jade is also the author of memory makers, the politics of the past in russia and russia s war. she joins us from oxfordshire. and justin crump is a military veteran and chief executive of risk intelligence firm sibylline. thank you all so much forjoining us. vitaly, i want to start with you first, please. a key question we are getting from viewers here bbc news is, just remind us exactly what is happening in russia right now. well, there is a certain sense of things de escalating and tensions easing in russia. we are seeing reports from various regions in south western russia of restrictions being lifted, particularly restrictions on traffic, the roads being reopened and in rostov, which is the biggest, the main city taken by wagner yesterday, the only thing that reminds local residents of the dramatic events
do not have to die in the last few weeks of this war. fascinating you sa last weeks of this war. fascinating you say last few weeks of this war. fascinating you say last few weeks, weeks of this war. fascinating you say last few weeks, i m weeks of this war. fascinating you say last few weeks, i m actually i say last few weeks, i m actually being told i have run at a time but if you can briefly tell me what you mean by that, it do you think this is the beginning of the end? absolutely i believe that. if the us was doing what the uk was doing, if we were providing the attack in the way the uk provided storm shadow, crimea would already be untenable for russian forces. as it is i think we are looking at the beginning of a potential, i could be wrong obviously, but i think potentially we will see russian troops heading home. . , . . we will see russian troops heading home. ., ., we will see russian troops heading home. . ,. ., ., , , ., home. fascinating, obviously we are watchin:
coast, but, at the same time, there was a separate sort of three year plan for the united nations to encourage greater access for russian fertiliser and grains onto the world markets and it is that area that russia is complaining about, saying not enough has been done. only the ukrainian side of the deal has been upheld. and so that is why they have suggested that potentially there might be what they call obstacles to signing off on the renewal of this grain deal at the end of next week, so that is what today s negotiations are about, to discuss what russia wants, what could be done to make sure that this deal continues because a huge amount is at stake. rhiannon phillips is an expert on the grain talks and is from the intelligence analysis company sibylline. i asked her whether she thought another deal was likely. i think it is definitely important to look back and look at the trajectory of the conflict and whether it is
before the invasion, 81% of lebanon s wheat imports, for example, came from ukraine, with libya getting almost half of its wheat from the country. since the black sea grain initiative was implemented, more than 23 million tonnes of grain has been exported via ukrainian ports, according to the united nations. but now, russia has signalled that it might not allow an extension next week unless more is done to lift curbs on its own agricultural exports. rhiannon phillips, an expert on the grain talks at the intelligence analysis company sibylline, told us it s likely there will be hurdles to overcome. we are seeing russia step up quite the hostile narrative in the weeks ahead the hostile narrative in the weeks ahead of the hostile narrative in the weeks ahead of the potential renewal in the 18th ahead of the potential renewal in the 18th of march. we ve seen demands the 18th of march. we ve seen demands around the exports, etc, but we are demands around the exports, etc, but we are
before the invasion, 81% of lebanon s wheat imports, for example, came from ukraine, with libya getting almost half of its wheat from the country. since the black sea grain initiative was implemented, more than 23 million tonnes of grain has been exported via ukrainian ports, according to the united nations. but now russia has signalled that it might not allow an extension next week, unless more is done to lift curbs on its own agricultural exports. rhiannon phillips, an expert on the grain talks at the intelligence analysis company sibylline, told us it s likely there will be hurdles to overcome. we are seeing russia step up quite the hostile narrative in the weeks ahead of the potential renewal in the 18th of march. we ve seen demands around the exports, etc, but we are seeing quite notable allegations coming from russia saying ukraine is using these black seaports to import water russia claims are nuclear materials. the narrative is ukraine