Unpalatable realities. Bi; unpalatable realities. By Milita Unpalatable realities. E5 military means, unpalatable realities. By military means, ukraine is not able to retake all territories, including the crimea. find able to retake all territories, including the crimea. And 30 ears including the crimea. And 30 years after including the crimea. And 30 years after the including the crimea. And 30 years after the glory including the crimea. And 30 years after the glory days including the crimea. And 30 years after the glory days of| years after the glory days of Nelson Mandelas arrival of power, south africa marks the anniversary of disillusion and Angen Anniversary Of Disillusion and Men Anniversary Of Disillusion and an a er. ,. ,. , anniversary of disillusion and men ,. ,. , anger. The poor disenfranchised lacked majority anger. The poor disenfranchised lacked majority that anger. The poor disenfranchised lacked majority that suffered. Lacked majority that suffered and there would have been Economic Freedom to follow political freedom. Economic freedom to follow political freedom. Hamas and the israeli political freedom. Hamas and the Israeli Government political freedom. Hamas and the Israeli Government are i the Israeli Government are engaged in a complex dual at present with hamas slightly to the surprise of the us and other western countries accepting a considerable number of israels demands for a ceasefire. Israel insists that hamas hasnt gone far enough. Binyamin netanyahu, israels prime minister, has decided to push in to the southern Town Of Rafah greatly against americas wishes. The un warns of serious danger to the civilians who have been forced out of their homes. A great deal of israels strategy in gaza is dictated by internal politics as mr netanyahu tries to keep enough support from his far right associates in government. I asked jeremy bowen, the bbc� S International editor who has had years of Experience Reporting from israel, to explain how the decision by hamas to accept some form of ceasefire has changed things . You can argue that their decision to sign up to a version of a peace deal was an adroit piece of politics because its put the pressure on netanyahu and the pressure is coming at him now from all sides. First of all, inside his own cabinet, the two ultra nationalist, highly religious messianic religious figures who are in their messes. They are people who have said very clearly that rafah offensive needs to be complete as anything else in gaza and israel needs to occupy the city and any kind of deal with hamas they dont like would be a surrender. And if he doesnt do as they want, theyll bring down the government which they could do. On the other side of things in israel, theres Hostage Families who say just israel, theres Hostage Families who sayjust bring our people back. We dont do a deal. Ive spoken to loads of these people and they say things like, if we have to release every palestinian prisoner, release them. Then do what you want in gaza but bring our people back. As well as that, there is israels Western Allies led by the us. And this whole business of supporting israel is starting to hurt biden in an election year. The campuses are ablaze. Hes clearly losing votes in some crucial areas. Clearly losing votes in some crucialareas. He clearly losing votes in some crucial areas. He would like to get this thing over with. The americans would like very much forfirst of all, americans would like very much for first of all, before we can go anywhere with diplomacy, a ceasefire. D0 go anywhere with diplomacy, a ceasefire. ,. , ~ ceasefire. Do you think if he can persuade ceasefire. Do you think if he can persuade netanyahu ceasefire. Do you think if he can persuade netanyahu to | can persuade netanyahu to accept a ceasefire, will that, will that help bidens position . Will that help bidens position . Help bidens position position . Help bidens position. It position . Help bidens position. It will position . Help bidens position. It will help i position. It will help everybody to be honest. First of all, if they do a ceasefire deal, will it last . One imponderable is within israel, there is a widespread assumption, notjustamong assumption, not just among netanyahus assumption, notjustamong netanyahus critics, that he would like to lengthen the war. Why . Because he wants to pull off the moment of reckoning when there will be an inquiry and he will have to bear some responsibility for the policies that he followed not just for weeks but for many years towards gaza and they help create the situation that led to the october 7 attack. Netanyahu october 7 attack. Neta nyahu would october 7 attack. Netanyahu would say the only way to have peaceis would say the only way to have peace is for israel to have security and the only way for israel to have security is for the palestinians to be kept on a very tight rein, not to have independence. Not to have self determination, not to have freedom. They are intractable enemies of the israelis. That looks more or less from his Point Of View and there is the other much more widespread view many countries have which is there is lean one way of getting peace and security for both israelis and palestinians and thats to have the so called 2 state solution, Independent Palestine alongside israel. � , Independent Palestine alongside israel. , � ,. , israel. Thats of course the biden line . Israel. Thats of course the biden line . Biden israel. Thats of course the biden line . Biden has israel. Thats of course the i biden line . Biden has revived this idea biden line . Biden has revived