1 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Very pleased to be joined on this episode of the 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: Warning podcast by Jason Smart, who is in Kiev, Ukraine. Jason, welcome, 3 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: Thank you, Steve. 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 2: Good to see you. 5 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Why don't we start out by you telling the audience 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: how long you've been in Ukraine what it is that 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: you're doing there. 8 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 2: So I've been in Ukraine since about twenty fifteen, pretty 9 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 2: steadily since then, and I'm currently a journalist for the 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,599 Speaker 2: Kiev Post, the largest English language newspaper in the country 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 2: that's been in existence since nineteen ninety five. 12 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: Talk to us about life in Kiev this Christmas season, 13 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: heading into winter. 14 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 2: So recently it's been sort of complicated. There's been a 15 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: series of missile strikes. Yesterday, I think there's five air 16 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 2: raid warnings, and Ukraine has been fortunate thanks to specifically 17 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 2: American Patriot missiles, has been able to shoot down a 18 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: lot of the missiles that are coming into the territory. 19 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 2: The last Christmas was far worse without the air defense. 20 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 2: Ukraine was getting hit regularly. There's losing electricity, and it's 21 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 2: so bad that walking down the streets of Kiev you 22 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: couldn't hold a conversation with somebody by your side because 23 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: there's so much noise in the generators. There's just so 24 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 2: many generators everywhere, you just gonna have a conversation. So 25 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 2: we're past that point. At this point, they are able 26 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: to shoot a lot of them down. Yet the Irani 27 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 2: made drones are still almost daily hitting Ukraine. They try 28 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 2: to figure out where the air defense is located, and 29 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: then they try to exploit in various infrastructure targets that 30 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 2: they have. And that's in addition to the fact that 31 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 2: the ballistic missiles, those that are produced by Russia, as well, 32 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 2: as it seems done now, missiles that are produced by 33 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,559 Speaker 2: North Korea and Iran are also going to be used. 34 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: What is the rale of the Ukrainian people in this moment? 35 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: Is it defiant, exhausted, resolved? How do they assess the 36 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: counter offensive, its status? And how do they assess the 37 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: politics of the country right now heading into twenty twenty four. 38 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: So I would say that the morale overall in the 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 2: population remains very resolved. There's certainly a desire to defeat 40 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: Russia that's not changed at all. I can't even imagine 41 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 2: how people would respond if you're ask them, do you 42 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 2: think it's time to kind of deal with Putin, nobody 43 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 2: would accept that argument. That being said, obviously they recognize 44 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: there's been setbacks with things like the counter offensive. Those setbacks, though, 45 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 2: we're not something that we can blame just in one place. 46 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 2: Let's be fair, for a forour kilometer by four kilometer, 47 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 2: which is, you know, two and a half mile by 48 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 2: two and a half mile large area, they uncovered about 49 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: twenty thousand land mines on the Russian side. That many 50 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 2: landmines obviously slows things down, especially when there's not sufficient 51 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 2: amount of demining equipment. But more at that point, I 52 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 2: think that on the Ukrainian side there remains a very 53 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 2: strong desire to see victory. The president of the country, Zelenski, 54 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 2: has an approval rating that's above eighty percent. It's probably 55 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 2: about eighty eight percent of our call correctly, and this 56 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 2: is all addicted to the fact that the population is 57 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: very united. I mean, they recognize this. His genocidal Vladimir 58 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: Putin has been very clear, and it was clear yesterday 59 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 2: when he had his annual address the press that his 60 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: intention has not changed. He wishes to conquer Ukraine. He 61 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: also signaled very clearly that after Ukraine, there's other things 62 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 2: in the work such as the country in Moltova and 63 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 2: including the Baltic states which are all NATO members. Vladimir 64 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 2: Putin is unrepentent. He is complete decided that this is 65 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 2: what he wishes to be, the hill that he dies 66 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 2: on if it needs to be. And Russia is lost 67 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: over three hundred thousand troops casualties I should say necessarily died, 68 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 2: but to those who have died it's well over one 69 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 2: hundred and senty thousand. This point, Russia is just bleeding 70 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 2: out men and he will not stop. 71 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: What is the casualty count or the Ukrainian armed forces 72 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: at this. 73 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: Point, so the numbers aren't public. Ukraine doesn't publish them, 74 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 2: but it is estimated to be less than half of 75 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 2: what the Russians are. And it's surprising at first, it 76 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 2: seems not feasible. It seems, you know, it's just sort 77 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 2: of like propaganda. But the fact is it make sense. 78 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 2: Russia doesn't respect the lives of its soldiers. It does 79 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: d mind fields, using the soldiers to run across them. 80 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,359 Speaker 2: These are generally to be fair, not something to do 81 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 2: with all soldiers, specifically the ones that are, for instance, 82 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 2: prisoners who they forced to go to the war or 83 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: ethnic minorities, they use them for the same purposes. Those 84 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: that have AIDS or other diseases that are communicable, they 85 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 2: use for purposes such as this. So that this is 86 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: something that Russia has used as sort of a stape 87 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 2: of the war, which is that they're ken father. They're 88 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 2: happy to send them off in droves and very few 89 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 2: might return. 90 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: Are there public estimates or government estimates of how many 91 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: Ukrainian women and Ukrainian children have been raped by Russian 92 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: soldiers or Russian mercenaries or Russian parabilitaries. 93 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's at the prosecutor's office a lot of cases open, 94 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 2: about ninety thousand cases of rape and sexual assault, the 95 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 2: majority of which were against small children as well as 96 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 2: against elderly women. And in the case sickly enough, is 97 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: the same for both the Russian soldiers who have been 98 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 2: captured and who've been dud has said that it's because 99 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 2: they don't run away as fast, so it's easier to 100 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 2: get them. So the rape of children has become so 101 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 2: significant that they're the psychologists here overwhelmed by it. Some 102 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 2: of the interviews which you can find online, you're not 103 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 2: hard to find what the psychologists have said about. You know, 104 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 2: they've just for no specific reason castrated little boys, raped 105 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 2: girls to death, raped little girls or little boys to 106 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: death in front of their parents, and then raped the 107 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 2: mother to death. This is something that Russia has engaged 108 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 2: in Ukraine. 109 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: Is there an official count, precise count of how many 110 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: children have been kidnapped by those Russian forces who have 111 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: raped upwards of ninety thousand people and taken them ease? 112 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: How many children are missing? 113 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 2: So tragically we know about only twenty thousand, though it's 114 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 2: estimated being one hundreds of thousands. Like in the case 115 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 2: of the rape of children, we only know about it 116 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 2: when they have made it to the free Ukraine, that 117 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 2: is to say that their parents are in the unoccupied territories. 