Ukraines because that why the United States warrant against any peace initiatives that attempt to bore the truth about how this war began. The message from americans, top diplomat, any attempt to legitimize russias aggression in the name of peace will only make it easier to watch. The next invasion. I bring golf and berlin. This is the day. The war of aggression against ukraine has been a strategic failure. Greatly diminishing russians power its interest and its influence. For years to come or put a name to project strength is revealed weakness. Where he sought to divide his united by putting his failed to achieve his aims. He hasnt given up on hes convinced that he can simply outlast ukraine. Tennis supporters investing in your brain strength is not at the expense of diplomacy. It pays the way for diplomacy. Also coming up, the russian president , Vladimir Putin, is accused of war crimes in ukraine by the International Criminal court. If something were to travel abroad, would he really be arrested . The setup is Design International law is clear on that point. So International Law makes clear the war criminals, those responsible for wars of aggression, wouldnt they be held responsible, unfortunately . Good. So which of our viewers watching on tv as in the United States and to all of you around the world . Welcome. We begin the day with a lasting peace for ukraine, a reminder of what that is supposed to look like. Air strikes against key drone attacks and moscow, and pledges defend fighter jets to ukraine. No one talks much about peace at the moment, and understandably served. After almost 18 months of war, Russian Forces showed no signs of pulling back or backing down and ukraine, armed with western weapons, is about to embark on a counter offensive. Imagining an end to this conflict may be difficult, remembering why and how it began should not. That is the message from americas top diplomat, us secretary of state entity blinking. He says that any attempt at peas cannot and should not be an attempt to justify what russia has done to ukraine. I want you to take a listen to what blinking said earlier today in finland. When you look at president , put his long term strategic gains and objectives, there is no question. Russia is significantly worse off today than it was before its full scale invasion of ukraine, militarily, economically, politically, were putting name to project strength. Hes revealed weakness where he sought to divide. Hes united criminal from claim that had the 2nd Strongest Military in the world. And many believed today. Many c rushes military as the 2nd strongest in ukraine. Its equipment, technology, leadership troops, strategy tactics, and morales, a case study and failure while putting has failed to achieve as things he hasnt given up on, seems. Convinced that he can simply outlast ukraine and his supporters, sending more and more russians to their deaths, inflicting more and more suffering on your brain civilians. He thinks that even if he loses the short game, he can still win the long game. Putting is wrong about this too. That was the us secretary of state there and to the blinking. I wanna bully now the w as terry showed shes in brussels, the she was also listening to the us secretary of state. Today. Jerry is going to see you on this friday evening. Lets talk about location, location, location here, blinking was in helsinki today. Now, not long ago, finland was a neutral country. We had pretty good a reasonable relations with russia. My have things have changed, havent they . Certainly, and as the finish president pointed out, when he announced that finland had changed all of those things dramatically and was deciding to join nato if, if a lot of were putting wants to know why he should look in the mirror. So is feeling would have been content to stay in the non aligned status for the foreseeable future. The Prime Minister sort of modern, at the time, said that she didnt even expect this to come up seriously during her tenure, which of course just ended. So this is something that turned around a 180. 00 degrees with the rushes invasion of ukraine in, in february. So, february, who more than a year ago. And yeah, the fins just changed on a dime. And it was all due to putting in russias invasion of ukraine. Its almost one and a half years old. Now were expecting a ukrainian counter offensive at any moment. This war will most likely get worse before we can ever talk about anything. Getting better with that in mind. What do you think was the point of secretary of state anthony blinking speech today . This is going to be a long answer brands, because as i was listening to this page, i was thinking ok, this part is for the bins. This part is for the russians, so ill go through some of those, those thoughts that i had. Of course 1st he was speaking to the friends and somebody with a very deep knowledge of finish history are very good. Google ability wrote this speech because there are so many parts in it that are particularly special defense talking about the winter war when they beat back russia mostly by themselves after false flag attempts, these really ring div with with fins. And so he definitely was there 1st of all to, to really congratulate the fins on their decisions and, and to warmly welcome them into, into nato. But then of course, the title of the speech rush, a strategic failure in the ukraine, secure future. He was speaking to the russians and the ukrainians. We dont know how Many Russians could could hear this speech because of course the internet is blocked and the media is painted a with as propaganda machines. But hes definitely hoping that president put in got got a feed of this because as you noted that zing or that you played earlier, that it used to be thought that the Russian Military was the 2nd strongest in the world. And now its only the 2nd strongest in ukraine that will be well appreciated in ukraine. I got a big laugh in the room. And you know, hes hoping that thats well heard in the kremlin. But then he was also speaking to