this idea. Biden biden line . Biden has revived this idea. Biden and biden line . Biden has revived this idea. Biden and blinken,| this idea. Biden and blinken, his secretary of state. While all western countries who are allies with israel i think have paid lip service to it, and i have tried to say repeatedly on air that it became a slogan, it was empty, now though since october 7, was empty, now though since october7, i was empty, now though since october 7, i think The Americans are serious about it again. Americans are serious about it aaain. , ~ , again. One of the key elements of this whole again. One of the key elements of this whole war again. One of the key elements of this whole war on of this whole war on netanyahus part was really effectively to destroy hamas root and branch. That clearly hasnt, theyve done a lot of damage to ham, but that hasnt happened, has it . It damage to ham, but that hasnt happened, has it . Happened, has it . It hasnt. The re happened, has it . It hasnt. Thevre doing happened, has it . It hasnt. Theyre doing a happened, has it . It hasnt. Theyre doing a great happened, has it . It hasnt. Theyre doing a great deal l happened, has it . It hasnt. | theyre doing a great deal to destroy gaza. The infrastructure, the buildings, the thing is apart from the fact that its very hard to knock out every last weapon, its also an idea thats very embedded in the palestinian political consciousness, the idea of a sort of religious nationalism. 50 idea of a sort of religious nationalism. Idea of a sort of religious nationalism. ,. , nationalism. So he has failed . State of games nationalism. So he has failed . State of games were nationalism. So he has failed . State of games were as nationalism. So he has failed . I state of games were as follows. Eradicate hamas. They used phrases like wipe them off the face of the earth. They havent done that, clearly. The other one is get the hostages back. And that has not happened. Hostages have come out but that was a result back in the brief truce back in november of negotiation. The position of the Israeli Government has been the Israeli Government has been the only way to get the hostages back is to use force. The one thing he has achieved on the first day he made a speech saying we will take words to this effect, mighty vengeance against these perpetrators. I think you can certainly say thats happened. Gazais certainly say thats happened. Gaza is in ruins. More than 34,000 gaza is in ruins. More than 3a,000 people killed. The majority of whom are civilians women and children. So, yeah, hes got the vengeance, not the other things. Hes got the vengeance, not the otherthings. In hes got the vengeance, not the other things other things. In ukraine, slow but seemingly other things. In ukraine, slow but seemingly relentless but seemingly relentless russian advance grinds on. The aim now seems to be to grab New Territory in the east. A russian Summer Offensive is taking shape. How bitterly ukraine must regret that its Summer Offensive last year wasnt more successful. Woe may soon be hearing a lot more about the donetsk city, which could well block the russians� way to ukraine� s second city, kharkiv. If Vladimir Putin can threaten kharkiv, ukraine� s position will be really bad. Its position will be really bad. It� s the right time to acknowledge to admit delays in the supplies of western weapons. One of the biggest problems for ukraine since the very beginning of the war. I think the Ukrainian Forces and for any big offensive operations in 202a. For any big offensive operations in 2024. For any big Offensive O Erations in 2024. ~ , operations in 2024. The western leaders seen operations in 2024. The western leaders seen now operations in 2024. The western leaders seen now to operations in 2024. The western leaders seen now to be operations in 2024. The western leaders seen now to be quite leaders seen now to be quite open to the idea that ukraine should carry out attacks deep inside russia. Will that change the course of the war . Ukrainian forces, especially Ukrainian Forces, especially ukrainian intelligence, they have already carried out some Military Operations on the russian ground. The question is whether they used or they didn� t use, didn� t deploy the weapons provided by the west in order to be able to continue this war, to resist, it� s really necessary to be able to target Russian Military, first of all military, and critical infrastructure. Russia succeeded in by passing western sanctions. Sanctions that were imposed on its defence industries. So if it� s not possible to stop the production of missiles, which are regularly launched against ukrainian cities, not only the front line, but for the military answers to this problem, is the long range missiles that can be launched against Russian Military production. I against Russian Military production. Against Russian Military production. Against Russian Military roduction. ~. , production. I know youve spent uuite a production. I know youve spent quite a lot production. I know youve spent quite a lot of production. I know youve spent quite a lot of time production. I know youve spent quite a lot of time on production. I know youve spent quite a lot of time on the quite a lot of time on the front line and i know you talked to ordinary soldiers and right up to the commanders. Tell me what� s your own personal opinion about this. Is ukraine losing the war . First thin , ukraine losing the war . First thing. They ukraine losing the war . First thing, they dont ukraine losing the war . First thing, they dont feel ukraine losing