00:00Alexander, welcome to Europe Today. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
00:05Thank you for invitation.
00:07First, let's just talk about that developing story. We're hearing new reports of a 20-point plan. Do you have any hope in this?
00:15I think that we must focus on two issues. First, whether or not this 20-points plan is able to stop the war.
00:23Not to provide a pause for Putin to retreat, to regroup and to attack again.
00:28And the question is, does this 20-points plan contain the real security guarantees, which make Putin understand that it's impossible for him to destroy and to occupy the whole country and move further to attack next European country.
00:43But he must to stop. And second, whether or not this 20-points plan has human dimension.
00:52And of course, the main sticking point to end the war, Alexander, is of course territory.
00:56Can you just remind our viewers why Ukrainians cannot concede territory?
01:01It's because it's not empty spaces. It's spaces with millions of people who live there.
01:07It's not just a question about territories. It's a question about what we'll be with our neighbours, with our families, with our relatives.
01:14We can't left people alone for torture and death.
01:18Because Russian occupation is not just changing one state flag to another.
01:23Russian occupation means enforce disappearances, torture, rape, denial of your identity, forcible adoption of your own children, filtration camps and mass graves.
01:34And meanwhile, of course, Russians are mobilising Ukrainians from the occupied territories.
01:38And they're forcing them to actually join the Russian army and fight against Ukrainians.
01:42So, Alexander, how can this be stopped? And what more information have you got on this?
01:46Unfortunately, we have no tool to stop it.
01:48As well, we have no tool how to stop the militarisation of children there.
01:52We have 1,600,000 Ukrainian children who live in occupation.
01:57And this militarisation started from the kindergarten.
02:00And Russia is preparing a new generation of Putin's soldiers from these 1,600,000 children,
02:07which means that they will go to fight and to die to any country which Russia sent them to go to fight and to die.
02:14And meanwhile, we've seen Ukraine under pressure to hold fresh elections.
02:18But is that even feasible?
02:21Ukraine don't have a need to be lectured about election.
02:25In 2004, millions of people in Ukraine organised a French Revolution when our electoral right was stolen.
02:32So, we value elections.
02:33The question is, do we have security to organise elections?
02:37This is the main question.
02:39And you have, Alexander, what President Trump really wants.
02:42That's the Nobel Peace Prize.
02:44Do you think he will ever win it?
02:45I wish him success, because it means that he must guarantee and to establish a just and sustainable peace.
02:57And to establish a just and sustainable peace, it's very good.
03:01And meanwhile, this week we saw you travelled to Syria.
03:05Of course, it's marking one week since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
03:08What did you witness there?
03:09And do you think Syria is now a safe place for migrants based here in Europe to now to return?
03:14I was impressed.
03:15I saw a country who suffered for more than 54 years from bloody dictatorship.
03:22The cities in ruins, the horrible torture chambers.
03:27But I also saw a nation which refused to be broken.
03:32And yes, now they have a chance to reconstruct and to reinvent their country.
03:38But it's a process.
03:39They need support.
03:40They need support.
03:41OK, thank you so much, Alexander Matvichuk,
03:44for joining us live this morning on Europe Today.
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