And to praise from president soleski, who called at the beginning of the end of the war yet far from winding down rush has been ramping out missile attacks on Critical Energy infrastructure leaving millions of ukrainians without power or question this week after hassan. What are russias strategic goals . Hello, and a very warm welcome to to the point. It is a pleasure to introduce our guests. Maria mckeever is editor in chief of the russian broadcaster aust vest tv based here in germany. Constantine fun. Hammerstein reports on defense and Security Issues for the german news magazine, dish ego. And joining us remotely from bar is my ukrainian colleague roman cancer anchor, who works with t ws ration desk. Great to have all of you with us. Constantine. Lets start with that missile blast that killed 2 people in poland. Poland, of course is a nato member. The consensus seems to be that the incident was not a deliberate attack by russia. Do you share that view and how quickly could this have provoked escalation . If experts had not reached that conclusion . Well, i share with it, but Everybody Knows is that it was in fact a accident. The ukrainian anti or defense, the sale just missed the target and do went down in poland and killed 2 people. But of course it was a very dangerous situation. I mean, just imagine it would have been, am washington tech or a wash and provoked accident them. We had a completely different ball game. I dont think that this would have provoked a article 5 response by nato, but, but of course it has, it would have escalated the situation very seriously. Maria, the deadly explosion occurred as russia has been pounding Critical Infrastructure, energy, water utilities, across the country, including very close to the polish border is put in playing with fire. Basically, she plays with fire from the very beginning, actually from 2014, probably even. Yes. So and i just said, answer you, yes, of course. And also the starting a war with natural country is the last. Thank you once now and, and just have them some conversation with their my moscow friends about it, which is more and more complicated sir, was every day because many people just laughs and who stay there. They have some, i mean, understanding of whats going on and they close a door, probably some advisors of government guys. I mean, so on this a thats probably even he just dreaming about being in 23 or february. Now, just to change his mind and not starting all this war and whether he might change his mind to something we want to pick up on just a little bit later. But let me go now to roman and roman the bombardment of ukraine cities of Power Infrastructure that weve seen just recently was the most massive missile attack since the war began. The u. S. Ambassador to the un is accusing putin, essentially of trying to freeze ukrainians who have no power into submission. That hardly sounds like were seeing the beginning of the end of the war, which is what president zalinski said on his visit to her son. Not at all. So we have to brace ourselves for a loaner war, definitely months ahead, probably years. So russia is basically trying to do 2 things. It is trying to go in and offensive in the east of ukrainian, don barza with it, which is not so successful. It is not successful at all in the south, and it has much more success with such strikes, missile strikes weve seen in the past days. And what is new, maybe is that russia is trying to hate ukrainian guess stations, and its a gas industry because the grain is producing gas as well for its own demand. And this gives us an idea what russia is aiming at. It is aiming at to before winter and winter is very, very cold in ukraine to destroy the ukraine and power structure, the power grid, and the guess energy supplies. And so it is, it has already been taken over a Nuclear Power plant in as a preacher. It is, it could try to take control of other power plants, Nuclear Power plants in ukraine, and by hitting the Critical Infrastructure infrastructure of course rushes, trying to so to say, bomb ukraine, back to the negotiating table. The explosion in poland and the garage of attacks on ukrainian infrastructure were occurring just as World Leaders were meeting in bali, half a world away. To the surprise of many, they wound up issuing a joint declaration condemning the russian war on ukraine. Ah, planting trees for the environment and freedom, but the peaceful statement by the g. 20 participants was abruptly drowned out by reports of new Russian Missile attacks in ukraine. And the reactions were suitably sharp. Mamma, when worley is here in volume, she can make for peace. Prudence striking civilian targets. Children, i mean just so more than mine, my words are your barbaric orders to receive the orders. At our summit, everyone talked about how to end the russian war. Even the russian delegate made comments on the subject, and then nearly 100. 00 Russian Missiles hit you crane burning down residential buildings destroying power plants. Again, hundreds of cities were left with that electricity, water, heat, and internet. Some of the is putins russia finally isolated from the Global Community . And let me put that question straight away to Constantine Constantine this g 20 a statement. At the end of the meeting. That apparently, according to the indonesian host, was reached unanimously. Meaning it would have had some kind of buy in from russian allies, china and india. Do you think it makes a difference . Of course makes a difference because russia is completely isolated to the ukranian president zalinski was talking not about g 20, but to about g. 19, and if you saw the pictures and just love of was sitting there in a t shirt somewhere under palm trees and it showed, i think exactly where washer stands in the diplomatic world thats isolated. Of course, not everybody is really are as a stake in this conflict and u. F. A gun latin american states dont have the same stake as europeans or american surf. But i think the declaration really shows that to us is isolated to him. So its a big blow for, for, for the russian diplomatic efforts, maria constant, he mentioned a