Click on a word or part of a phrase to learn more.
Scroll through the captions and click 
to skip to a caption.
Play video to start
What what's your assessment of the
What
what's
your
assessment
of
the
balance of forces now there?
balance
of
forces
now
there
>> Well, there's no doubt about it. The
>>
Well
there's
no
doubt
about
it
The
Ukrainians are struggling. Um the
Ukrainians
are
struggling
Um
the
Russians are piling in men uh irrespective
Russians
are
piling
in
men
uh
irrespective
of their losses and this is always one
of
their
losses
and
this
is
always
one
of the terrifying things about Russia.
of
the
terrifying
things
about
Russia
You know, they treat their own soldiers
You
know
they
treat
their
own
soldiers
as badly as they treat their enemy
as
badly
as
they
treat
their
enemy
almost. And um the casualty rate uh is
almost
And
um
the
casualty
rate
uh
is
is horrific, but they can still go on
is
horrific
but
they
can
still
go
on
doing it. The Ukrainians are running out
doing
it
The
Ukrainians
are
running
out
of people there. There's no doubt about
of
people
there
There's
no
doubt
about
it.
it
>> How long do you think they can hold out?
>>
How
long
do
you
think
they
can
hold
out
>> Well, most people are only talking about
>>
Well
most
people
are
only
talking
about
to the spring. Um, I would certainly
to
the
spring
Um
I
would
certainly
hope it'd be longer because what we are
hope
it'd
be
longer
because
what
we
are
certainly seeing is that Putin has no
certainly
seeing
is
that
Putin
has
no
intention whatsoever of really making
intention
whatsoever
of
really
making
peace. And we are in an extraordinary
peace
And
we
are
in
an
extraordinary
position here. We are seeing peace
position
here
We
are
seeing
peace
negotiations not carried out by
negotiations
not
carried
out
by
diplomats or statesmen, but being
diplomats
or
statesmen
but
being
carried out by businessmen. Kir,
carried
out
by
businessmen
Kir
>> this is
>>
this
is
>> Mr. Mr. Putin's envoy Witkoff
>>
Mr
Mr
Putin's
envoy
Witkoff
>> and Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Um,
>>
and
Steve
Witkoff
and
Jared
Kushner
Um
and I mean what are they doing? Are they
and
I
mean
what
are
they
doing
Are
they
dividing up the spoils of war or of
dividing
up
the
spoils
of
war
or
of
basically thug diplomacy? Um, it's not a
basically
thug
diplomacy
Um
it's
not
a
question of looking for a just peace at
question
of
looking
for
a
just
peace
at
all. So from that point of view, one
all
So
from
that
point
of
view
one
sees the terrible fate of Ukraine as
sees
the
terrible
fate
of
Ukraine
as
almost having to fight on even when it
almost
having
to
fight
on
even
when
it
knows it may be losing. So they know
knows
it
may
be
losing
So
they
know
what a Russian occupation consists of
what
a
Russian
occupation
consists
of
and the sheer cruelty and horror uh of
and
the
sheer
cruelty
and
horror
uh
of
what's happened in the areas which have
what's
happened
in
the
areas
which
have
been taken. Your um books about
been
taken
Your
um
books
about
Stalingrad and your more recent one
Stalingrad
and
your
more
recent
one
about Russia um paint in vivid terms the
about
Russia
um
paint
in
vivid
terms
the
awfulness of the slaughter uh in in war.
awfulness
of
the
slaughter
uh
in
in
war
And I I was thinking um as we were
And
I
I
was
thinking
um
as
we
were
thinking about this this interview uh of
thinking
about
this
this
interview
uh
of
the description that you have in Russia
the
description
that
you
have
in
Russia
in a book in the 2023 book Russia of
in
a
book
in
the
2023
book
Russia
of
the way that um people were lifted on
the
way
that
um
people
were
lifted
on
bayonet. How does that what's going on
bayonet
How
does
that
what's
going
on
now compare with that uh example from
now
compare
with
that
uh
example
from
the first world war? Well, this was much
the
first
world
war
Well
this
was
much
more the Russian civil war, in fact,
more
the
Russian
civil
war
in
fact
where um the ferocity, the savagery was
where
um
the
ferocity
the
savagery
was
definitely conspicuous cruelty. I mean,
definitely
conspicuous
cruelty
I
mean
it was sadism in many ways. People were
it
was
sadism
in
many
ways
People
were
being tortured not for to extract
being
tortured
not
for
to
extract
information, but just purely out of
information
but
just
purely
out
of
anger, bitterness, whatever it may be.
