The Interview

In an extraordinary show of dissent, journalist Marina Ovsyannikova held up an anti-war poster on Russian state television on Monday before being arrested, fined and later released by authorities. In an interview with FRANCE 24, she spoke out against Russian state "propaganda" and called for an end to the "fratricidal" war in Ukraine.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), spoke to FRANCE 24 about the serious concerns regarding the safety of Ukraine’s 15 nuclear plants following Russia’s invasion. Grossi said he has had constructive talks with the warring sides, who both agree that “something needs to be done” to safeguard the safety of the plants, but that the IAEA is still working on an agreement to ensure that the risk “of a nuclear accident is completely excluded”.

The Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, spoke to FRANCE 24 from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital now surrounded by Russian forces. The brothers called on the West to support Ukraine in any way possible, whether it be through stronger sanctions against the Russians or by sending military equipment. For them, the war in Ukraine goes beyond the country's borders: they say they are fighting to protect Europe, and to protect its democratic values.

The war in Ukraine has provoked a massive humanitarian and economic crisis. The International Monetary Fund approved $1.4 billion in emergency aid for Kyiv this week and says it's ready to help neighbouring countries that request further assistance. The IMF's First Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath, spoke to FRANCE 24's Kate Moody about the need for financing, the impact on regional and emerging economies and how the global economy might change.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna confirmed an attack from Russian forces on a children's hospital in the city of Mariupol, saying "there is no doubt this has been a targeted attack". She also warned that Russia had shut off the Chernobyl nuclear plant and claimed that this was part of a series of reckless actions that increase the threat of a nuclear accident.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, former US national security adviser and retired lieutenant general Herbert Raymond McMaster said that Ukraine can win the war with Russia, remarking that President Vladimir Putin had already lost the conflict in a sense by not winning outright.

Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets granted an interview to FRANCE 24. Her country is one of the five EU member states that border Russia. Liimets explained why Estonia strongly supports Ukraine’s bid to join the EU. She also warned that "we have to be very cautious" in talks with Russia, adding that "we have to be prepared for long-term instability in Europe" as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that the success of negotiations depends on Russia approaching them with good faith without dictating ultimatums. He spoke with France 24's Marc Perelman about the situation in the cities of Mariupol and Odessa, the negotiations that will take place on Monday and what Ukraine expects from Europe.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that in reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO had "significantly increased" its forces in the east "to send a very clear message to Moscow that we are there to defend and protect all allies". Stoltenberg reaffirmed that NATO supported Ukraine's right to "self-defence", while stressing that "we are not part of the conflict by deploying NATO troops on the ground or NATO planes in the air". He added that Russia's warning to Finland and Sweden of "serious military consequences" if the two countries tried to join or draw closer to the Alliance was "totally unacceptable".

In an interview with FRANCE 24, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as "absolutely irresponsible" and called the Russian invasion of Ukraine an "absolutely senseless war". Sefcovic also welcomed Ukraine's bid for EU membership, saying that Ukrainians are "dying for European values […] we want them in".