so

00:53:41and that

00:53:41this is

00:53:42not a

00:53:42subject

00:53:42for

00:53:42discussion

00:53:43and

00:53:44whether

00:53:44the

00:53:45Western

00:53:45powers

00:53:46want to

00:53:46acknowledge

00:53:46that

00:53:47fact

00:53:47or

00:53:47not

00:53:48it's

00:53:48a

00:53:49matter

00:53:49for

00:53:49them

00:53:49given

00:53:50the

00:53:51opinions

00:53:52of the

00:53:52people

00:53:53in

00:53:54Crimea

00:53:54it

00:53:55makes

00:53:55in Crimea

00:53:56and across

00:53:57the four

00:53:58regions

00:53:58it makes

00:53:59no

00:54:00difference

00:54:01by the

00:54:02way

00:54:02and for

00:54:03the record

00:54:04the same

00:54:05will apply

00:54:05if

00:54:06the war

00:54:08continues

00:54:09when

00:54:09the Russians

00:54:11reach

00:54:11Odessa

00:54:11if

00:54:12Odessa

00:54:13comes under

00:54:14Russian

00:54:15control

00:54:16if

00:54:17Kharkov

00:54:17comes under

00:54:18Russian

00:54:19control

00:54:19but especially

00:54:20Odessa

00:54:22comes under

00:54:23Russian

00:54:23control

00:54:24given the

00:54:25importance

00:54:26of this

00:54:26city

00:54:27not just

00:54:27in

00:54:28strategic

00:54:29and

00:54:30economic

00:54:31terms

00:54:32but also

00:54:33in terms

00:54:34of

00:54:34Russian

00:54:36culture

00:54:37and

00:54:38identity

00:54:39and

00:54:40emotion

00:54:41there is

00:54:42absolutely

00:54:43no way

00:54:44that the

00:54:45Russians will

00:54:45ever give

00:54:47it away

00:54:47again

00:54:48that is

00:54:50something that

00:54:51needs to be

00:54:53understood

00:54:53at the

00:54:55outset

00:54:55if you want

00:54:57to prevent

00:54:57Ukraine

00:54:59sorry

00:54:59Odessa

00:55:00becoming a

00:55:03part of

00:55:04Russia

00:55:05again if that

00:55:06is your

00:55:07priority

00:55:07then the

00:55:08time to

00:55:09prevent it

00:55:10is by coming

00:55:11to some

00:55:11kind of

00:55:12a deal

00:55:12and other

00:55:12questions

00:55:13with the

00:55:14Russians

00:55:14now

00:55:15because if

00:55:16the Russians

00:55:17reach

00:55:17Odessa

00:55:18there is

00:55:19no deal

00:55:20you can

00:55:20ever offer

00:55:21them

00:55:21no deal

00:55:23at all

00:55:25ever

00:55:26which will

00:55:28ever

00:55:28persuade them

00:55:29to leave

00:55:30it again

00:55:31I think

00:55:31that's the

00:55:32next point

00:55:33I want to

00:55:34make

00:55:35but it's

00:55:35absolutely

00:55:36true

00:55:36the Russians

00:55:37have not

00:55:38demanded

00:55:38at this

00:55:39point

00:55:39as part of

00:55:40any

00:55:40negotiation

00:55:41that Crimea

00:55:42should be

00:55:43recognised

00:55:44as Russian

00:55:45by the

00:55:45United States

00:55:46or by

00:55:47anyone else

00:55:48the idea

00:55:49that the

00:55:49Russians

00:55:50would be

00:55:51prepared to

00:55:52trade

00:55:52territory

00:55:53in the

00:55:54four regions

00:55:55for American

00:55:57recognition

00:55:57of Crimea

00:55:58as Russian

00:55:59is again

00:56:01only

00:56:01an idea

00:56:03that only

00:56:04someone

00:56:04like

00:56:05Kellogg

00:56:06could have

00:56:07come up

00:56:07with

00:56:08the second

00:56:09point

00:56:10the second

00:56:11concession

00:56:11which the

00:56:12Russians

00:56:12have never

00:56:13demanded

00:56:14is that

00:56:15the United

00:56:15States

00:56:16as part of

00:56:17this agreement

00:56:18lift sanctions

00:56:19upon them

00:56:20apparently there's

00:56:21been a lot of

00:56:21discussion about

00:56:22lifting sanctions

00:56:23this has been

00:56:24discussed

00:56:25extensively in

00:56:27the United

00:56:28States

00:56:28there was an

00:56:28article today

00:56:29in Politico

00:56:30by the way

00:56:30in which

00:56:31they

00:56:32which said

00:56:33claimed

00:56:33that Steve

00:56:34Wyckoff