118 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 2: Those who remain occupied territories, there's no way of knowing 119 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 2: what's occurred. So the number of rapes, for instance, their 120 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 2: murders is undoubtedly much higher. The numbers of people that 121 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 2: be kinnapped us much higher. Simply the parents are not 122 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 2: in free Ukraine, they are occupied Ukraine, and so there's 123 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 2: no way for the Ukrainian Prosecutor's office to know that 124 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 2: this has occurred. But it is estimated that the reality 125 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 2: is that though it is about twenty thousand that's public 126 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 2: UNNI of children who have been abducted from their parents, 127 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 2: many of them who then have their names changed when 128 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 2: they move to Russia. The reality is that the numbers 129 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 2: are going to be multiple times higher than that. 130 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: How is the building Maga Republican opposition to arming Ukraine 131 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: being covered in Ukraine? How has President Zelensky's visit to 132 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: the United States been covered domestically in Ukraine? Is it 133 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: through a prism of worry that American support with regard 134 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: to funding for the lethal weaponry necessary to repel the 135 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: Russian military will be cut off? 136 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 2: Sadly, To be frank with you, yes, there is quite 137 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 2: a few about that. There's a lot of lack of 138 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 2: understanding of why this is. The Ukrainians can understand why. 139 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 2: You know, We've just a year ago said they were 140 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 2: allies and we'd stick it out with them, and today 141 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 2: the United States has decided that it's got other priorities. 142 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 2: I keep in mind, this is a country where their 143 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 2: abduction is going on today. There are people of both sexes, 144 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 2: of all ages being raped to death today. There are 145 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 2: people that are pits being tortured in eastern Ukraine, and 146 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 2: the atrocity is just fancy you've never had imagined in 147 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 2: your life. And they do not understand why it is 148 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 2: that there is a growing group of Americans who just 149 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 2: do not have any sympathy for their plight, who write 150 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 2: it off the things that are nonsense, such as you 151 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 2: know the corruption. Listen, there's tons of oversight of the 152 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 2: money going to Ukraine, just absolutely tons that he was 153 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 2: twelve or thirteen different government agencies that are looking into 154 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 2: an oversight of the money. There's not been any prompts 155 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,559 Speaker 2: so far. And they don't understand why is that Americans 156 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 2: are going to hang them out to dry, to a 157 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 2: bunch of bloodthirsty savages that have nothing else in their 158 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 2: minds than they commit genocide. And that's what we see 159 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 2: a current today. 160 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:06,199 Speaker 1: Well, they have to have some idea what do they 161 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: think it is? 162 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 2: They really don't. They're very scared by it because in mind, 163 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 2: the Ukraine perspective on this is they read in the 164 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 2: news that the US is tying and support for their 165 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:23,079 Speaker 2: country to immigration. They have no idea what US immigration 166 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 2: is like, why that's a big deal. They have no 167 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 2: idea how you tie bills together in the US. These 168 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 2: are all things that are very foreign to them, So 169 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:34,680 Speaker 2: it is not something that makes a lot of sense. 170 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 2: They just understand that for some closing this border or 171 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 2: whatever it is the Americans wish to do is something 172 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 2: that's more important than what's happening to their population. They 173 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:49,319 Speaker 2: truly don't have a strong understanding. There's obviously, yes, a 174 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 2: great deal of apprehension about the return of Donald Trump. 175 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 2: There's a great deal of fear of what that might mean. 176 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,680 Speaker 2: Just today I was with the journalists who asked, you know, 177 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 2: Trump has promised in the world twenty four hours. Do 178 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 2: you think that means to just give the whole territory 179 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 2: over to Russia? What do you think that is? Some mean, yes, 180 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 2: there's significant concern in the population. 181 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:14,839 Speaker 1: When you look at it from Kiev. Who are the 182 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: Americans that are viewed by the Ukrainians as being Putin's 183 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: most astonishing, useful idiots. Who are the Americans that they 184 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: see and revile as being on the other side of 185 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: this fight, being on the Russian side? 186 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 2: Well, undoubtedly Tucker Carlson has a special place in their hearts. 187 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 2: Tucker Carlson is so widely cited in Russian news it's nightly, 188 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 2: literally every single night, for that matter, there's a YouTube channel. 189 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 2: I'm sure you can find YouTube if you just take 190 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 2: Tucker Carlson Russian and you see his television shows are 191 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 2: being translated to Russian. Who's paying for that? Where's it 192 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 2: come from? But whatever it is, the Russian government or 193 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 2: whoever is behind it is so pleased by it that 194 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 2: it is translating tons of episodes, especially the key parts, 195 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 2: and using them, and the fact that it's showing up 196 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:14,959 Speaker 2: routinely is amazing. Alex Jones is another great example. He's 197 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 2: been on Russian TV. He cited as a person fighting 198 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 2: for freedom in America who has been oppressed. The Russian 199 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 2: press just loves him, and so we look at these guys. 200 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 2: You know, if Russian press is highlighting you as an 201 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 2: example of what's good about America, you're probably actually the 202 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 2: worst part of America. And that's what Russia has tried 203 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 2: to really put an effort to expose their population into morows. 204 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: What Republican members of the Senate and or Congress are 205 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: you routinely saying on Russian state TV, Russian propaganda channels 206 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: and outlets. 207 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 2: So the different congressman, senators, it varies anytime they see 208 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 2: something to oppose Ukraine or any time that they come 209 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 2: up and use Ukraine sorry Russian talking points, it is cited. 210 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 2: I mean, Russia is constantly on the hunt for who 211 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 2: it is they can cite as an example. Who is 212 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 2: it we can say is an example that there is 213 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 2: really a lot of support in America for what we're doing. 214 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,839 Speaker 2: What we're doing is not, you know, grossly unethical, but 215 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 2: in fact Americans support it. And I think that when 216 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 2: we look at it as a whole, I would say 217 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 2: that there's a few who are really their favorites. The 218 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 2: congress woman from Georgia or Marjorie Taylor Green is obviously 219 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 2: at the very top of the list. Is routine inside it. 220 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 2: By the way, she also cites Russian government sanctioned by 221 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 2: the US government, sanctioned news sources, and they're sanctioned for 222 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: him to try to mess in the US elections. But 223 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 2: they are literally government propaganda. It's nonsense. They're completely nonsense. 