europeans. He reminded how much diplomacy the United States and done coming back to europe, back to nato time and time again laying out the intelligence that they had, that believing that russia was going to invade and, and thats to keep the europeans on their side. Because of course, there are, theres some flagging enthusiasm for the war here in europe. But then he was talking to the doubters and that theres a lot of the world that, that still doesnt full full, hardly support ukraine. He pointed out that only 2 thirds of the un had voted in support of these uh, these measures are condemning russia. So theres a 3rd of a 3rd of the world there that still needs to be convinced that this is a, a war that needs to be thoughts, as i mentioned earlier in the program. But did there have been numerous apiece plans or, or p submissions on all, for from china, south africa, the vatican. And you know, with all of these, you can say nice try but no cigar we, we havent gotten anything close to piece. But with that in mind, why didnt you think then that anthony blinking, it seemed so worried in this speech . Well, i think that goes back to that to the last thing. I said that theres still a large part of the world that is not yet in support. Of, of helping ukraine that isnt condemning russia some very big countries like china, a lot of countries in africa believe that its ukraine blocking green instead of russia. And so he, i think that hes concerned that you may not get those countries on the side of ukraine. And then of course, they may be pushing ukraine. Um, also pushing the, those countries arming ukraine to accept, accept some deal that, that really wouldnt bring peace to ukraine. I mean, those, those piece deals have to include a lot of a lot of things that uh, the draft that weve seen havent. And one of those is getting crimea back to ukraine. You cannot to think that its going to be peace for ukraine with, with the territory occupied by russia on ukrainian territory. So i think thats the blinking is worried that the world will see the United States and the european allies as continuing this war. Why when youve got peace deals, you know, potentially on the table. So i think he was speaking to that. Yeah. Its right in the optics um are important even when you know that the optics makes the misleading dw series schultz tonight from brussels. Terry, as always, thank the ukrainian forces, are preparing that long awaited a counter offensive to retake cities in the east of the country from the russians. Not to do this, troops will almost certainly have to fight street by street. And house by house urban warfare imposes some of the greatest risk to soldiers t ws marks. So under has this report, this is one of the most dangerous moments in urban warfare. One wrong move here could be your last one goes inside and then the next the soldiers are fresh from the front line where they faced, chilling and trenches, instead of resting. They prepare for what maybe next municipal will have to go into doing. Yes. Can new hans will have to store every building and there will be collaborators saboteurs, regular troops, private military groups will have to drive them out of houses, not from feels. The thing is probably thats why theyre in this abandoned hotel. Ukrainian troops may only have one chance to take back their towns from the russians. They cant afford to stay you probably know the whole price, very important for us to take the right approach. Maybe if we dont do and we break right to them and then im sorry, we dont have enough people to take risks of the day except that theyre ready to leave. Hundreds behind me or one house is no wonder when we are not ready to leave. A single one. Know when youre at the we have no when you started to the soldiers spend 4 to 5 hours training every day, tactics, shooting, and 1st aid. They know their lives may depend on it. We tightened the turn again as tightly as possible, so that not only a finger, not even a feather can fit in between. Of course you will scream, all kinds of things that it hurts. Let me go. But you absolutely cant loosen it. Most of them will have experienced this already. You already himself was permanently taken out of the fight when he was injured in battle last year. His best friend died next to him through teaching from his experience. Hes trying to help these men survive. This is what they want to avoid. The training officials dont say how many soldiers die for told the number of military graves here at this hockey cemetery has doubled over the last 3 months. Some of the men and women varied here were as young as 20 now this cemetery is already the final resting place for hundreds of ukrainian soldiers from the area. And people here believe that fighting at the front will intensify. So now no matter how that will turn out for you crazy, this will mean more funerals and more graves for soldiers here in this ground. That means more families who will turn to freeze to victor promoting chuck knew many of those hes buried here. The most of the piece of i meant i cannot comfort anyone. There is other sizes because the loss remains with us more a human. Yes, there is a great there. And there is a coffin with heroes luca because there is separation and till the end of our days, when theres nothing to this doing it. But we should know who believes what they did and are doing now. Pulling in there is full of deep meaning. Let me still move on because they repeat the saviors feet, or do they prevent more deluge through their own. Deaf to me of another family says goodbye and 3 others on the ridge died more than 2 months ago in an eastern forest. Today he is finally buried with love with military honors. He wont be the last for ukraine and ukrainians. There doesnt seem to be an alternative. And then put the put them we need victory. Where to put the we dont need peace, even if there is no victory, then there will be no reason. Well, he moved there will be slavery. Defenders fear that more the death itself. And so they prepare for more sacrifice the well