00:56:35wants to

00:56:35move forward

00:56:36expeditiously

00:56:38with lifting

00:56:39sanctions on

00:56:40Nord Stream

00:56:41and on

00:56:42Russian

00:56:43energy

00:56:44Rubio

00:56:45supposedly

00:56:46was opposed

00:56:48almost immediately

00:56:49Wyckoff

00:56:50and Rubio

00:56:51came out

00:56:51and said

00:56:52that this

00:56:52was completely

00:56:53untrue

00:56:53that there's

00:56:54no discussion

00:56:55about lifting

00:56:56sanctions

00:56:56on Russia

00:56:58and that this

00:56:59is all fake

00:56:59news

00:57:00and that

00:57:00Politico

00:57:01is an

00:57:01unreliable

00:57:02magazine

00:57:03well I don't

00:57:04know what

00:57:05the realities

00:57:05are but

00:57:06anyway there

00:57:07has indeed

00:57:07been discussions

00:57:08of this

00:57:08there is no

00:57:09doubt because

00:57:10it is apparently

00:57:11in the Kellogg

00:57:11plan of at

00:57:13least some

00:57:14level of

00:57:15sanctions

00:57:16relief being

00:57:17offered to

00:57:19Russia if

00:57:20it were to

00:57:21accept the

00:57:23Kellogg

00:57:23plan but

00:57:25the Russians

00:57:26have not

00:57:26actually asked

00:57:27for sanctions

00:57:29relief as

00:57:31part of a

00:57:31settlement

00:57:32again if

00:57:33if anybody

00:57:35in the

00:57:37administration

00:57:37had taken

00:57:38the trouble

00:57:39to read

00:57:39Putin's

00:57:40speech to

00:57:42the Russian

00:57:42industrialists

00:57:43of the

00:57:4418th of

00:57:44March just

00:57:45a few weeks

00:57:46ago last

00:57:47month they

00:57:49would see

00:57:49that Putin

00:57:50told the

00:57:51industrialists

00:57:53that he

00:57:54expects

00:57:54sanctions to

00:57:55remain in

00:57:56place permanently

00:57:57he doesn't

00:57:58expect the

00:57:59sanctions to

00:58:00be lifted

00:58:01ever he

00:58:04said that

00:58:04Russia has

00:58:05always lived

00:58:06under

00:58:07sanctions even

00:58:09when sanctions

00:58:10had been

00:58:11supposedly lifted

00:58:13after the end

00:58:14of the Cold

00:58:14War the

00:58:15Jackson-Vanick

00:58:16amendment in

00:58:17practice remained

00:58:18in place when

00:58:20the Jackson-Vanick

00:58:21amendment was

00:58:22finally

00:58:23annulled

00:58:25cancelled it

00:58:27was immediately

00:58:28replaced by

00:58:29something

00:58:30analogous which

00:58:32was the

00:58:32Magnitsky

00:58:33Act so

00:58:34there will

00:58:35always be

00:58:35sanctions against

00:58:37Russia Russia's

00:58:38future is to

00:58:39accept that

00:58:40reality and to

00:58:41work to

00:58:42develop its

00:58:43economy in

00:58:46the reality of

00:58:48permanent

00:58:49sanctions and

00:58:51clearly with

00:58:53the Russians in

00:58:54that frame of

00:58:55mind and

00:58:55there's no

00:58:56reason to

00:58:56doubt that

00:58:57this is what

00:58:58Putin actually

00:58:58believes there

00:59:00is no point in

00:59:01trying to

00:59:01persuade the

00:59:02Russians to

00:59:03make concessions

00:59:04in return for

00:59:06sanctions relief

00:59:08substantive

00:59:09sanctions relief

00:59:11because the

00:59:12Russians don't

00:59:12believe it

00:59:13will ever

00:59:14happen it

00:59:16actually goes

00:59:16beyond this

00:59:17because in that

00:59:18same speech to

00:59:19the industrialists

00:59:20and in other

00:59:21speeches made

00:59:23by other

00:59:24officials of

00:59:25the Russian

00:59:26government to

00:59:27the Russian

00:59:27business community

00:59:28those officials

00:59:30and Putin

00:59:30himself have

00:59:31had to go out

00:59:32of the way

00:59:33their way

00:59:34to reassure

00:59:37the business

00:59:38community and

00:59:39the industrialists

00:59:40that if

00:59:42sanctions are

00:59:43relaxed in

00:59:44any way

00:59:45this will not

00:59:46undermine the

00:59:47position of