anger
bitterness
whatever
it
may
be
And a lot of this comes off, comes over
And
a
lot
of
this
comes
off
comes
over
from the way, as I was saying, that the
from
the
way
as
I
was
saying
that
the
Russians treat their own people so
Russians
treat
their
own
people
so
badly. It becomes the knock-on theory of
badly
It
becomes
the
knock-on
theory
of
oppression. Because their boys are so
oppression
Because
their
boys
are
so
badly treated, they will then take it
badly
treated
they
will
then
take
it
out on the most vulnerable. And we saw
out
on
the
most
vulnerable
And
we
saw
this in 1945 with the mass rapes carried
this
in
1945
with
the
mass
rapes
carried
out by the Red Army. Um, and you know,
out
by
the
Red
Army
Um
and
you
know
there are great debates amongst
there
are
great
debates
amongst
historians, how far does it go back?
historians
how
far
does
it
go
back
Does it go back to the 13th century and
Does
it
go
back
to
the
13th
century
and
all the rest of it? But there's no doubt
all
the
rest
of
it
But
there's
no
doubt
about it. I mean, Russia does have a
about
it
I
mean
Russia
does
have
a
different attitude to warfare and
different
attitude
to
warfare
and
believes in conspicuous cruelty as a
believes
in
conspicuous
cruelty
as
a
weapon of war. Uh it's it's worth saying
weapon
of
war
Uh
it's
it's
worth
saying
by the way that you were banned in in
by
the
way
that
you
were
banned
in
in
Russia for making exactly this point.
Russia
for
making
exactly
this
point
Are you still banned there?
Are
you
still
banned
there
>> Uh, well I'm liable to five years in
>>
Uh
well
I'm
liable
to
five
years
in
prison. Put it that way. Um Sergey Shoygu
prison
Put
it
that
way
Um
Sergey
Shoygu
brought in this law saying anybody who
brought
in
this
law
saying
anybody
who
insulted the Red Army in the Second
insulted
the
Red
Army
in
the
Second
World War was liable to 5 years in, but
World
War
was
liable
to
5
years
in
but
you know one has no idea.
you
know
one
has
no
idea
>> You, you, you've mentioned the, uh
>>
You
you
you've
mentioned
the
uh
negotiations that's been taking
negotiations
that's
been
taking
place between the Americans and the
place
between
the
Americans
and
the
Russians. What do you think the White
Russians
What
do
you
think
the
White
House is doing? Are they playing a smart
House
is
doing
Are
they
playing
a
smart
game or are they being played by Putin?
game
or
are
they
being
played
by
Putin
>> They're being totally played. I mean,
>>
They're
being
totally
played
I
mean
Putin despises Trump. Um, I mean, as far
Putin
despises
Trump
Um
I
mean
as
far
as he's concerned, he's his useful
as
he's
concerned
he's
his
useful
idiot. It's just like Lenin's, um
idiot
It's
just
like
Lenin's
um
version. And, um, we know this, for
version
And
um
we
know
this
for
example, from the Osaka conference in
example
from
the
Osaka
conference
in
Um, when Putin was starting to
Um
when
Putin
was
starting
to
tease Trump, um, he said to him, "Oh, um
tease
Trump
um
he
said
to
him
Oh
um
Mr. Trump, uh, um, I've done much more for
Mr
Trump
uh
um
I've
done
much
more
for
Israel than people realize." And Trump
Israel
than
people
realize
And
Trump
slammed the table and said, "Nobody's
slammed
the
table
and
said
Nobody's
done as much for Israel as I have." And
done
as
much
for
Israel
as
I
have
And
Putin said, "Oh, President Trump,
Putin
said
Oh
President
Trump
perhaps they should rename their country
perhaps
they
should
rename
their
country
after you." Uh, and Putin, um, sorry,
after
you
Uh
and
Putin
um
sorry
Trump, um, looked at him in astonishment
Trump
um
looked
at
him
in
astonishment
for a moment and then said, "No, I think
for
a
moment
and
then
said
No
I
think
that would be going a bit too far."
that
would
be
going
a
bit
too
far
Well, that was all recorded by Fiona
Well
that
was
all
recorded
by
Fiona
Hill, who was sitting in on the
Hill
who
was
sitting
in
on
the
conversation.
conversation
>> Wow. Um, if the Americans for one
>>
Wow
Um
if
the
Americans
for
one
whatever reason decided essentially to
whatever
reason
decided
essentially
to
walk away or not to provide the kind of
walk
away
or
not
to
provide
the
kind
of
support that they have done, uh, thus far.
support
that
they
have
done
uh
thus
far
Do you think the Europeans could
Do
you
think
the
Europeans
could
effectively fill that void?