the war . First thing, they dont feel that i thing, they don� t feel that ukraine is winning the war now. Its ukraine is winning the war now. It� s not yet about the defeat for them for now. The other thing that is really important is that they all speak about lack of people. There are simply not enough fighters, not enough military on the front line to ukraine, and now trying to boost its conscription but it� s hard. Those who volunteered to serve in the army and defend ukraine, they signed up to the army service at the beginning of the war. At the beginning of the war. At the beginning of the war ukrainian military, they had to handle the queues of people willing to serve in their army. And now they have to handle their emptiness. They have to handle the situation when very few people still feel motivated. And i think there is also a very widespread understanding that by military measures, by military means, ukraine is not able to retake all territories, including the crimea. So other means like diplomatic talks will be needed in the future to restore the territorial integrity of ukraine. Territorial integrity of ukraine. ,. ,. , ukraine. The chinese have now bouuht ukraine. The chinese have now bought this ukraine. The chinese have now bought this entire ukraine. The chinese have now bought this entire mountain. I bought this entire mountain. China� s growing reach around the world extends to several continents. Ifilmed in chinese owned mines in peru, in zambia in Southern Africa, and in Assembly Plants in different parts of asia. In just about every case, the pattern is the same the plant is a little version of china with as much chinese labour as the plant can bring in, and as few links with the country surrounding it as possible. A bbc investigation has found that Chinese Companies now control an estimated third of lithium projects in an area of chile, argentina and bolivia, known as the Lithium Triangle which holds most of the world� s reserves. Lithium is the Chemical Element the world needs in particular for Chemical Element the world needs in particularfor its Mobile Phones. The research was overseen by the editor of the bbc global china unit. We set out looking bbc global china unit. We set out looking for bbc global china unit. We set out looking for open bbc global china unit. We set out looking for open source i out looking for open source data at chinese mines operating all across the world and we found over 60 mines that are designed to extract these minerals. Now what� s more interesting that we found is that we can look over the course of the last 10 years for example and see how china has been making rapid strategic gains in terms of its investments into these projects. That was especially clear in the Lithium Triangle. 10 years ago a Chinese Company made its First Investment in the triangle. Io made its First Investment in the triangle. 10 years on what we can now say is 33 of the lithium in the ground at these projects either already producing or those under construction are now controlled Ljy Construction are now controlled by clinies companies. I construction are now controlled by clinies companies. By clinies companies. I always associate by clinies companies. I always associate lithium by clinies companies. I always associate lithium with by clinies companies. I always associate lithium with mobile | associate lithium with Mobile Phones but there are many, many more ways of using it, aren� t there . More ways of using it, arent there . ~ ,. , , there . Absolutely. These minerals there . Absolutely. These minerals are there . Absolutely. These minerals are critical there . Absolutely. These minerals are critical of. Minerals are critical of slowing down climate change. They� re using Green Technologies like solar panels and electric vehicles. Specifically the Lithium Ion Batteries that are needed for those vehicles. And the un has said if we are to meet net zero targets for 2050, we� ll need to use six times more of these Critical Minerals by 2040 to get there. Critical minerals by 2040 to get there get there. We shouldnt criticise get there. We shouldnt criticise china get there. We shouldnt criticise china for get there. We shouldnt i criticise china for wanting get there. We shouldnt criticise china for wanting to go green. It is something that is in everybody� s interest . Absolutely. I mean, what china has done and what it will say it� s done is it will make Green Technologies more accessible, more cheaply available, more redably available across the global south and creating job creation and Economic Opportunities to the global south countries from which it is investing heavily in. There� s massive global incentive notjust there� s massive global incentive not just from there� s massive global incentive notjust from the global south but from the us, the eu and these western nations are actually themselves waking up to this reality that of how important these minerals are. ~. ,. , ~ are. What do you think chinas basic aim are. What do you think chinas basic aim is . Are. What do you think chinas basic aim is . Do are. What do you think chinas basic aim is . Do you are. What do you think chinas basic aim is . Do you think are. What do you think chinas basic aim is . Do you think it i basic aim is . Do you think it is simply that they want the materials to carry on the things that they produce or do you think there is something western countries would find more sinister about it . Theres a clear geopolitical more sinister about it . Theres a clear geopolitical incentive i a clear geopolitical incentive because