00:59:49Russian businesses

00:59:50and Russian

00:59:50industries that

00:59:52have taken

00:59:52advantage of

00:59:53the sanctions

00:59:54to capture

00:59:55important positions

00:59:57previously

00:59:58occupied in

01:00:00the Russian

01:00:00economy by

01:00:02Western

01:00:03companies so

01:00:04there is no

01:00:06great support

01:00:07for lifting

01:00:08sanctions from

01:00:10the business

01:00:10community within

01:00:12Russia itself

01:00:14some oligarchs

01:00:16some members

01:00:17of the financial

01:00:17sector probably

01:00:19would like the

01:00:20sanctions lifted

01:00:21but they are

01:00:23people who in

01:00:26Russia were

01:00:27powerful 20

01:00:28years ago but

01:00:30whose power has

01:00:31since declined

01:00:32and which

01:00:33continues to

01:00:34decline by the

01:00:36day so again

01:00:38Kellogg apparently

01:00:40not fully familiar

01:00:42with the realities

01:00:43Russian realities

01:00:44is offering the

01:00:46Russians a

01:00:48concession they

01:00:49have not asked

01:00:50for and

01:00:52probably in the

01:00:53way that he

01:00:54frames it do

01:00:55not even

01:00:57especially want

01:00:58they would like

01:01:00economic cooperation

01:01:01with the United

01:01:02States especially

01:01:04in the energy

01:01:05sector but it

01:01:07would be economic

01:01:08cooperation on

01:01:10their terms with

01:01:13the objective

01:01:15of maintaining

01:01:17a balance of

01:01:20oil and energy

01:01:21prices and in

01:01:23that position by

01:01:24the way they are

01:01:25backed by the

01:01:26Saudis as well

01:01:27who have been

01:01:28telling the

01:01:28Americans exactly

01:01:30the same thing

01:01:30so there it is

01:01:32as I said

01:01:33completely unreal

01:01:35discussion and I

01:01:38have to say I

01:01:40am at once

01:01:42bewildered and

01:01:44frustrated that

01:01:46the President of

01:01:47the United States

01:01:48cannot see this

01:01:50cannot see that

01:01:52the Europeans and

01:01:54the Ukrainians and

01:01:56indeed the Russians

01:01:57are all rejecting

01:01:59the plan that he

01:02:00has committed

01:02:01himself to to

01:02:03go back to

01:02:04what Professor

01:02:05Meersheimer says

01:02:07the gap between

01:02:10what the Ukrainians

01:02:11will accept and

01:02:12what the Russians

01:02:13will accept is

01:02:15unbridgeable

01:02:17there is no

01:02:18compromise that

01:02:21can cover it

01:02:22Trump may indeed

01:02:26as he says be

01:02:27distressed about

01:02:28the number of

01:02:29people who are

01:02:30dying on the

01:02:31battlefields the

01:02:32Ukrainian battlefields

01:02:35every day but

01:02:37ultimately that is

01:02:39the reality of

01:02:40war when wars

01:02:41begin they are

01:02:43very often very

01:02:44very difficult to

01:02:46start to end

01:02:48despite the fact

01:02:50that all of these

01:02:51people die in

01:02:53them and in

01:02:54fact the greater

01:02:55the number of

01:02:57deaths the more

01:02:59intractable in my

01:03:01experience and in

01:03:03historical experience

01:03:04wars tend to

01:03:06become and the

01:03:08more likely it is

01:03:09in fact that the

01:03:10outcome of the

01:03:12war will be

01:03:13through a military

01:03:14will be decided

01:03:15through a military

01:03:16victory so there we

01:03:18go now

01:03:19Witkof is going to

01:03:21Moscow I suspect

01:03:22that when he meets

01:03:24with Putin tomorrow

01:03:25Putin will say to

01:03:28him what I

01:03:30discussed in my

01:03:31programme yesterday

01:03:32he will say to

01:03:33Witkof look forget

01:03:35about this

01:03:36Kellogg plan he

01:03:37won't say quite in

01:03:38that way but he

01:03:39says forget about

01:03:40it the Ukrainians are

01:03:41not going to accept

01:03:42it Zelensky has made

