The Interview

FRANCE 24’s Marc Perelman interviewed London Mayor Sadiq Khan from Buenos Aires, where he is chairing the C40 World Mayors Summit. The conference is focused on finding concrete, local solutions for the fight against climate change. The London mayor said he aims to keep alive the 2015 Paris agreement target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5° Celsius.

Joseph Wu, the current foreign affairs minister of Taiwan, was interviewed in Taipei by FRANCE 24’s Cyril Payen. In the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan fears a similar situation as China is determined to claim the island as part of its territory, like it did over a century ago. China’s President Xi Jinping is increasingly menacing and has ordered regular military exercises around the island. Taiwan is wary of a possible invasion from the mainland, and is calling for help.

Speaking to FRANCE 24, Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and women's rights activist exiled in the US, called Iran’s ongoing protest movement "a revolution". Iran is currently seeing unprecedented demonstrations ignited by the death of Masah Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of the morality police after being arrested for improperly wearing her headscarf. Alinejad expressed confidence that, unlike previous failed movements, this one was "the beginning of the end" for the regime.

The Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, runaway inflation and climate change are all fuelling a global food security crisis. Gayle E. Smith is the chief executive officer of the ONE Campaign, an NGO co-founded by the singer Bono. She spoke to FRANCE 24 about fighting extreme poverty in the world, particularly in the Horn of Africa. "There is a great likelihood that Somalia will fall into famine very soon. It's on the horizon and it's not getting the attention it needs," she warned.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court spoke about alleged war crimes in Ukraine with FRANCE 24,  Karim A. A. Khan KC urged Russia to cooperate with the ICC and said "we've got no political agenda". Asked about Russian FM Sergei Lavrov's claim that the ICC is not investigating potential crimes by Ukraine, Khan said he had already made it clear that "all parties in the conflict have clear responsibilities".

In an interview with FRANCE 24 from Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba struck a defiant tone, saying that the planned annexation this Friday by Russia of four Ukrainian regions following so-called referendums changes "nothing" for Ukraine and the world. The top Ukrainian diplomat said that the annexations and the recent partial mobilisation in Russia were a "sign of weakness" of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but added that "many Russians will die simply because Putin can’t recognise that he is losing this war".

In an interview with FRANCE 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said that using nuclear weapons was not the solution regarding the war in Ukraine. Russia has sent nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus, while Belarusian warplanes have been modified to carry nuclear weapons. Makei stressed the need to "sit down at the diplomatic table and find the solution". "We are interested in stopping this conflict as soon as possible," he insisted.

In an interview with FRANCE 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said that his country had concerns about a possible revived nuclear deal between Western powers and Iran, especially over IAEA inspections. However, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said that even a flawed deal was better than no deal. He said that there were still differences with Iran that currently precluded him meeting with his Iranian counterpart, but said "we certainly have the intent to build a positive relationship with our neighbours in Iran".

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum granted an interview to FRANCE 24's Marc Perelman and RFI's Christophe Boisbouvier on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Bazoum expressed concern about the worsening security situation in Mali and the jihadist threat hanging over the Malian town of Ménaka in the wake of France's military withdrawal. He also discussed the case of 46 Ivorian soldiers who are detained in Mali, accused of being mercenaries. Bazoum recalled that Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara had worked hard for the lifting of ECOWAS sanctions against the Malian authorities. "I believe he was betrayed," Bazoum said.

William Ruto, Kenya's new president, granted an interview to FRANCE 24's Marc Perelman on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Ruto warned that the worst drought in 40 years risks causing starvation in the Horn of Africa, adding that "3.1 million people are facing severe drought" in Kenya alone. "This is no longer a country-by-country challenge. This is becoming a multilateral challenge," he insisted, calling on multilateral institutions and lenders for support. Ruto blamed climate change for the drought but stressed that the situation had been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the resulting fall in grain exports to Africa.