my next guest is one of the authorities and what were looking at tonight urban warfare, t is the co author of the book understanding urban warfare. And he was a founding director of the modern more institute at west point in new york. Liam collins is a retired special forces colonel, who served in the us army for nearly 30 years with deployments, including iraq, afghanistan, and bosnia. Colonel, its good to have you with this this friday on the day. I want to talk about urban warfare and it seems to be at the heart of the finding in ukraine. Thats what were hearing. Why do city, why do they play such a central role in vladimir pollutants for i mean, 1st of all, their political centers, right. I mean the, on the initial invasion, his primary objective to his to go to key and take out the once the regime and his dog, a russian bailable regime and, and, and politics the, the governing bodies there in cities. Thats where people are. And so they become strategic targets for prove and for anybody else and worker. We saw in our report there one aspect of urban warfare, this slow, intense, a particularly dangerous form of finding room to room building to building is that the, the central task of finding it in urban setting . I mean, it almost, it, it, it makes you have these memories, are images of full literature. But are we talking about that when were talking about the war in Eastern Ukraine . Yeah, here without a doubt it could, it could be like that. I mean, some, some, some battles you might go to the center of the, you know, do a thunder run to the city as we did in baghdad or in 2003 and, and try to have the enemy come to you. But more often than not, its kind of that city, you know, block by block building by building it is, its very complex and very dangerous. I mean, the 3 d nature, the train, the enemy could be hiding almost anywhere. Theres almost in most places for them to i am ready, made defense is that offer uncover and concealment. And so it is challenging to route them out and it takes very well trained and disciplined soldiers to do that effectively. Lets talk about where things were a little bit more than a year ago. And perhaps the most important urban battle that weve seen so far in this war. And that was ukraines successful defense of the capital key. It was a game changer. Mean the 1st part of this war, why didnt keep . What did they get right. And what did the russians get wrong . Yeah, me. So what, what they got right was they, they established with, with very few number of horses. They only had really one body there cuz they thought the fighting was going to be on the east. But really what they wanted to defend the city at the city limits. Dont let the fight get into the heart of the city where theyre gonna, you know, suffer massive Collateral Damage to, to the key city. And so they werent becky been doing that by flooding the rivers right, destroying many bridges to what it was forced, the russians on just a limited number of routes into the city. And so the much larger than russian force, right at that point of attack, the ukrainians that were much smaller could achieve local superiority, and then just engage them in kill zones, right . Engaged up the front and trail vehicle, russian con boy with anti honor weapons. And then just destroyed the west with artillery because they were trapped the nearest city streets and couldnt go away as a need for any is did that very effectively to keep, keep the russians out of the city. When we talk about these 2 different, and the woods here is the ukranian forces Russian Forces. Do they have fundamentally different approaches into urban warfare . I mean, do we know, i mean, without a doubt, i mean, as, as the russians have demonstrated throughout this works, theyre poorly trained. Theyre poorly led. They dont have the ability at the lower level, they have an individual initiative. And so what we see when they attack cities is they the only option they have is to use brute force. And so really larger killer barrages. And then just infantry going in there and its very expensive. It shows up weapon system. It destroys the, the, the, the, the cities and really it just kills a lot of effort to try to make those advances. And what weve learned throughout the history of oregon warfare, going back to war 2 or even earlier in the end as well as in, in, in the rack is to be effective at taking city and in clearing and urban areas requires combined arms. It takes me armor and infantry working together, engineers clearing obstacles and, and artillery in support of that. And the brains are much better at doing that because you are a well trained force, a well lead force. It has good doctrine, intially been much better and exercise and that combined harvest requirements, city and the russians just cant let me ask you to before weve been on the time you know, the counter offensive that the world has been waiting for. We. We were told that it would be a spring counter offensive. Now, you know, were, were almost in december, the ukraine, the military, they, they have a lot of weapons that they didnt have 6 months ago. The training has been taking place. Whats your prognosis for it . For their performance moving forward once this counter offensive is full blown. Yeah, hes going to be challenging. Um, i dont think were gonna see the, the massive territory or liberation that they did with the fall counter offensive. If only because its going to be harder cuz rushes more densely, their, their, their troops are more, more densely packed. So its hard for them to read about where versus when they were much more sparsely. So its going to be challenged for it for, for the ukrainians, but theyre going to have some success for sure, because russians troops have a train, they just gotten the worst forces that are in there are less train, less capable constructs. And so its, its, its going to play out, but that should be with the ukrainians. Liam collins, co author of understanding urban warfare and retired colonel. We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us on this friday. Thank you. Thank you. Of the International Law is clear about what the world has to do with more criminals. That is the view of germanys for administer. Annalee, the fair bulky, you see behind the hear her remarks. They come after debate about south africas invitation to russian president Vladimir Putin. To attend a bricks summit in johannesburg. This coming august, take a list orange as it optic south africa has already made clear that its a member of the International Criminal course. And this has rushed to fight the room, stop 260. 