01:03:44that perfectly clear

01:03:45your European allies

01:03:47are not accepting it

01:03:48they have made that

01:03:49also perfectly clear

01:03:51we that is to say

01:03:53Russia and the

01:03:56United States have

01:03:58a great deal to

01:04:00talk about and

01:04:01discuss and agree

01:04:04with each other

01:04:06we are making great

01:04:07progress for example

01:04:09on the subject of the

01:04:11Iran nuclear

01:04:12negotiations you have

01:04:14been speaking to

01:04:16Arakshi you Witkof

01:04:18have been speaking to

01:04:19Arakshi you've come

01:04:21to some common

01:04:22ground we have

01:04:23met with Arakshi

01:04:24we are coming up

01:04:25with all kinds of

01:04:26ideas whereby we

01:04:28can move forward

01:04:31with this initiative

01:04:33we can provide

01:04:34guarantees to the

01:04:36Iranians secure

01:04:37guarantees to protect

01:04:39them against a

01:04:40future attack they

01:04:42will in turn in

01:04:43return promise to

01:04:45give up their

01:04:46nuclear enrichment

01:04:47programme to the

01:04:49point where it

01:04:49seriously threatens

01:04:51to escalate into

01:04:53a nuclear device

01:04:55and Putin can

01:04:56also tell

01:04:57Witkof I've

01:04:58also had a

01:04:59massive meeting

01:05:00yesterday with

01:05:02none other than

01:05:03the Sultan of

01:05:03Oman the

01:05:05mediator in the

01:05:06discussions between

01:05:08yourself and the

01:05:09Iranians he came

01:05:11to Moscow with a

01:05:12strong delegation

01:05:14I spent a long

01:05:16time speaking to

01:05:19him speaking to

01:05:20him in the

01:05:21Kremlin the

01:05:23Russian read

01:05:25out the Kremlin

01:05:25read out of the

01:05:26discussion makes

01:05:27no reference at

01:05:29all by the way to

01:05:31the nuclear talks

01:05:32between the United

01:05:33States and Iran

01:05:34which the Omanis

01:05:36are mediating but

01:05:38there is no doubt

01:05:39at all that in

01:05:40reality the

01:05:42Sultan and

01:05:43Putin will have

01:05:44had a lot to

01:05:45say to each

01:05:46other about all

01:05:47of this so all

01:05:49of the pieces are

01:05:50now starting to

01:05:51fall into place

01:05:52to get this

01:05:54Iran deal

01:05:56sorted over the

01:05:58next few weeks

01:05:59and months

01:06:00do you really

01:06:02want to jeopardise

01:06:03all of that

01:06:04do you really

01:06:05want to jeopardise

01:06:06the future of

01:06:09our own

01:06:10relationship

01:06:11which can be

01:06:13so beneficial

01:06:14for each of

01:06:15us in terms of

01:06:17developing oil

01:06:18fields in the

01:06:19Arctic balancing

01:06:21the energy

01:06:21market allowing

01:06:23a return to

01:06:24Russia of some

01:06:25of your companies

01:06:26do you really

01:06:27want to put all

01:06:28that at risk

01:06:29by letting

01:06:32someone like

01:06:34Zelensky and

01:06:35his European

01:06:36allies

01:06:37disrupt the

01:06:41improvement in

01:06:43relations between

01:06:44us and if

01:06:47Putin wants to

01:06:48take this even

01:06:49further though I

01:06:51personally doubt

01:06:52that he will do

01:06:53so he can also

01:06:55point out to

01:06:56Whitgolf that in

01:06:58reality the entire

01:06:59European position

01:07:00is a complete

01:07:01bluff anyway

01:07:03because the

01:07:04Europeans may

01:07:05be saying

01:07:06that if there

01:07:07is a split

01:07:08between the

01:07:08United States

01:07:09and Ukraine

01:07:10they will

01:07:11back Ukraine

01:07:12against the

01:07:13United States

01:07:14and that

01:07:15might indeed

01:07:16be what

01:07:17people like

01:07:18Macron and

01:07:20Starmer and

01:07:21Merz and

01:07:23Ursula von der

01:07:25Leyen and

01:07:26Kaya Kallis

01:07:27and all of

01:07:28those people

01:07:28think and

01:07:30believe but

