podcast
“important today”
stern reporter reports on Putin’s police arbitrariness – there is fear in Moscow
The police recently cracked down on demonstrators in Moscow and other cities
© Dmitri Lovetsky/AP/DPA
Today the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine are meeting in Turkey. star-Foreign reporter Bettina Sengling says what she expects from it. And she describes the arbitrariness and brutality with which the Russian police act against demonstrators.
She found the atmosphere very tense, says star-Foreign reporter Bettina Sengling. She has just returned from Russia, where she has witnessed increasing repression in the country. A new media law has been in force in Russia for almost a week, according to which you can face up to 15 years in prison if you make “wrong” statements about Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which the Russian government believes. For example, when one speaks of “war” instead of a “special operation”. “The freedom of speech and opinion is extremely restricted, which totally affects the mood,” says Bettina Sengling.
© TVNOW / Andreas Friese
Podcast “important today”
Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “today important” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with attitude and sometimes uncomfortable. Host Michel Abdollahi and his team speak out for this star– and RTL reporters with the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, both the quiet and the loud. Anyone who hears “important today” starts the day well informed and can have a well-founded say.
The reporter describes the concerns of the people in the country. Many young men are afraid of being drafted. The sanctions scared many people in the country that there was no more money in the exchange offices. Sengling also reports on demonstrations in Moscow in episode 229 of the podcast “important today”. In Moscow alone there were around 2,000 arrests. “Many are totally arbitrary.”
The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine are meeting today
The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine are meeting in Turkey today. It is very good that the meeting is not taking place in Belarus, says Bettina Sengling. Regarding Russia’s demands, she says that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already signaled that he could envisage a neutral status for Ukraine. However, recognizing the annexed Crimea is not possible for Ukraine, she thinks. There are also concerns about the recognition of Donbass. And Ukraine cannot do without weapons.
The EU’s hotline – the direct line to Brussels
The fate of Ukraine worries people all over the world. The willingness to help is great. Jens Mester also feels that. He is Head of Communications at the EU Commission in Brussels and is in charge of the Europe Direct Contact Center, the European Union’s hotline. The number (00800) 67891011 is the direct line to Brussels, accessible to everyone and in all 24 official languages of the EU. “No matter what, anything can be asked as long as it has to do with the EU,” says Mester in an interview with “Today Important” host Michel Abdollahi. Many people would ask at the moment how they can directly support people in Ukraine. Calls have even come in from India.
“We now have the feeling that the importance of the EU in solving crises is recognised. You can see that things can be solved more easily at European level than at national level. This also strengthens trust in the EU,” says Mester.
“One of the most exciting adventure stories of the early 20th century”
The current episode of “Today Important” is also about a spectacular discovery. Researchers have discovered the wreck of the legendary “Endurance” at a depth of 3008 meters on the bottom of the Southern Ocean. Our knowledge editor Helmut Broeg tells you “one of the most exciting adventure stories of the early 20th century”.
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