interest rates up again. tonight with the context long time capitol hill correspondent, and now washington post live anchor leigh ann caldwell, and tom peck, political sketch writer at the independent. welcome to the programme. initial results for its self styled referendums, in four areas it occupies in ukraine, show people have voted overwhelmingly in favour ofjoining the russian federation. the process has been denounced as a sham by ukraine and its allies, who view the referendums as a stage managed forerunner to russian annexation which the ministry of defence here in the uk says president putin is likely to do within days. nearly four million people from the eastern regions of donetsk and luhansk, and the southern regions of kherson and zaporizhzhia, were asked to attend polling stations there s been allegations of intimidation, as election officials went house to house accompanied by armed guards. the votes serve a deadly serious purpose as they will be used by the
Calamity . Amin salam, in beirut. Welcome to hardtalk. Thank you, thank you, stephen. Always a pleasure. Always a pleasure. Well, its ureat to always a pleasure. Well, its great to have always a pleasure. Well, its great to have you always a pleasure. Well, its great to have you back always a pleasure. Well, its great to have you back on i always a pleasure. Well, itsl great to have you back on the show and if i may, i want to start with some words you said just one week after october 7 thatis, just one week after october 7 that is, after the hamas Attack On Southern Israel and at the very beginning of israels massive military response, you said at that point we do not want to be here in lebanon a Bargaining Chip in a larger geopolitical game. Isnt that precisely what your country has become . , ,. , precisely what your country has become . , ~. , become . Stephen, youve known me for always become . Stephen, youve known me for always my become . Stephen, youve known me for always my