01:07:32the reality is

01:07:33that Europe

01:07:34the United

01:07:34Front that the

01:07:35Europeans have

01:07:36will fracture

01:07:37almost immediately

01:07:38if the United

01:07:40States starts to

01:07:41relax at least

01:07:42some of the

01:07:43sanctions against

01:07:44Russia it is

01:07:45inconceivable that

01:07:47some other

01:07:47European states

01:07:48will not insist

01:07:49on the EU

01:07:51doing the same

01:07:51thing so if the

01:07:53United States

01:07:54lifts sanctions

01:07:54on Nord Stream

01:07:55by the way

01:07:56just to say

01:07:58pressure in

01:08:01Germany to

01:08:02restart Nord Stream

01:08:04in some form

01:08:05will grow

01:08:05the German

01:08:06business community

01:08:07is already

01:08:08calling for it

01:08:09the minister

01:08:10presidents

01:08:11the Christian

01:08:11Democrat

01:08:12minister presidents

01:08:13of Saxony

01:08:14Thuringia

01:08:15have also

01:08:16demanded it

01:08:17other countries

01:08:18that want to

01:08:19re-establish

01:08:20economic relations

01:08:21with Russia

01:08:22include Italy

01:08:23whose Georgia

01:08:25Maloney is

01:08:26increasingly

01:08:26distancing

01:08:27herself from

01:08:29the European

01:08:30leadership on

01:08:31the whole

01:08:31question of

01:08:32Ukraine and

01:08:33who has now

01:08:33visited the

01:08:34United States

01:08:35where she

01:08:36appears to

01:08:37have had a

01:08:37very friendly

01:08:38meeting with

01:08:40Donald Trump

01:08:41and more

01:08:43likely than not

01:08:44the Hungarians

01:08:45and the Slovaks

01:08:46perhaps with the

01:08:47backing of the

01:08:49Italians and

01:08:49others will

01:08:51start to

01:08:52veto any

01:08:54further

01:08:55rollover

01:08:57of sanctions

01:08:58which have to

01:08:59be renewed

01:09:00by the EU

01:09:01every six

01:09:02months

01:09:03something which

01:09:04requires

01:09:04unanimity on

01:09:06the part of

01:09:07EU states

01:09:08if the United

01:09:09States starts

01:09:10to lift some

01:09:11of its sanctions

01:09:12or relax some

01:09:14of its sanctions

01:09:14against Russia

01:09:16so I suspect

01:09:17that Putin will

01:09:19say some

01:09:19or even all

01:09:21of these

01:09:22things I'm

01:09:23not sure

01:09:23exactly

01:09:24obviously what

01:09:25he's going to

01:09:26say and

01:09:27he will

01:09:28probably say

01:09:29to

01:09:30Whitgoth

01:09:32tell Trump

01:09:33that we in

01:09:34Russia hugely

01:09:35appreciate all

01:09:37that Trump

01:09:38has been

01:09:40trying to do

01:09:41but as should

01:09:42be obvious

01:09:43by now

01:09:44as we

01:09:45ourselves

01:09:46discovered

01:09:47long ago

01:09:49these people

01:09:51in Kiev

01:09:52and their

01:09:54backers

01:09:54in Europe

01:09:57are not

01:09:58reasonable

01:09:59they're not

01:10:00to be trusted

01:10:01they will

01:10:02simply carry

01:10:03on with

01:10:05the same

01:10:05policy

01:10:06and they

01:10:07will try

01:10:07to draw

01:10:07you back

01:10:08to the

01:10:09position

01:10:10that Joe

01:10:11Biden had

01:10:12which Trump

01:10:14campaigned

01:10:14against

01:10:15in the

01:10:16election

01:10:16and which

01:10:18was rejected

01:10:20by the

01:10:20American people

01:10:21when they

01:10:22voted for

01:10:23Donald Trump

01:10:24so that

01:10:26is the

01:10:26kind of

01:10:27discussion

01:10:28that I

01:10:29expect to

01:10:30take place

01:10:30when

01:10:31Whitgoth

01:10:32and Putin

01:10:33meet

01:10:33presumably

01:10:33in the

01:10:34Kremlin

01:10:34tomorrow

01:10:35anyway

01:10:36we will

01:10:37see what

01:10:38Donald Trump

01:10:39does

01:10:39in the

01:10:40meantime

01:10:41the

01:10:42conflict

01:10:42obviously

01:10:43goes on

01:10:44there was

01:10:45this

01:10:45massive

01:10:45missile

01:10:46combined