224 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 2: Things Zelenski buyings in France and literally baseless, literally basis 225 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 2: and you could say the same thing about me and 226 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 2: I have the same degrie of truth. It's just baseless, 227 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 2: and that sided by people like this, I mean, I 228 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 2: will say yes, the Magropublicans in Poling are the least 229 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 2: supportive of Ukraine out of any demographic in America. They 230 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 2: believe essentially conspiracy theories about Ukraine. They believe things that 231 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 2: are nonsensical, and they also have a very nonsensical view 232 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 2: of Russia as a country. It's defending Christian values or 233 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 2: somehow defending traditional family values, which is just simply not true. 234 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 2: Russia does none of the above. Russia is a criminal 235 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 2: state runlive Vladimir Putin, who's the mafia don And anyone 236 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 2: who thinks otherwise should really just take a look at 237 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 2: what is Russia. That is a terrifying country with a 238 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 2: population that's quite brainwashed. And there is sadly yes US 239 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 2: congressman or senators who somehow think that it's a light 240 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 2: to the east and nothing to be further from truth. 241 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: Do you get the sense sitting in Ukraine that the 242 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: war is yet to escalate to its full potential? 243 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 2: The war will worsen, I mean undoubted will. Listen, the 244 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 2: Russians have located here in Ukraine an estimated six hundred 245 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 2: thousand troops, at least what Putin said yesterday, the estimate 246 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 2: prior to yesterday have been about four hundred and fifty thousand, 247 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 2: so let's say it's you know, five hundred something at least. 248 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 2: The Ukrainian military is quite large, but it's still really 249 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 2: slightly larger than the Russian military. The advantage of Ukraine 250 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 2: has though, as it suffers far less losses, and thanks 251 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 2: to specifically the American technology that is here, the military hardware, 252 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 2: it is able to defend itself and to suffer less 253 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 2: losses than the Russian stew and to evacuated soldiers more 254 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 2: efficiently than the Russian stew and since so there's survival 255 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 2: rates much higher. That being said, you know, Russia has 256 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 2: no intent of stopping what it's doing now, and so 257 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 2: we can expect that Vladimir Putin, as he becomes more 258 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 2: frustrated by this war, will engage in other human rights 259 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 2: atrocities in the bombing of cities as he currently does, 260 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 2: and to just continue this. But I think there's another element, 261 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 2: which is that there is a lot of evidence that 262 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 2: Russia is trying to stir up tensions in other countries, 263 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 2: including in the Balkans, including Moldova, in order specifically to 264 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 2: distract from what's going on here so that he'll have 265 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 2: more of a free hand and less attention will be 266 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 2: placed on him. 267 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: When you assess the situation, to what degree do you 268 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: think that Vladimir Putin is calculating that Donald Trump will 269 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: be elected president in November twenty four take office in 270 00:16:52,920 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: January twenty five. A precipitate, a constitutional crime is domestically 271 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: and be attempt to or resolved to withdraw America from 272 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: its NATO obligations, which are harder to do than the 273 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: MAGA spokespeople allow, but nevertheless concernedly signal that countries that 274 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:36,159 Speaker 1: America is obligated to defend under Article five, including the 275 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: Balitic republics, would not be defended and leaving them naked 276 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: outside of America's deterrence perimeter. What degree to which do 277 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: you look at the situation and see that the Putin 278 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: is just holding on waiting for that to happen. 279 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 2: You know, I would generally agree with that assessment. So 280 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 2: I think that Donald Trump is something that is the 281 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 2: hope for Varmora Putin, and as time goes on, you know, 282 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,400 Speaker 2: I don't think that's part, isn't talking point. I think 283 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 2: that is accurate because I see enough of what's happening 284 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 2: in Russia that affirms that listen, I read the Russian 285 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 2: news every day, obviously speak Russian, and I'm telling you 286 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 2: when you read the Russian news and you read what 287 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 2: their television channels, the Kremlin Finance Telvin channels, when they 288 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 2: say things such as our friends that Republicans are doing 289 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 2: this right now, or we're closer to victory and Donald 290 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 2: Trump will join us for how should you interpret that? 291 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 2: I mean, to me, it is a very scary thought 292 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 2: that there is not just I mean, I understand all 293 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 2: countries will have a preference in an election. That's normal, 294 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 2: but the fact that they consider it to be their 295 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 2: ally being elected who will help them to conquer Ukraine, 296 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 2: I find it to be just sickening. I mean, it 297 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 2: is truly. I don't remember this ever once Russian history 298 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 2: in its relation to the United States, where the Russians 299 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 2: have been so unambivalent about the fact that one of 300 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 2: the two candidates is someone who is going to help 301 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 2: them to win, and then the fact that they are 302 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 2: citing people who the same guy Donald Trump cites, such 303 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,719 Speaker 2: as Tucker Carlson. The people who are the most loudmouthed 304 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 2: in the mag of movement are exactly the people show 305 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 2: up in a Russian TV To me, this is just incredible. 306 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 2: And we're not talking you know, a one time thing 307 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 2: where somebody has a quote that's taken out of context 308 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 2: that Russians use it. We're talking steadily and routinely. The 309 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 2: Russians say, but look, there are good people in America 310 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 2: and this is what they believe. This is what they say. 311 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 2: But Donald Trump on a personal level, yes, I mean 312 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: his lack of predictability, how scary he is for the 313 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 2: NATO countries. Just listen to what the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, 314 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 2: gabrielis linz Burgas, has been saying. They're tremendously worried. They 315 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 2: know that Donald Trump is dangerous for them. They never 316 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 2: use his name. Is there politically you know, they're trying 317 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 2: to be neutral, they are f ministry, but it's very 318 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 2: clear what they're saying. They're saying that the Russians are 319 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 2: going to try to conquer Ukraine and then go for 320 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,159 Speaker 2: the Baltic States. But they definitely have an eye on 321 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 2: what happens next to Washington, and we all understand exactly 322 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 2: what they're referring to. They're referring to the Donald Trump 323 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,919 Speaker 2: coming back, a guy who's promised not to make America 324 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,880 Speaker 2: great again, but to have revenge. What does that mean? 325 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: And the fact that they have all the investigations going 326 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 2: on now in the US House about Hunter Biden, which 327 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 2: is touching on Barisma and Ukraine. I have no doubt whatsoever. 328 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,640 Speaker 2: And by the way, we know this is ties back 329 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 2: to Russian intelligence the whole story. There are people that 330 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 2: were inclusion with Russian intelligence, who met with people like 331 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 2: Giuliani in regards that you know years ago now. But 332 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 2: those those things are all being done specifically to benefit 333 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 2: Donald Trump and his campaign. 