effectively
fill
that
void
>> Uh, with difficulty, uh, it depends to what
>>
Uh
with
difficulty
uh
it
depends
to
what
degree Trump is still prepared to sell
degree
Trump
is
still
prepared
to
sell
weapons. I mean, the American and, uh, arms
weapons
I
mean
the
American
and
uh
arms
industry, uh, is so important and the
industry
uh
is
so
important
and
the
Europeans are not quite in a position to
Europeans
are
not
quite
in
a
position
to
catch up rapidly. We're in the worst
catch
up
rapidly
We're
in
the
worst
position of all. I mean, we have no
position
of
all
I
mean
we
have
no
ammunition or virtually no ammunition. I
ammunition
or
virtually
no
ammunition
I
mean the British army, uh, couldn't last
mean
the
British
army
uh
couldn't
last
more than, um, sort of 10 days before
more
than
um
sort
of
10
days
before
running out of, uh, ammunition in a
running
out
of
uh
ammunition
in
a
conflict.
conflict
>> Seriously.
>>
Seriously
>> Yes. Seriously. I mean, we, uh, the the
>>
Yes
Seriously
I
mean
we
uh
the
the
first duty of a government is to provide
first
duty
of
a
government
is
to
provide
the defense of the country. It is their
the
defense
of
the
country
It
is
their
very first priority. But I mean, what
very
first
priority
But
I
mean
what
what do we see? I mean, even in this
what
do
we
see
I
mean
even
in
this
latest budget, uh, you know, money can be
latest
budget
uh
you
know
money
can
be
found from somewhere, uh, to pour into the
found
from
somewhere
uh
to
pour
into
the
bottomless pit of welfare dependency.
bottomless
pit
of
welfare
dependency
But I mean, there isn't, there isn't still
But
I
mean
there
isn't
there
isn't
still
the money yet to replace the ammunition
the
money
yet
to
replace
the
ammunition
and weapons which have been given to
and
weapons
which
have
been
given
to
Ukraine.
Ukraine
Um, if I may come back finally, uh, to
Um
if
I
may
come
back
finally
uh
to
Ukraine, Anthony, um, what realistically
Ukraine
Anthony
um
what
realistically
do you think the best outcome that we
do
you
think
the
best
outcome
that
we
can hope for?
can
hope
for
Well, the best outcome we could hope for
Well
the
best
outcome
we
could
hope
for
is, um, basically, uh,
is
um
basically
uh
enough pressure being put on Russia
enough
pressure
being
put
on
Russia
economically and especially whether it's
economically
and
especially
whether
it's
a conversation of sovereign wealth funds
a
conversation
of
sovereign
wealth
funds
and things like that in Europe which I'm
and
things
like
that
in
Europe
which
I'm
afraid, um, certainly the Belgians are
afraid
um
certainly
the
Belgians
are
frightened about, um, to a very large
frightened
about
um
to
a
very
large
degree. Um, but the only way is somehow
degree
Um
but
the
only
way
is
somehow
to hold back Putin's war machine. But I
to
hold
back
Putin's
war
machine
But
I
mean, the trouble is that his whole, uh,
mean
the
trouble
is
that
his
whole
uh
economy is geared up to a war economy.
economy
is
geared
up
to
a
war
economy
Um, and as history has shown, you know,
Um
and
as
history
has
shown
you
know
once you've geared up your economy to
once
you've
geared
up
your
economy
to
that degree, uh, it's very hard to wind it
that
degree
uh
it's
very
hard
to
wind
it
back. So what will he go for next? I
back
So
what
will
he
go
for
next
I
mean, you know, I was in Norway, uh, and
mean
you
know
I
was
in
Norway
uh
and
they are extremely frightened about the
they
are
extremely
frightened
about
the
or seemingly concerned about what's
or
seemingly
concerned
about
what's
happening in the Baltic states or liable
happening
in
the
Baltic
states
or
liable
to happen there. Uh, what about Moldova?
to
happen
there
Uh
what
about
Moldova
I mean, after Ukraine, where does Putin
I
mean
after
Ukraine
where
does
Putin
go next?
go
next
- Pause
0.5x - Slower
0.75x - Slow
1.0x - Normal
Your daily language practice
Click ?
for definitions and explanations
Click
to restart from the beginning
Click
to skip back to the previous caption
Click
to change the talking speed
Today's Learning Tip
Relax and let the language wash over you - your brain is soaking it all up!
Keep going - you're doing great!
These features are available only to paying subscribers
Slow the playback rate.
Sometimes native speakers talk very quickly. Catch every word by reducing the speed of the video.
Your own teacher.
If you are unsure of any word or phrase then the AI assistant can help you understand.
You might also like these videos
If you enjoy using our custom video player, why not join thousands of subscribers who have signed up to our free weekly lessons?