01:10:47missile

01:10:47and drone

01:10:48strike

01:10:49on Ukraine

01:10:50that took

01:10:50place

01:10:51yesterday

01:10:52the

01:10:54Ukrainians

01:10:54said it

01:10:55was the

01:10:55biggest

01:10:55Russian

01:10:56drone

01:10:56and missile

01:10:57strike

01:10:57for a

01:10:58long

01:10:58time

01:10:58they

01:10:59claimed

01:10:59around

01:10:5970

01:11:00missiles

01:11:01were

01:11:01used

01:11:01and

01:11:02around

01:11:03150

01:11:04drones

01:11:04presumably

01:11:06Geranium

01:11:062

01:11:07and maybe

01:11:07some of

01:11:08these new

01:11:08Geranium

01:11:093

01:11:09drones

01:11:10the

01:11:10epicenter

01:11:11of the

01:11:12attack

01:11:12was

01:11:13Kiev

01:11:13the

01:11:14Ukrainians

01:11:15claimed

01:11:15that they

01:11:15shot down

01:11:16around

01:11:16half

01:11:17the

01:11:18drones

01:11:18and

01:11:18missiles

01:11:19this is

01:11:20significantly

01:11:21less than

01:11:21what they

01:11:22used to

01:11:22claim

01:11:23and

01:11:24probably

01:11:25in fact

01:11:25many more

01:11:26missiles

01:11:26and drones

01:11:27have got

01:11:28through

01:11:29though it's

01:11:29important to

01:11:30say that

01:11:30Kiev

01:11:30continues to

01:11:31be

01:11:32the most

01:11:32heavily

01:11:33protected

01:11:33of all

01:11:34Ukrainian

01:11:34cities

01:11:35from drone

01:11:36and missile

01:11:36strikes

01:11:37but anyway

01:11:38it's clear

01:11:40that a lot

01:11:41of drones

01:11:42and a lot

01:11:43of missiles

01:11:43did get

01:11:44through

01:11:45the Russian

01:11:46defence

01:11:46ministry

01:11:47claims

01:11:47that most

01:11:48of the

01:11:49targets

01:11:49were

01:11:50component

01:11:53parts

01:11:53of the

01:11:54military

01:11:55industrial

01:11:55system

01:11:56such as

01:11:57it is

01:11:57in Ukraine

01:11:58today

01:11:59and the

01:12:00Russian

01:12:01defence

01:12:02ministry

01:12:03also

01:12:04says

01:12:05that

01:12:06railway

01:12:08connections

01:12:11to

01:12:11Kiev

01:12:12the

01:12:12ones

01:12:13by the

01:12:13way

01:12:13used

01:12:14by

01:12:14Western

01:12:14leaders

01:12:15presumably

01:12:15when they

01:12:16travelled

01:12:17to Kiev

01:12:17those

01:12:18were

01:12:19attacked

01:12:19also

01:12:20now

01:12:21I'm not

01:12:21going to

01:12:21go into

01:12:21the details

01:12:22of the

01:12:22fighting

01:12:23on the

01:12:23battle

01:12:23fronts

01:12:24but it's

01:12:25clear to

01:12:26me

01:12:26that

01:12:26especially

01:12:27in the

01:12:28Konstantinovka

01:12:29area

01:12:30and around

01:12:31Pakrovsk

01:12:32the Russians

01:12:33continue to

01:12:34advance

01:12:34around

01:12:36Pakrovsk

01:12:37incrementally

01:12:38in the

01:12:39Konstantinovka

01:12:40area

01:12:40rapidly

01:12:42and

01:12:43that the

01:12:43build up

01:12:44of Russian

01:12:44forces

01:12:45in northern

01:12:46Ukraine

01:12:47continues as

01:12:48well

01:12:48as I said

01:12:49the Russians

01:12:50have been

01:12:51on the

01:12:52attack

01:12:52for the

01:12:54last couple

01:12:55of weeks

01:12:55about two

01:12:56weeks now

01:12:56they've

01:12:57made

01:12:58actually

01:12:59significant

01:13:00gains

01:13:01but apparently

01:13:02the ground

01:13:03is still

01:13:03wet

01:13:04and it's

01:13:05likely that

01:13:06the big

01:13:06blow will

01:13:07come in

01:13:07May

01:13:08or at

01:13:08least

01:13:09so it

01:13:10looks to

01:13:10me

01:13:10not a

01:13:12single

01:13:12day

01:13:12passes

01:13:13any longer

01:13:14where the

01:13:16Russians

01:13:16don't announce

01:13:18the capture

01:13:19of some

01:13:19village or

01:13:20settlement

01:13:20in some

01:13:21place

01:13:21sometimes

01:13:22more than

01:13:23one

01:13:23and

01:13:24if people

01:13:25remember

01:13:26earlier