334 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 1: You used three times a word in describing pudent subjectives 335 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: during this conversation, and the word is conquer as in 336 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 1: conquer Ukraine, and I want to drill down on that. 337 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 1: Do you mean to say that it is Vladimir Putin's 338 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: aim to occupy Ukraine fully and completely the full nation 339 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: of in the mid forties of millions of people, that 340 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: in the way that Germany did France and did Greece 341 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: and did the Netherlands as an occupying power, as a 342 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: controlling power, making illegal the Ukrainian language. What do you 343 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: mean by that? Yeah? 344 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 2: Actually, the example of Germany that you gave is pretty 345 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 2: much what I mean by that. So we can only 346 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 2: look at the occupied terraportratories so far, some of the 347 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 2: eastern parts of Ukraine and what we saw there, and 348 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 2: we'll just say that's probably a good example a prologue 349 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 2: of what is to come. History is but a prologue, 350 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 2: and in this case we see that in those regions 351 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 2: there is forced taking a citizenship of Russian citizenship, that is, 352 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 2: those who have refused. If you know, many things have happened. 353 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 2: You know, just yesterday they were raiding their houses, stealing 354 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 2: their possessions, stealing the cash they might have had or 355 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 2: anything had value, and then throwing them out into the streets. 356 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,239 Speaker 2: There is also the fact they've you know, kidnapped their 357 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 2: children so they can send the Russia to be rucified, 358 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 2: to only speak Russian and also to become more Russian like, 359 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 2: and to forget the Ukrainian identity. They've eradicated, stopped out 360 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 2: the Ukrainian language and culture. They've closed down the Ukrainian 361 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 2: churches for that matter. I mean, they've closed down Protestant churches, 362 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 2: Baptist churches, Evangelical churches because it's considered to be a 363 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 2: pro American conspiracy in the eyes of the Russians. I've 364 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 2: interviewed pastors from eastern Ukraine who lived under occupation or 365 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 2: who are capped by Russians, who are tortured. I mean 366 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 2: they hooked their generals up to electric prods and lit 367 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 2: them up. These pastors because they said that, you know, 368 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 2: all Evangelicals are all Protestants are part of the American conspiracy. 369 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:14,919 Speaker 2: It's something that the Russians really believe. It's not just 370 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 2: you know, crazy, This is not so far outside of 371 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 2: the rum. I've met enough people who have suffered these 372 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,959 Speaker 2: sorts of faiths to say that it's what happens. So 373 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 2: and I talked about what's going to happen to the 374 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 2: rest of Ukraine. Yes, I'd imagine be very naugous that 375 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 2: Russia is historically also taken the male population from the 376 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 2: regions and forces them to become soldiers for their military. 377 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,479 Speaker 2: Once again. They use them primarily as cannon. Father There 378 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,359 Speaker 2: is no intent that they're going to win the war, 379 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 2: said I should say, come back victoriously. They send the 380 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 2: soldiers to die. There's an understanding they're going there to 381 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:48,399 Speaker 2: be wiped away. 382 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:57,119 Speaker 1: They've taken three hundred thousand casualties. Does Russia have the 383 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: wherewith all military to occupy the whole of Ukraine if 384 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 1: Western military support collapses. 385 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 2: Yes, I mean that's the whole thing, is that Ukraine 386 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 2: is able to keep it together because of the Western 387 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 2: military assistance. Should that not come through. Look at the numbers. 388 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 2: Russia's got one hundred and forty million people. It's a 389 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 2: massive country. And the fact is if they just keep 390 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 2: rounding up people and send them off as they are, 391 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 2: they will eventually overwhelm Ukraine. Unfortunately. That being said, Ukraine's 392 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 2: senior advantage has been the Western military technology that allows 393 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,479 Speaker 2: us to suffer far less casualties than the Russian side. 394 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,439 Speaker 2: And it's thanks to the Americans. I mean, I have 395 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:46,679 Speaker 2: no doubt about it. It is thanks to the American people. 396 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 2: And Ukrainians are very thankful. I want to be clear. 397 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 2: Is they're very thankful, and they do bring it up. 398 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 2: I mean when they hear my accent, it's one of 399 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 2: the first things they say. They love America. They appreciate 400 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 2: the Americans have done for them, and they are, you know, 401 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 2: worried about what's going on in the domestic American politic. 402 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 1: Let's see if we agree on something which I suspect 403 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: we do. But this is just as a basic strategic proposition, right, 404 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: if you're a United States senator cold bloodedly looking at 405 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:33,239 Speaker 1: this situation, Let's say that you are true equities of 406 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: the matter or defending Poland and you're really indifferent to Ukraine. 407 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: Is it not the case that, so long as this 408 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: war is fought in Ukraine, that the Russians do not 409 00:25:55,040 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 1: have the wherewithal to expand it beyond Ukraine, to say, 410 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:07,680 Speaker 1: Moldova or the Baltics, Or do you believe they can 411 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: continue to fight in Ukraine, will expanding the war simultaneously 412 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 1: to those other places? Or do you believe an expansion 413 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: is the consequence of defeat in Ukraine? 414 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 2: So the Russians at this point absolutely cannot take a 415 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 2: significantly attack pulling into the Baltic states, e. They're far 416 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 2: too occupy it here in Ukraine. That being said, you know, 417 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 2: if Ukraine were to fall, yeah, in the closing days 418 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 2: of that, they could easily roll through Moldova for instance. No, 419 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 2: we'll not take much effort. There's only seven thousand soldiers 420 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 2: in Moldova. It'd be pretty quick. Two point five million 421 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 2: people in the country. But at this stage, no, far away. 422 00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 2: Russia just does not have the capacity to do so. Again, 423 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:01,959 Speaker 2: you know, I think part of the whole strategy, if 424 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 2: I was a US senator, is the fact that hey, listen, 425 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 2: is far better. They keep the Russians occupied in Ukraine, 426 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 2: Losing troops like crazy, losing tanks like crazy. Russia has 427 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 2: lost I want to say, it's the statistic crectness. It's 428 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 2: sixty eight percent of its tanks have been destroyed in 429 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 2: its moore. The attritionary in the number of its soldiers 430 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 2: who die in the war that wiped out, it's about 431 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 2: eighty six percent. There's plenty of evidence that Russia does 432 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,879 Speaker 2: not have the ability to stand up to modern American technologies. 433 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 2: And it's really that simple. And of course the bravery 434 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 2: of the Ukraine soldiers and all else, but it's the 435 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 2: technology that's blowing up the tanks. And so we have 436 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 2: to be clear, is that we are obliterating fifty percent 437 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 2: of the Russian military and it has cost US five 438 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 2: percent in the US defense budget. The police comparison that 439 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 2: works out a lesson about let's see five tenths. Let's 440 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 2: say half of one percent of the US national budget, 441 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 2: half of one percent of the total US budget has 442 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 2: been able to destroy more than fifty percent of the 443 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 2: Russian military. And I think that if we look at 444 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,720 Speaker 2: the many generations of Americans who paid federal taxes to 445 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 2: pay for a military that would specifically defend them from 446 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 2: the Soviet Union from the Russians. Today we're destroying the 447 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 2: Russian military in a way that they could never have 448 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 2: dreamt of, costing not one US soldier's life. This is 449 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 2: a very low cost. And one thing that they leave 450 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:27,439 Speaker 2: out in the American talk about this discussion is that 451 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 2: the vast majority of the money, and this is easily 452 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,159 Speaker 2: found in the government's websites, the vast majority of the 453 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 2: money that we give to Ukraine is actually stayed in 454 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 2: the United States. In mind, these are US produced things. 