Perspective

Vladimir Putin insists Russia's invasion of Ukraine is going "exactly as planned." But as the war now stretches into its second week, some military analysts say otherwise. Russian casualties are likely much higher than the Kremlin expected, and Moscow's troops have thus far failed to make major advances in the east and on the capital Kyiv. General Dominique Trinquand, the former head of France's military mission to the UN, joined us for Perspective to share his insights.

The cultural world has reacted swiftly to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Artists and performers have been cancelling shows in Russia, while cultural institutions are under growing pressure to cut ties with Russian oligarchs. The country will also no longer be represented at major international events, including the Eurovision Song Contest. We're joined by Ukrainian artist Nikita Kravtsov, who's also one of the organisers of "Support Ukraine" in France. He denounced a "genocide" in his country and called for the West to implement a no-fly zone over Ukrainian skies.

As he began his annual State of the Union address, US President Joe Biden asked lawmakers to stand and salute ordinary Ukrainians amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden also warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin that dictators have to pay a price for their aggression. We spoke to Martin Quencez, a research fellow and deputy director of the Paris office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He told us how Biden's speech was still very much addressed to a US audience, eight months ahead of the US midterm elections.

Africa has a very young population, but many young people don't see a clear path to leading a successful, independent life. This leads to a "ticking time bomb" of mental health problems, according to our guest. Tom Osborn is the co-founder and executive director of the Shamiri Institute in Kenya. He told us how he's helping young people and how his early life growing up in a poor rural area of the country inspired him to take this inspirational path.

Ukraine's former ambassador to France and the US has spoken to FRANCE 24 from his home in Kyiv to say the people there are not frightened, despite having to take refuge in bomb shelters from Russian artillery and rockets. Oleh Shamshur told us he is proud of his fellow countrymen and the way people have resisted Vladimir Putin's invasion. He said people are "very resilient" and are "ready to fight to the very last possibility". Asked about the peace talks taking place between Ukraine and Russia this Monday, the former diplomat said he had "very low expectations".

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a border? It may be the infamous border wall in the United States, the barbed wire fencing used in several European countries, or simple border posts with armed guards - all used to keep migrants out. The vast majority of the world's borders are actually relatively nondescript, often even beautiful. That's what photographer Valerio Vincenzo reveals in his photography book borderline. He joined Erin Ogunkeye on Perspective.

During his first year in office, former president Donald Trump banned most transgender Americans from joining the US military. Shortly after taking office, his predecessor Joe Biden reversed the policy, prohibiting discrimination against transgender troops. On that very same day, Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram came out publicly as transgender while in a command position. She is now one of the highest ranking, openly transgender officers in the US military. She joined us on Perspective.

In this edition of Perspective, we discuss a recent discovery that challenges long-held beliefs about human evolution. Researchers in France have uncovered a child's tooth and stone tools dating back some 54,000 years. The find, in a cave in the Rhône valley, suggests that modern humans arrived in Europe from Africa about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. It also appears to indicate that they didn't immediately wipe out Neanderthals and that the two species may have co-existed for some time. For more, we speak to Professor Chris Stringer, anthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London and co-director of the Pathways to Ancient Britain project.

In this edition of Perspective, we take a closer look at the so-called Freedom Convoys, which have spread from Canada to New Zealand to Europe. Our guest is Ciaran O'Connor, an analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. He specialises in the use of open-source research to track and monitor disinformation and online extremism. "At home [in Canada] and abroad, there's been widespread support across the right-wing extremist spectrum for the Convoy," he told FRANCE 24.

The border dispute between Russia and Ukraine is a real civilisation border – a story of a way of life between more European or Soviet-style living. That's the view of Klaus Dodds, a geopolitics expert who has analysed and compared borders across the world for his new book. "The New Border Wars: The Conflicts That Will Define Our Future" looks at the similarities and differences between a series of borders such as the US and Mexico, Ireland and Northern Ireland, and even planet Earth and space. The author joined us for Perspective.