01:13:26stretches

01:13:27of the

01:13:27wall

01:13:27it was

01:13:29quite

01:13:29common

01:13:29for

01:13:30months

01:13:30to

01:13:31pass

01:13:31before

01:13:32the

01:13:32Russians

01:13:32announced

01:13:33the

01:13:34capture

01:13:34of

01:13:35any

01:13:35location

01:13:36in

01:13:37Ukraine

01:13:37at all

01:13:38well that

01:13:39hasn't been

01:13:40the case

01:13:40recently

01:13:41so anyway

01:13:42there we

01:13:43go

01:13:43now

01:13:45what

01:13:46Donald

01:13:47Trump

01:13:48does

01:13:48over the

01:13:49next

01:13:50few

01:13:51days

01:13:52or weeks

01:13:52of course

01:13:53remains up

01:13:53to him

01:13:54his

01:13:55latest

01:13:55posts

01:13:56on

01:13:56true

01:13:57social

01:13:57suggests

01:13:58that

01:13:58there

01:13:58continues

01:13:59to be

01:14:00division

01:14:00within

01:14:01the

01:14:01administration

01:14:02an

01:14:02argument

01:14:03about

01:14:03the

01:14:03way

01:14:04forward

01:14:04that

01:14:05Kellogg

01:14:05hasn't

01:14:06given up

01:14:06with

01:14:07his

01:14:07plan

01:14:07and

01:14:08Trump

01:14:08is

01:14:09unable

01:14:09for the

01:14:10moment

01:14:10to give

01:14:11up on

01:14:11it

01:14:11either

01:14:12I

01:14:13hope

01:14:13that

01:14:14reality

01:14:15will

01:14:15eventually

01:14:16dawn

01:14:16and

01:14:17that

01:14:17Trump

01:14:17will

01:14:18finally

01:14:18act

01:14:19on

01:14:20what

01:14:20he's

01:14:21threatened

01:14:21to do

01:14:22which

01:14:22is walk

01:14:23away

01:14:23he

01:14:24can

01:14:25then

01:14:25or

01:14:26he

01:14:27should

01:14:27then

01:14:27move

01:14:28forward

01:14:29with

01:14:30at least

01:14:31some

01:14:31kind

01:14:31of

01:14:32re-engagement

01:14:34proper

01:14:35re-engagement

01:14:36with the

01:14:37Russians

01:14:37he

01:14:39appears

01:14:39to be

01:14:40making

01:14:41his

01:14:42first

01:14:43steps

01:14:43towards

01:14:45de-escalating

01:14:46the

01:14:46tariff

01:14:47crisis

01:14:48with

01:14:49China

01:14:49he

01:14:50made

01:14:50comments

01:14:51yesterday

01:14:52about

01:14:52the

01:14:52fact

01:14:53that

01:14:53the

01:14:53tariffs

01:14:54were

01:14:54unsustainably

01:14:55high

01:14:56the point

01:14:57I've

01:14:57been

01:14:57making

01:14:57programme

01:14:58after

01:14:59programme

01:15:00for the

01:15:00last

01:15:01two

01:15:01weeks

01:15:01and

01:15:02that

01:15:02they

01:15:02need

01:15:03to

01:15:03be

01:15:03brought

01:15:03down

01:15:04though

01:15:04never

01:15:05to

01:15:05nothing

01:15:06or to

01:15:06where

01:15:06they

01:15:07were

01:15:07before

01:15:07which

01:15:08by the

01:15:08way

01:15:09I

01:15:09completely

01:15:10understand

01:15:11as I

01:15:11said

01:15:11a 10%

01:15:12tariff

01:15:13flat

01:15:13tariff

01:15:14on all

01:15:14countries

01:15:15with

01:15:16higher

01:15:16tariffs

01:15:17to

01:15:17protect

01:15:17certain

01:15:18American

01:15:18industries

01:15:19that

01:15:19seems

01:15:20to me

01:15:20to be

01:15:21a

01:15:21viable

01:15:22political

01:15:23position

01:15:24and perhaps

01:15:25a viable

01:15:26economic

01:15:27strategy

01:15:27also

01:15:28the

01:15:29Chinese

01:15:29are taking

01:15:30a very

01:15:30very

01:15:30tough

01:15:31line

01:15:31the

01:15:32Financial

01:15:32Times

01:15:33is

01:15:33saying

01:15:34that

01:15:34they're

01:15:34telling

01:15:34Trump

01:15:35that

01:15:36they're

01:15:37not

01:15:37prepared

01:15:37to

01:15:37begin

01:15:38any

01:15:38kind

01:15:38of

01:15:38discussions

01:15:39until

01:15:40the

01:15:40tariffs

01:15:41are

01:15:41brought

01:15:41down

01:15:42to

01:15:42where

01:15:43they

01:15:43were

01:15:43before

01:15:44he

01:15:45started

01:15:45to

01:15:46raise

01:15:46them

01:15:46I

01:15:47think

01:15:47that