00 a time. Not makes very clear once more that this russian war of aggression is not just purely a european affair, but thats of the facts. The entire world theyve been stuffed for. The setup is just like International Law is clear on that point. International law makes clear the war criminals, those responsible for wars of aggression. Wouldnt they be held responsible . Unfortunately, its all right, lets take a big story. My next guest is angela. Were the cookie, ace, and by way of human rights lawyer specializing an International Criminal war. She has worked at the International Criminal court. It is good to have you with this. This is a story that is rather explosive. If, whenever you put, if he takes up the, the invitation to attend the break summit in august, south africa. Well then have to decide what to do. What do you think is going to have thats a very good question and your guess is as good as mine because what the law says they should do is that they should have risk present value of food and should he arrive in south africa . But we know from 2015 when former president bush year wasnt south africa, there was an attempt to have him arrested, which is the case i worked on with the organization. I was with at the time and the lowest tier in that case. And in south africa have failed to risk for the no mob a share. So the president , which unfortunately doesnt set a very satisfied picture as far as justice and accountability is concerned. But my hope is that this time they will learn from their mistakes and that they will actually importance with the run of loan. You know, your information. I think our viewers are going to find is very interesting if theres already a president that south africa can build upon that speaks for Vladimir Putin to enjoy full immunity when he goes to, to south africa doesnt well, i dont know if it speaks for him, enjoying full immunity and speaks for south africa failing to uphold the root of law and fulfilled his duty, which is to arrest him. Should you arrive in south africa . So the question whether he actually has an issue or not from where i stand and based on the president from the machine case. Because remember, this case went to the Supreme Court of appeal in south africa, where they ruled that south africa had a duty to arrest them. And the International Criminal court has office had a similar thing in the past with regard to the states and immunity. So there should be no immunity, he should be arrested. So this was a question to solve after doing the right thing. And doesnt that mean it wouldnt . Doesnt have immunity in this instance. So assuming south africa is not going to do the right thing. What does this mean for the legitimacy of the International Criminal court . I think of what were facing here is a situation that could damage, but it just means you have International Criminal court because the court has already been criticized for being inefficient for taking too long with his cases for only going off to a Certain Group and issuing arrest warrants that are never executed is not good for the court, and it speaks to the entire system. The International CriminalJustice System which relies on state corporation is he has no police. The police force of its own. It relies on states to fulfill the arrest warrants and when states not cooperating, the court cannot get people in the dock. And so the whole system i think is in jeopardy yet. If there are risk lines that are not fulfilled, i think its very dangerous. And i think it also stands and unfortunate message, the victims of genocide, what kinds of crimes against humanity, the method should be that nobodys about the law. And thats what the quote is designed to do. But without states population, its very difficult in any this is a message that we would think would be a no brainer for, for, for south africa. Considering its history that mean this would be an opportunity. You could see it as an opportunity for south africa to take a stand for human rights, the rule of law, it carries the flag for all of the african particulars, but were talking about the bricks group for example. But thats, thats not going to happen is, and i hope it will, i hope it will, but its very difficult to stay at this point because were getting conflicting messages from different parts of government in south africa. The latest is that the have, theres an opportunity for, but i mean, putting to participate remotely. Theres been talk about moving assignment to china. Theres been talk about not arresting who should be arrived. So theres just conflicting messages from the authorities. And so its very difficult to predict what will happen, but as i said, i hope Lessons Learned from 2015 when president bashir was there. And that of that for going off not to host the summit, which wouldnt be unusual. By the way, theres precedence for this. In other instances, all of that should that may put in arrive, that they will arrest them. Yeah, i mean, it is definitely going to be one of those events that the whole world is going to be watching south africa to see what it does. That is short. Angela because somebody in human rights lawyer, we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us on this friday. Thank you. Thank you for having me as well. The day is almost done. The conversation is continues online to find us on twitter either at the w news. You can follow me on twitter at brent dot tv. 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