lever off the foreign minister of russia sitting under the palm trees. But in fact, he was sitting in the room at the g. 20 meeting when the president lensky gave his virtual speech to the group and lever off, then fired back with a long set of accusations. Are essentially once again declaring russia to be the true victim. In this conflict, would you expect the g 20 statement and this by, in, from china and india to whatever extent its there to actually make a difference for Vladimir Putin in his calculations. Actually, plasma was and didnt come to the 20, not just because he has something more important to do is because he expected such reaction of course. And this is basically nothing so new because the old last month sir, which were counting is so would shows him that hes not freights what hes doing. And hes, hes going to be completely isolated as you and constant in told before. But also im not agree with in a question about india because i just heard last week, i think that was sir. And some governments minister who declared that what is goods and lead to prosperity of our people were going to do. He was talking about gas prices, and this is very generous for engine is now, i mean, fashion, gas. So, and theyre going to continue. So completely let it in one sense. Everybodys disagree was the war itself, but its not about traits, not probably for ins and china, so so small leave, isolated, so you dont want to kill shine and in dont, according real pressure on Vladimir Putin. China, probably, i expect that because say there is moments when it could be some new rachel relations of china and west and if it will be sol. So china, which us was good for, for that country. In that sense probably something will busy friends and roman in fact, Chinese Foreign minister wang ye was one of the very few people to actually meet face to face with sergei. Love rough Chinese Media report that love rough. Uh said that a nuclear war cannot be one. Im quoting here and must never be fought. So coming back to the question of potential escalation of this conflict, what if anything, does that tell us about russias intentions . Well, it is important of course that the mold leaders of the g send sort of 20 summit. I said that there should be no nuclear flights, no nuclear war in ukraine as well. So and the danger was there because there was russian rhetoric threatening, new grand with Nuclear Weapons, especially very harsh rhetoric by the former president , mit mit, mit video, and maybe some others in so ice i would say that after the summit, maybe this danger is not over but it is, it has diminished. An important is that in the declaration, and there was a condemnation of the war, there was the war itself. The word war was in the declaration. In russia, it is still called special military operation. And if youre, if you remember in the year 2014, in the summer during the summer in australia, there was only mentioning of geopolitical tensions. So no mentioned in your view. Cray, no mention of any kind of war. And that was already after the annexation of crimea, and after the war in don boss in the east, and you can actually started. So coming back to the question, if russia isolated, it is not as isolated as some might hope for in the west coaches like ro, china and india, and also turkey very ambivalent and this remains so. So where basically where we were in march when the General Assembly adopted that resolution condemning this war about a 140 countries, a cuts a tin roman says he thinks that the threat of potential Nuclear Escalation might be slightly less in part due to the declaration id like to know your take on that in us a strategically speaking with this war, looking less winnable for russia. Well talk in a minute about why that might be the case with it looking less winnable. Do you think put him would be more likely to turn to some kind of Nuclear Weapon . I dont think so. I think eve, i mean diplomatically the, the, the, the threat has as diminished. But i think meet only does make any sense to, to use Nuclear Weapons. And theres even the question whether a washing troops would be able to, to use them. Because its very complicated. Me tell you maneuver to do this. They are not trained for this hobby. It would be, it would kill more washing soldiers than ukrainians, and i think its a lot of tockets fifths, of course. But even in you probably below no better home. Our russian talk shows work but, but even in the wash and talk shows as high as i know is the, the weather was torn down and the last couple of days and weeks. I see maria nodding over there. Yes sir. Look, im not 14. Yeah. Im just a born grass and so i dont know what is in it in his head is and the standards are that nukes are the very last dress, you couldnt use anything after that. So this is our greatest hope. So lets talk about what other threats might be on the table. The war looks less winnable for puttin, not least due to his forces withdraw from cason, which was the 1st and only regional capital in ukraine that russia was able to capture and hold strategically. Its a turning point, but in which direction . Ah, residents of harrison, both young and old, are still celebrating the cities liberation. After 8 months of russian occupation, people waved ukrainian flag and embraced their soldiers. Shall mazata lim, us. We have no electricity, no water, no internet, no communications, no heating. But there are no russians either. And thats why were happy were. Shell sleep nice room with the. What did we feel . Ukraine was, is and will be. No one will be able to conquer it. Will crush it. We are united as he never before. The ukrainian president has also visited the liberated city. His surprise visit is a show of strength to russia. Is in the beginning of the day and of the war. Of course, you see i was wrong, gar, maam. We are step by step gamino dollar to all contrary to all the timber of your body. There, there is but the war is not over yet. Despite reports from ukrainian sources that their army has recently recaptured around 100 in any villages in the south. Heavy fighting continues in the east. Was harrison just a flash