455 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 2: Abram's tanks are produced in Ohio, you know, these are 456 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 2: things Louisiana produces one fifty five. There is different things 457 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 2: where you look at the US States, but they're producing 458 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 2: the jobs that are created. And how much the weaponry 459 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 2: that Ukraine has given as well as the various artillery 460 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 2: and stuff like this that were nearing their date of exploration. 461 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 2: They have to be used up by a certain date. 462 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 2: These are things that we've had in stockpiles, a lot 463 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 2: of it from the eighties, you know, from the early nineties. 464 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 2: They're not going to sit there for one hundred years. 465 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 2: I mean, if we don't use it a certain time period, 466 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 2: they destroy it, and that costs more money. It costs 467 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 2: very little senate to Ukraine for free. So the numbers 468 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 2: and how much we're spanning Ukraine, I would argue actually 469 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 2: quite inflated. It's a lot less and it's saving US 470 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 2: taxpayer a lot of dollars in many ways. The US 471 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 2: military and return gets the newer technology, the newer equipment, 472 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 2: and we're offloading the older stuff or the more used 473 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 2: stuff to Ukrainians. So this is a win win for everybody, 474 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 2: and we're getting rid of one of our greatest geopolitical 475 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 2: foes in our entire history. 476 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: Well, you know, it's funny listening to you say that. 477 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I do have a bit of a different 478 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: opinion on the messaging piece, though I understand the meritoriousness 479 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: right of the argument you're making. But in the end, 480 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: it costs what it costs, because the cost of Ukraine 481 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: falling to the Russian Federation under Vladimir Putin is ultimately 482 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 1: paid for by America's young men and women somewhere down 483 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: the line in a widening European war. And so you 484 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: have a confluence of leaders in Trump, in lepenn far 485 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: right party rising in Germany, that are all that you 486 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: need to unravel the EU, to unravel NATO, and history 487 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 1: would suggest that there's terrible consequences to that, particularly particularly 488 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,719 Speaker 1: in Europe. So you know, this is an urgent moment 489 00:30:55,000 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: I think for America's national security in one where the 490 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: arming of Ukraine is an essential matter in the in 491 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 1: the politics of it in the States are clear is 492 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: that President Biden is going to have to capitulate on 493 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: the on the border funding issue. And these issues should 494 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: never have been linked. One should not be used to 495 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: ransom the other, particularly by the extremists that are doing 496 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 1: the ransoming. But they have succeeded in doing it, and 497 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: I think that the Biden administration will be compelled to 498 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 1: cut that deal. But the fundamental issue for Ukraine in 499 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: the United States is that in the course of a year, 500 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: President Zelenski has gone from a universally admired man to 501 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 1: a man who the presence draws a lot of indifference. 502 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: The attention span of the United States is that of 503 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: a gerbil And in the end, there has to be 504 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: a consistency of communication about the urgency of what's at stake, 505 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 1: because this is going to go on for a long 506 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: long time, and the American commitment has to be absolute 507 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:31,520 Speaker 1: until the end, and that the war cannot stop, must 508 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: not stop until there are no longer any Russians on 509 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: Ukrainian soil left to be killed. And that's how the 510 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 1: war can stop. And that's the position of the Ukrainian government, 511 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: that's the position of the Ukrainian people, and the American 512 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: position must be to arm and support them for as 513 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: long as as necessary. And it's incumbent upon America's political 514 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: leaders to communicate that, I think, with absolute with absolute clarity. 515 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: It may cost more and real dollars next year and 516 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 1: more than that. Whatever the number is, it's a big number, 517 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: but it's one we can easily afford because we're a 518 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: very rich country, and we're a country that spends such 519 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: an extraordinary amount of money on its armaments that it's 520 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 1: impossible for the Pentagon to pass an audit. So there's 521 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: a lot of crocodile tiers around this issue. And the 522 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: underlying infection is the America first infection. We have seen 523 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 1: a reawakened affinity for fascism, and there's always been part 524 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: of the body politic, part of the leadership that has 525 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: embraced it. Was some blindness, the authority impulse, the shiny uniform, 526 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 1: the military parade, the dogmatic religiosity that is thinly veiled authoritarianism, 527 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: and all of these, all of these things you get 528 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 1: to see play out with regard to Ukraine. And it's 529 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: quite interesting to me the parallels between that affinity and 530 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 1: affiliation towards Vladimir Putin as it compares to the affiliations 531 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:41,240 Speaker 1: towards Adolph Hitler. And you know, Tucker Carlson is very 532 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:52,360 Speaker 1: much a Father Kauflin type figure for the digital age. 533 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 1: And the reality is that none of it is particularly 534 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: surprising because of a version of it has already played 535 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: out literally within a human lifetime, which is the astonishing 536 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:16,399 Speaker 1: part with a whole society. Amniesia about what happens when 537 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:29,480 Speaker 1: a aggressive imperial country like Russia tries to aggrandize itself 538 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 1: through acts of war and acts of war crimes, to 539 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:39,800 Speaker 1: enlarge its territory and to impose its will on people 540 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: that it regards as less than and that's what's happening 541 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:48,319 Speaker 1: in Ukraine and the United States has to be at 542 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:51,600 Speaker 1: the center, not just of the armaments end of it, 543 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: but in terms of making the moral argument in defense 544 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 1: of liberty and freedom. That's so essential, I think. 545 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:03,319 Speaker 2: Absolutely. I think you're absolutely right. And you know, it 546 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 2: is shocking to me to see that the United States 547 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 2: so many people do not appreciate the parallels which is highlighted. 548 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 2: That's the rise of Hitler. I mean, if you look 549 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 2: at Putin, I think you'd be very hard priced to 550 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:18,439 Speaker 2: find people who followed Putin carefully who would not say 551 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:22,280 Speaker 2: there are very clear parallels to Germany in the thirties. 552 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:27,360 Speaker 2: The fact is that Letter Putin has already occupied other countries' territory. 553 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:31,799 Speaker 2: He has created a it's not patriotism and then it 554 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,879 Speaker 2: is fascism. Truly, if you look at this ulternationalism within 555 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 2: the population, the superiority of ethnic Russians, linguistic Russians. They 556 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,800 Speaker 2: don't use the word superior, but it's very clear what's 557 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,560 Speaker 2: being implied. What they're trying to say by it, the 558 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:50,320 Speaker 2: fact they've deemed everything that's foreign to be some similarti 559 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:55,759 Speaker 2: enemy in or country everything that's a foreign let's say, 560 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 2: belief or religion or anything else is bad. It needs 561 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:01,439 Speaker 2: to be stopped, stopped out. There is no free press 562 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,439 Speaker 2: in Russia. There hasn't been for a long time. They're 563 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 2: not free trials in Russia or court processes. There is 564 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,600 Speaker 2: not by any means of free society. I mean a 565 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 2: podcast such as this would absolutely free to bid in Russia. 