01:15:48is

01:15:48by

01:15:48the

01:15:48way

01:15:48more

01:15:50likely

01:15:50to

01:15:51be

01:15:51a

01:15:51negotiating

01:15:51position

01:15:52than

01:15:53anything

01:15:53else

01:15:53if

01:15:54the

01:15:54tariffs

01:15:54are

01:15:55brought

01:15:56down

01:15:56to

01:15:56say

01:15:5620%

01:15:57I

01:15:58think

01:15:58the

01:15:58Chinese

01:15:59probably

01:16:00at

01:16:00that

01:16:00point

01:16:01will

01:16:01feel

01:16:02that

01:16:02the

01:16:02point

01:16:02has

01:16:02been

01:16:03made

01:16:03and

01:16:03that

01:16:04they

01:16:04will

01:16:04begin

01:16:04discussions

01:16:05but

01:16:06anyway

01:16:06he's

01:16:07shown

01:16:07that

01:16:08he

01:16:10does

01:16:10understand

01:16:11the

01:16:11realities

01:16:12he

01:16:12understands

01:16:13the

01:16:13realities

01:16:14about

01:16:15the

01:16:15direction

01:16:15of

01:16:16the

01:16:16war

01:16:16he

01:16:17cannot

01:16:18presumably

01:16:19want

01:16:20to

01:16:20go

01:16:21back

01:16:21and

01:16:22become

01:16:22Joe

01:16:23Biden

01:16:23with

01:16:24respect

01:16:24to

01:16:25the

01:16:25conflict

01:16:26in

01:16:26Ukraine

01:16:26which

01:16:27is

01:16:27what

01:16:27the

01:16:28Ukrainians

01:16:28and

01:16:29the

01:16:29Europeans

01:16:30ultimately

01:16:31want

01:16:32him

01:16:33to

01:16:33do

01:16:33and

01:16:34besides

01:16:35as he

01:16:35himself

01:16:36realises

01:16:36that

01:16:37is a

01:16:38losing

01:16:38proposition

01:16:39anyway

01:16:40so

01:16:41the

01:16:42time

01:16:42has

01:16:42come

01:16:42for him

01:16:43to tell

01:16:43the

01:16:43Europeans

01:16:44the

01:16:44Ukrainians

01:16:45the

01:16:47Russians

01:16:47also

01:16:47enough's

01:16:49enough

01:16:49we've

01:16:50done

01:16:50all we

01:16:50can

01:16:51we're

01:16:51moving

01:16:52on

01:16:52nobody

01:16:53likes

01:16:54our

01:16:54plan

01:16:54nobody's

01:16:55accepting

01:16:56it

01:16:56in light

01:16:57of this

01:16:57there's

01:16:58nothing

01:16:58further

01:16:58for

01:16:59us

01:16:59to

01:16:59do

01:16:59we're

01:17:00ending

01:17:01our

01:17:02involvement

01:17:02in this

01:17:03affair

01:17:04and

01:17:05in the

01:17:05meantime

01:17:06we're

01:17:07going to

01:17:07start

01:17:07acting

01:17:08in our

01:17:09own

01:17:09interests

01:17:10and

01:17:10those

01:17:10include

01:17:11reopening

01:17:12dialogue

01:17:13with

01:17:14Russia

01:17:14well

01:17:15that's

01:17:16where I

01:17:16end

01:17:16today's

01:17:17programme

01:17:17more

01:17:17from me

01:17:18soon

01:17:18let me

01:17:18remind

01:17:19you

01:17:19again

01:17:19you

01:17:20can

01:17:20find

01:17:20all

01:17:20our

01:17:21programmes

01:17:22on our

01:17:22various

01:17:22platforms

01:17:23locals

01:17:23rumble

01:17:24and

01:17:24X

01:17:24you

01:17:25can

01:17:25support

01:17:25our

01:17:25work

01:17:26via

01:17:26Patreon

01:17:26and

01:17:26Subscribestar

01:17:27and

01:17:28by

01:17:28going

01:17:28to

01:17:28our

01:17:29shop

01:17:29don't

01:17:30forget

01:17:30also

01:17:30to

01:17:31if

01:17:34you've

01:17:34liked

01:17:34this

01:17:34video

01:17:34to

01:17:35tick

01:17:35the

01:17:35like

01:17:35button

01:17:36and

01:17:36to

01:17:36check

01:17:37your

01:17:37subscription

01:17:37to

01:17:38this

01:17:38channel

01:17:38that's

01:17:39me

01:17:39for

01:17:39today

01:17:40more

01:17:40from

01:17:41me

01:17:41soon

01:17:41have

01:17:42a

01:17:42very

01:17:42good

01:17:43day

01:17:54and

01:17:56and

01:17:57I

01:17:57can

01:17:58see you

01:17:59next

01:17:59time

01:18:00to

EU RAGES Over Kellogg Plan ❌ Backs Zelensky 🇺🇦 | Demands Crimea & NATO for Kiev | Trump Hesitates | Alexander Mercouris | Forbidden News

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