in the pan in the end along. Maria, how do you interpret proteins decision to approve an orderly withdrawal from house sun as opposed to simply seeking to try to hold it despite on going losses . Do you think it represents a real shift in put in strategy . Oh, i think its, sir, its change in the war, but we will see their circumstances not very fast, and they see that will be probably some months weve been year until the war a somehow will ends unfortunately. But the seal there is a huge slap for him to put him because he declared his song to russian theory. Tory one business is just go force and back with the troops in other countries. Her dory and another thing had to go back from you on your own as he thinks about the territories. So he strategy didnt work out and sold mobilization on all this poor guys who was sent to the front. They couldnt do anything for him. They dont want to fight briskly. And sir ukrainians depends in absolutely heroically. And yeah, this is just results. Roman, the jubilant Ukrainian Forces that we saw in that report clearly of no inclination to take a break after this success. They been continuing to strike deep behind russian 4 lines. Are it in particular along the eastern bank of the genie pro river. Where do you think that things go from here . What do you see as being in store . Well im, i think we should watch a don barza the east of ukraine very closely because this is where the most severe fighting is taking place. And this is where it is important for putting to have a kind of were reading situation. So he wants to, to occupy the whole region of the nascar. He failed in that. So, and this is where we have reports that the troops from house on Russian Troops are being moved to their be moved to the city of baltimore, which is a small, small town actually. But it is on a strategic cross road in between, in north and south of the doings region. And this is where i expect the russians will intensify the fighting. And we have to understand that are those missile strikes weve seen in the last days that russians is continuing. Now they are also a kind of a response to the, to the fact that putting had to give up concern. And there was a lot of frustration in on his supporters. So this is also an opportunity for him to show, look, im hitting your crane so ukraine is in pain. So dont worry, well, well win. This is the message also. Constantine, some nato officers including the head of the u. S. Joint chiefs of staff. General milly have suggested that a winter lull in fighting would be a good moment for ukraine and russia to sit down at the table and try to negotiate. Kiev says that a stalemate would simply allow russia to consolidate its gains, whose ray the ukrainians . Because when they have momentum at the moment its, it was the, the house on retreat by the witness was a very significant militant military blow to the russian army. Good was completely different from the ukrainian victory am hark if they, if they were very fast, the rushes were surprised. They didnt have their strongest forces there. But in the house one they had this one was forced elite troops and they, theyve edison so, so it was really a significant loss for the russians, the momentum as on the ukrainian side. And what put in once he wants to have a pause because he wants to rebuild his army and he needs to we both his army and if, if the ukrainians pressure on her, he will have problems too too. We concede, we or we built his army, and in fact maria, he needs to rebuild because at least according to the same us general, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, the casualties on both sides have been 100000. Each very serious casualties are so, of course, for the russian side, how long can brush sustain those kind of law says not just in terms of the military picture, but also of course, politically. Do you see any indication in russia of a genuine willingness to look for a negotiated settlement . This is very interesting question, but it couldnt be a short answer. Actually bigger sir. Propaganda works really brilliantly. I mean, in bed sense because people receiving coffins with by this of their dearest ones and they dont unto anything. And they do not ask questions, or they are very angry and say, ukraine, what youve done to my son. Weve seen this video is like about one woman who is crying in their boss and says she was shouting this exactly words not potent, what you tend to my son, if you great answer. People mostly just tried to survive this, her stamps, and did not think about the war at all in russia. I understand this is very hard to believe and to understand and to receive for me is to receive it. This is really hard, but s and ascended people just leave their life and trying not to think about putting decided something. And it doesnt matter for me here. Soon rationalist is on ukrainian, so well just strive to get some money and get through this difficult terms. Vetted like people are to speak about it. Yeah, roman. Let me ask you about a resolve in ukraine as we mentioned, millions of ukrainians facing massive powder power outages. Emerging evidence that the russians occupiers in her son applied torture to civilians and evidence that many, many or ukrainian children has been separated from their families. Does all of that add up to a likelihood that we will see ukrainian resolve strengthened or exhausted . While there is no no indication of ukrainian resilience diminishing so it is still, it is remaining on a very high level. And although how those hardships, although, so missile strikes, adjuster make, make ukrainian population even more resilient and saying we are ready to be to leave, or just the, as the landscape portrait or some a few months ago. Um, in his speech, he said we already addressing russians. I think he said, we will leave without light without electricity, without supplies. But without you. And i think this is the spirit of ukraine at the moment. Konstantin, the German Military economists, marcus k up said this that it would just immediately after the her son or withdrawal, that in fact rush is already lost the war but that he believ