566 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 2: I mean your house will definitely get rated for something 567 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 2: like that, and you wound up in the camps. I mean, listen, 568 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 2: they have plenty of people in Russia sent to prison 569 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 2: for years for doing something so small. It's pulling it 570 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 2: up aside. That just says no war. It's all says 571 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:29,800 Speaker 2: no war, no war, and you'll get years in prison. 572 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:31,960 Speaker 2: You get up to fifteen years in prison for that. Now, 573 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 2: people stay outside of the Kremlin and you can find 574 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,960 Speaker 2: it videos online with a blank piece of paper. Just 575 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 2: hold up a blank piece of paper. Doesn't say anything. 576 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 2: But the shade absurdity of the police state is that 577 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:43,600 Speaker 2: they will arrest you and take you away. You will 578 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,319 Speaker 2: go to prison. This is not a joke. Russia is 579 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:49,400 Speaker 2: a fascist state. Their brand washing their population, and this 580 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:51,399 Speaker 2: is you know, we throw that word around a lot 581 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,719 Speaker 2: in other countries that bit in the US, but this 582 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 2: is something unparalleled. We've never had something like this. I mean, 583 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:00,719 Speaker 2: the social media such as Facebook and things there are 584 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:02,760 Speaker 2: not used. They have their own which is a direct 585 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:06,239 Speaker 2: copy paste of what Facebook looks like the conductor on 586 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 2: the classicky they're called. They look exactly the same as 587 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 2: Facebook or no social media. They have their own chats 588 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 2: like WhatsApp or signal. They have their own it's called telegram, 589 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:18,799 Speaker 2: which they use. They can monitor what the users do. 590 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 2: They can monitor the users right, they can monitor which 591 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 2: groups they join. And then when somebody is you know, 592 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:27,880 Speaker 2: they notice is engaging in behavior which is state does 593 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 2: not sanctioned to come and raid their house. They do have, 594 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 2: you know, all sorts of loyalty tests and verification of 595 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 2: people is to a degree. And and I know this 596 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,399 Speaker 2: is a far branch you got on, but I think 597 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,280 Speaker 2: it is a serious argument that it is worse today 598 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 2: than it was in the Soviet Union. Simply the Soviet Union. 599 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 2: I don't think they're the technological capacity to monitor the 600 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:53,280 Speaker 2: citizens as closely as they are now. They are able 601 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 2: to monitor them on the most every level possible. Obviously, 602 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,279 Speaker 2: all their credit card data and everything else to make 603 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:01,319 Speaker 2: sure what they're percha seeing from whom you're purchasing, if 604 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 2: it's foreign or if it's domestic. They really keep tabs 605 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 2: on their people and they live in fear, and people 606 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:09,760 Speaker 2: know that they can't joke about things. What's what's forbidden 607 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:13,719 Speaker 2: to talk about. It is a closed society. Increase in 608 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 2: the closed society, and it isn't direct threat to the 609 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 2: United States. And actually that, you know, I think that's 610 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 2: one thing that anyone who's lost about the America or 611 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 2: thinks this about Ukraine is absolutely wrong. Listen, Ukraine is 612 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:28,320 Speaker 2: the first step, and this is this is the first 613 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 2: stop on the metro. This is gonna keep going, and 614 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:32,600 Speaker 2: the next stop is going to be other countries. It 615 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:34,320 Speaker 2: is definitely going to be you know, the Moltogas or 616 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:37,520 Speaker 2: the Baltic States and then Poland's. And that's why the 617 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 2: Baltic states in Poland have been so openly in favor 618 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:43,880 Speaker 2: of Ukraine or continue to assist it and to push 619 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 2: US lawmakers as well to support it, is because they 620 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:48,880 Speaker 2: know it's their own self security that comes with this. 621 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:52,759 Speaker 2: But let's look at the repercussions we see Venezuela let's 622 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:56,720 Speaker 2: take Guyana, that's not by coincidence. Venezuela is as close 623 00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:59,359 Speaker 2: as it gets to Russia as possible. We see what's 624 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:03,480 Speaker 2: going on China and Tailan that's also related to what Russia. 625 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,960 Speaker 2: Russia showed is perhaps gonna be some permissibility if we 626 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 2: do this, if especially if Trump were to come to power, 627 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 2: and so we're going to start laying the cars up. 628 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 2: We see that Russia's leading its allies around the world Iran, 629 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:20,399 Speaker 2: for instance, cooperation with HESBA and Hamas, which by the way, 630 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:24,040 Speaker 2: Hamas was in meetings in Moscow in mid October. 631 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 1: Uh. 632 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:28,400 Speaker 2: They've openly worked with organizations like this for years. Russia 633 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,120 Speaker 2: is a direct threat to the United States security globally 634 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 2: and our allies, not just ours, our allies. So if 635 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:37,600 Speaker 2: anyone is so misguided as believers, well you know who 636 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:39,920 Speaker 2: cares if they take Ukraine. You know, if you're willing 637 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 2: to look past a genocide, that's not going to turn 638 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 2: your stomach. Okay, but let me argue that eventually it 639 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:48,520 Speaker 2: will be American soldiers that will die for this, have 640 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:52,080 Speaker 2: no doubt about this. US citizens will die as a 641 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,840 Speaker 2: result of this decision. So right now, it's pay a 642 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:57,279 Speaker 2: little bit of money, less than five percent of the 643 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 2: defense budget, and we can keep this far from our shores, 644 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 2: protector Alice and protect her sons from having to go 645 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:03,880 Speaker 2: fight a war. Or we can say we're going to 646 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:06,760 Speaker 2: fight over this for these crocodiles. Here is about saving 647 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:09,560 Speaker 2: taxpayers money. And in fact, no, that's gonna be your 648 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:11,960 Speaker 2: sons at diamonds war, and it'll cost US hundreds of 649 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:13,080 Speaker 2: billions of dollars in the meantime. 650 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:18,200 Speaker 1: Well, save taxpayer money. We hire five thousand auditors to 651 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:21,880 Speaker 1: go in there and kick ass, right like a sealed 652 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:28,440 Speaker 1: team of auditors to deal with what Dwight Eisenhower warned about. 653 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: But you know, look, the US Navy isn't big enough, 654 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:49,640 Speaker 1: the procurement process is shattered, the waste is profound, but 655 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:56,359 Speaker 1: there's no choice. But two are in Ukraine. And I 656 00:41:56,360 --> 00:42:00,839 Speaker 1: think that this has to be and elevate cause in 657 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:04,800 Speaker 1: the United States, and that there needs to be better 658 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:09,680 Speaker 1: communication about the matter as a as a whole, which 659 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 1: is one of the reasons I wanted to have you 660 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: on and talk about it today so that you know, 661 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:19,240 Speaker 1: people can get a better sense. But let me ask 662 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:23,520 Speaker 1: you this too, talk about what it is like to 663 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 1: live in Kiev. Now are you moving around the country. 664 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:38,719 Speaker 1: How close are you to the combat zones in your coverage? 665 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: If at if at all? Are you primarily in the city? 666 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 1: What is what is life like? Is there privation? Are 667 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 1: there things you can't get on the stores? Is is 668 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:58,279 Speaker 1: life away from the frontline fairly normal? Is the air 669 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 1: raid or the missile attack now a routine oze, you know, 670 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:06,120 Speaker 1: a routine part of the part of the day that 671 00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:10,680 Speaker 1: you know people you know, we're just innoored to it. 672 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:13,359 Speaker 1: We talk about what life is like. 673 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:16,720 Speaker 2: So you know, it depends on where in the country 674 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:18,920 Speaker 2: you are, and it is quite a large country for 675 00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:23,360 Speaker 2: European standards. I'm using in Kiev, the capital. In Kiev, 676 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:27,120 Speaker 2: there is routinely drone strikes, drum attacks. The drones are 677 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:31,760 Speaker 2: Iranian made primarily. They typically come in they're quite loud 678 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:35,359 Speaker 2: if historically them they've got chiry ones not to but 679 00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 2: that's you know, that sets off the air rate alarms. 680 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:39,680 Speaker 2: The air rate alarms also go off whenever a MiG 681 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,440 Speaker 2: Russian made airplane and Soviet made airplane takes off in 682 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:46,080 Speaker 2: Belarus or in Russia that's near the border. Because they 683 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 2: use the MiGs. The fire missiles. The the ballistic missiles 684 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:53,560 Speaker 2: are fired from the Mins into Ukrainian cities, so they 685 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,960 Speaker 2: target from you know, air and they fire into land 686 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:01,719 Speaker 2: targets here in Ukraine now obviously, I mean, thank god, 687 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 2: in Kiev it's much quieter. That is, let's say, in 688 00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:06,279 Speaker 2: an eastern part of the country. In eastern part of 689 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 2: the country, it is I mean it's horrendous. I mean, 690 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:14,200 Speaker 2: the firing and the shooting doesn't stop. It does go constantly. 691 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:19,319 Speaker 2: You can hear small arms artillerary, there's the drones hanging 692 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 2: over head constantly. It is. It is World War One 693 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:25,960 Speaker 2: sort of conditions for the soldiers. It's winter and outs. 694 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:28,560 Speaker 2: I mean it's Ukraine, so it's cold, so they're in 695 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:32,959 Speaker 2: sub you know, zero temperatures outside in the snow, as 696 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:37,680 Speaker 2: as things are just exploding constantly, especially at night. The 697 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:40,120 Speaker 2: air rates tend to offs in this key as well 698 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:42,680 Speaker 2: as in the front. Nighttime is when a lot of 699 00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:46,040 Speaker 2: the big explosions happen because you know, it's harder to 700 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:49,240 Speaker 2: detect things such as drones or like its missiles as well. 701 00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:54,960 Speaker 2: It's it's it adds confusion, but also that's terror. There's 702 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:57,920 Speaker 2: a whole population's woken up. Every night. Not every night. 703 00:44:57,960 --> 00:44:59,719 Speaker 2: I mean it was quite for pure but yes, very 704 00:44:59,719 --> 00:45:01,279 Speaker 2: f and go off a couple of times a night. 705 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:04,160 Speaker 2: So if you're the local population and you're trying to 706 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:06,200 Speaker 2: sleep at nights and you're you know, this air raid 707 00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 2: which is out in the streets goes off and goes off, 708 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:10,560 Speaker 2: goes off, of course it's gonna wake you up. It's 709 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:13,040 Speaker 2: become normalized the sense that you know, I talked to 710 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 2: her friends in the morning after an air raid and 711 00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:19,759 Speaker 2: they talk about how their kids sleep in the bathroom specifically. 712 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:21,360 Speaker 2: You know, the bathroom is not gonna have windows on 713 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:23,760 Speaker 2: everything else, so there's up being broken glass or shards 714 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:27,480 Speaker 2: coming through if something explodes outside, or they sleep in 715 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:30,920 Speaker 2: the hallway. There's one friend of mine who works in 716 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:33,959 Speaker 2: television news in Ukraine. Her or she's a single mother. 717 00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:40,400 Speaker 2: The run just a rush raw missile was headed towards 718 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:43,360 Speaker 2: Ky if the air defense fortunately shot it down. The 719 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:46,040 Speaker 2: downside is when you shoot down, when air defense shoots 720 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:49,600 Speaker 2: down a rocket or missile, it's still going to fall somewhere. 721 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:50,200 Speaker 1: Uh. 722 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 2: In that case, I fell in her house and exploded. 723 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:54,600 Speaker 2: She her ten year old son was at home alone. 724 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:57,720 Speaker 2: She was at work. He heard the air raid alert 725 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:00,640 Speaker 2: and went to the basement by himself and fortunately survived. 726 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:03,960 Speaker 2: The house got completely destroyed, her car get destroyed, She's 727 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:07,000 Speaker 2: got nothing left, and she's literally she's living in the 728 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:09,960 Speaker 2: framework of that house now, which they've got a heater. 729 00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:12,360 Speaker 2: They put on some patch parts of the walls. But 730 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:15,759 Speaker 2: she was telling me it's about twelve degree centigrade, which 731 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:19,400 Speaker 2: I guess is probably the low forties mid forties of 732 00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:23,880 Speaker 2: temperature during the day and night, and it's so it's cold, 733 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:25,880 Speaker 2: and she's living there with her son, and she was 734 00:46:25,960 --> 00:46:29,400 Speaker 2: asking me if I could help them, And that's not uncommon. 735 00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:30,960 Speaker 2: I've been plenty of people have had it sort of 736 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:34,759 Speaker 2: her fate and her case. You know, I look at 737 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,400 Speaker 2: it and say, it's incredible, what can be done for you? 738 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,480 Speaker 2: In fact, this the government's broke International insurance is both 739 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:44,279 Speaker 2: the Messing insurance does not cover acts of war. As 740 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:45,960 Speaker 2: it does not cover acts of war, means you're just 741 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:47,799 Speaker 2: out of luck. You know, if your car gets total 742 00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:50,800 Speaker 2: buyed or your house gets burned or blown up, as hersted, 743 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:54,279 Speaker 2: you've just lost your life savings. There's no way everything 744 00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 2: to recover it. Keep in mind, the average salary for 745 00:46:56,680 --> 00:46:59,400 Speaker 2: a worker here such as herself. I don't know exactly 746 00:46:59,440 --> 00:47:01,040 Speaker 2: what you got paid, but I'll guess to me it's 747 00:47:01,040 --> 00:47:03,759 Speaker 2: about seven hundred dollars a month. How will she ever 748 00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:06,839 Speaker 2: be able to fix this damage? It's and she said 749 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:08,359 Speaker 2: it was asked to be twenty thousand to fix her 750 00:47:08,360 --> 00:47:10,880 Speaker 2: house back to what it was. It was an inheritance 751 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,239 Speaker 2: from the Soviet period from her grandparents who had lived there. 752 00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:16,959 Speaker 2: But how was she ever if you mixed one hundred 753 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:18,759 Speaker 2: I was a month to get twenty thousand. She'll never 754 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:21,880 Speaker 2: get'll never And so the reality is that she's going 755 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:25,200 Speaker 2: to live in destitute poverty unless a miracle comes through 756 00:47:25,280 --> 00:47:28,040 Speaker 2: sheets the job outside the country. But this is this 757 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:31,000 Speaker 2: sort of thing happens to people. I mean people Dan 758 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:34,640 Speaker 2: and Dana are struggling. Twenty six percent is the unofficial on. 759 00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:37,680 Speaker 1: The twenty And she's a broadcast journalist. 760 00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:40,920 Speaker 2: She works behind us the camera. She does not work 761 00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:43,239 Speaker 2: behind it. She works behind the camera, not in front 762 00:47:43,239 --> 00:47:47,759 Speaker 2: of the camera. But yes, so she was doing you know, 763 00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:51,400 Speaker 2: different things for programming, but by profession, she was working 764 00:47:51,440 --> 00:47:55,120 Speaker 2: with disabled children and as a psychologist for them. But 765 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:58,400 Speaker 2: there was trying to get a change of professions so 766 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:00,319 Speaker 2: she could be a home more with her son, and 767 00:48:00,360 --> 00:48:03,680 Speaker 2: this is what happens. So she's a good person and 768 00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 2: that's what happens. Then you have the other situations here 769 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:10,560 Speaker 2: in the country. You know, there's six point two million 770 00:48:10,719 --> 00:48:13,640 Speaker 2: Ukrainian women and children who have left the country since 771 00:48:13,640 --> 00:48:17,560 Speaker 2: the war began, primarily in Europe. Poland's the biggest country 772 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:20,080 Speaker 2: they've moved to. We know that there's been a host 773 00:48:20,120 --> 00:48:23,120 Speaker 2: of prompts of them being abducted for sex trafficking all 774 00:48:23,160 --> 00:48:25,240 Speaker 2: over the world. I meant to Turkey, to Middle East, 775 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:30,560 Speaker 2: all over the place, and women, well mostly the younger women, 776 00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:34,160 Speaker 2: girls and children. But we also have you know, the 777 00:48:34,160 --> 00:48:37,520 Speaker 2: people that are lives are destroyed. I mean, they've got 778 00:48:37,600 --> 00:48:41,640 Speaker 2: no future once they've left Ukraine, they have no community, 779 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:43,360 Speaker 2: they don't know what to do. They have been outside 780 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:45,560 Speaker 2: the country before, so they just sort of left to 781 00:48:45,600 --> 00:48:48,480 Speaker 2: their own luck of the wind. But within the country, 782 00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:50,880 Speaker 2: as it say, it's twenty six percent unemployment rate, that's official, 783 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:55,400 Speaker 2: it's presumed to be much higher. It's quite a bit destitution. 784 00:48:56,200 --> 00:48:57,840 Speaker 2: There is not everything that they used to be in 785 00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:02,720 Speaker 2: stores by any means. It's become much harder, uh, including 786 00:49:02,760 --> 00:49:05,920 Speaker 2: things like medical eriods and stuff like that things that 787 00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:09,279 Speaker 2: are more expensive because there's much less demands. Uh. You 788 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:11,359 Speaker 2: see a lot of store fronts that are closed. There 789 00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:13,560 Speaker 2: used to be all open. It was very vibrant, I'm 790 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:15,719 Speaker 2: gonna say, keV. I mean was a lot of fun. 791 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:17,719 Speaker 2: All the cities I've been to in Europe, which is 792 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:20,359 Speaker 2: right number, Uh, this was by far the most fun. 793 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:24,120 Speaker 2: Cub was a great city. And it's just it's it's dying. 794 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:26,680 Speaker 2: And it's simply dying because you. 795 00:49:26,640 --> 00:49:31,000 Speaker 1: Know, is there anyone in the restaurants? Are their restaurants 796 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:34,319 Speaker 1: open or their bars open or there? You know, as 797 00:49:34,360 --> 00:49:38,479 Speaker 1: you pointed out, it was a vibrant, vibrant city place 798 00:49:38,560 --> 00:49:43,080 Speaker 1: I've been to more than more than once. What is there? 799 00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:49,279 Speaker 1: Is there any social activity that's carrying on, any type 800 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:53,279 Speaker 1: of normalcy you know that you would expect in a 801 00:49:53,320 --> 00:49:54,000 Speaker 1: great city. 802 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:57,160 Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, there are there are some restaurants open. 803 00:49:57,880 --> 00:49:59,400 Speaker 2: A lot I've gone out of business, but there are 804 00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:05,600 Speaker 2: some open. There are some you know, cafes open, coffee shops. 805 00:50:05,680 --> 00:50:08,120 Speaker 2: Once again, the quantity is much less than what was before, 806 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:13,600 Speaker 2: but it's it's it's no the nightlife, I mean for execos, 807 00:50:13,719 --> 00:50:16,920 Speaker 2: it's non existent for that matter. You know, there's a 808 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:19,000 Speaker 2: curfew in the country due to the state of war 809 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:22,080 Speaker 2: and the martial law. So it's by midnight people off 810 00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:24,760 Speaker 2: to be home, which is especially here in the capital 811 00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:29,000 Speaker 2: in the eastern parts of country, strictly obeyed. Because I 812 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:33,000 Speaker 2: have a journalistic pass, an ID military d I'm allowed 813 00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:35,000 Speaker 2: to be out. Passes are so I have walked just 814 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,320 Speaker 2: so curiosity to see if it's strictly obeyed. But I 815 00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:39,480 Speaker 2: can assure you it's strictly obayed. There are no cars 816 00:50:39,520 --> 00:50:42,920 Speaker 2: out past midnight until five am, and that's very very 817 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:45,120 Speaker 2: simple reason. I mean, it is one in the early 818 00:50:45,200 --> 00:50:46,759 Speaker 2: days of where there's a lot of seven tours that 819 00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:49,839 Speaker 2: were catching Russians and people assisting the Russians to give 820 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:52,759 Speaker 2: the positions. But at this point, you know, a lot 821 00:50:52,800 --> 00:50:56,279 Speaker 2: of the military reposition of technologies happens tonight. So I 822 00:50:56,280 --> 00:50:58,359 Speaker 2: think it's to try to keep taps on that and 823 00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:01,360 Speaker 2: also try to control I mean, it's you know, I 824 00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:03,759 Speaker 2: don't think most people would, but just the hypothetical. I 825 00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:06,520 Speaker 2: don't think it's necessarily good for the morale that people 826 00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:08,560 Speaker 2: are going to nightclubs in the midst of a war, 827 00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:11,600 Speaker 2: which they're not because they're not open, they're closed. So 828 00:51:11,640 --> 00:51:14,279 Speaker 2: that's not happening. People aren't going out and drinking all night. 829 00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:18,240 Speaker 2: That's not happening. It is much more of a controlled situation. 830 00:51:18,719 --> 00:51:21,960 Speaker 2: But people realize that there's an existential battle of their 831 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:25,160 Speaker 2: country's engage. And when you talk to people, I assure 832 00:51:25,200 --> 00:51:27,799 Speaker 2: you just go and you know, ask them how to 833 00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:29,640 Speaker 2: do it, and ask them, do you know if there's 834 00:51:29,640 --> 00:51:32,200 Speaker 2: anyone in the war, anyone personally who's in the war. 835 00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:35,279 Speaker 2: One percent chance they will tell you about their friends 836 00:51:35,320 --> 00:51:38,279 Speaker 2: and family in the war. More than likely than that, 837 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:40,719 Speaker 2: at this point they will mention who has died or 838 00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:44,000 Speaker 2: been permanently injured in the war. When you rock down 839 00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:46,040 Speaker 2: men sheet the street in the key of this ko kushetik, 840 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:49,960 Speaker 2: one thing you'll notice is and you know, I had 841 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:52,719 Speaker 2: never paid attention to it. A Polish journalist was here 842 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:55,040 Speaker 2: last month and he knowed this when we were walking 843 00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:56,480 Speaker 2: down the street. And I guess, I'm sure, like the 844 00:51:56,480 --> 00:51:59,040 Speaker 2: frog that's in the boiling water, I didn't realize if 845 00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:01,359 Speaker 2: it's something here every day, it's getting worse. If I 846 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:04,440 Speaker 2: didn't notice it is you notice the number of amputees. 847 00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:08,360 Speaker 2: The number of amputees is really staggering. And I just 848 00:52:08,440 --> 00:52:10,239 Speaker 2: never appreciate it because it's just you know, every day 849 00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:12,200 Speaker 2: it's a little bit more. But at this point, yeah, 850 00:52:12,640 --> 00:52:16,000 Speaker 2: you see quite a bit double amputees. Otherwise, you see 851 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:20,080 Speaker 2: people with facial burns, they're they're pounched up, you see 852 00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:23,480 Speaker 2: things with just you know, horrible things have happened people 853 00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:26,200 Speaker 2: in the Horses War. And it's not just soldiers, there's 854 00:52:26,239 --> 00:52:27,840 Speaker 2: plenty of civilians. 855 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:34,359 Speaker 1: Yet the morale of the country remains high. Yeah, it 856 00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:35,879 Speaker 1: is defiant, it. 857 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:38,640 Speaker 2: Remains define because the listeners, to be fair, they themselves 858 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:42,200 Speaker 2: believe what is true that if Putin were to take 859 00:52:42,239 --> 00:52:46,320 Speaker 2: something like Kiev, he will send their children off to Russia. 860 00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:50,480 Speaker 2: The younger girls will become the prostitutes of the Russian soldiers. 861 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:55,080 Speaker 2: They will be tortured, that men will go the forced 862 00:52:55,280 --> 00:52:57,919 Speaker 2: than to fight against western Ukrainians. As the Russians move 863 00:52:58,000 --> 00:53:01,320 Speaker 2: further west, they will send those men off to become canafather. 864 00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:05,560 Speaker 2: Everything of value here will be robbed or eluded, They 865 00:53:05,560 --> 00:53:08,319 Speaker 2: will destroy anything of cultural value, because this is what 866 00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:12,840 Speaker 2: Russia has done throughout eastern Ukraine. Russia has routinely done this. 867 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:15,160 Speaker 2: This is a genocide or mayor Viar Putin is up 868 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:19,360 Speaker 2: at the International Criminal Court International arrest war for charges 869 00:53:19,440 --> 00:53:24,480 Speaker 2: of trafficking in children. He's up on stealing children and 870 00:53:24,520 --> 00:53:28,439 Speaker 2: deporting them to Russia. This is what the Russia, Matarizi gets. 871 00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:31,200 Speaker 2: This is not just you know, geopolitics, which is an 872 00:53:31,239 --> 00:53:35,000 Speaker 2: important and going to discuss, but this is actual genocide 873 00:53:35,040 --> 00:53:38,200 Speaker 2: taking place. The UN commissions looking to this is called 874 00:53:38,239 --> 00:53:42,200 Speaker 2: the same conclusions. This is terrifying and it's happening today. 875 00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:44,680 Speaker 2: And the fact that people think of this is in 876 00:53:44,800 --> 00:53:47,520 Speaker 2: terms of oh, that's a Biden issuer. You know, that's 877 00:53:47,520 --> 00:53:50,799 Speaker 2: not good for Trump or whatever. People the confines or 878 00:53:50,840 --> 00:53:53,920 Speaker 2: context that they add to it, please ignore it. Just 879 00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:55,600 Speaker 2: look at what's going on in the grounds. I think 880 00:53:55,640 --> 00:53:58,920 Speaker 2: as Americans we should defend freedom and value such as 881 00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:02,560 Speaker 2: our own US who support America, such as the Greens. 882 00:54:02,960 --> 00:54:04,719 Speaker 2: We we should be doing what we can to to 883 00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:08,040 Speaker 2: fight off this new wave of fascism. 884 00:54:08,080 --> 00:54:11,640 Speaker 1: It's a perfect place to leave it. Jason Smart, thank 885 00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:15,280 Speaker 1: you so much. Stay safe, and Keeve, thank. 886 00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:20,360 Speaker 2: You, Steves. I appreciate it. H