laura: rob watson, thank you for that analysis from britain. for the first time in two years, face to face talks took place between the nato military alliance and russia and brussels. the aim was to ease tensions over the russian buildup of troops in ukraine. russia wants nato to promise it won't expand to make ukraine a member. russia already shares part of its border with nato countries. if ukraine joined it would increase the number of countries on russia's borders. russia denies any involvement in that conflict. the buildup has left many ukrainians feeling anxious. >> the orthodox holidays are always there. for now, the party sits as russian troops sit menacingly to the north. outside the defense ministry every morning, the fallen soldiers are commemorated. each on the anniversary of their death and it might seem a long way away but his left deep scars. there are other memorials. thousands soldiers have died in a war that russia says it is not involved in. victor is here to remember his colleagues killed in fierce battles in the summer of 2

our political correspondent, rob watson, explains why the controversy has resonated in the uk. this isn't about some sort of obscure, hard—to—grasp abstract policy or economics. this is something that everybody can understand. it's this idea that 60 odd million brits were under some pretty severe lockdown restrictions — you could only meet with one other person from outside your family outdoors — and lo and behold, there was a drinks party in the middle of it all in the garden of downing street. so, it's that classic, laura, case of hypocrisy — people feeling, "hang on a minute, there's one rule for us and there's one rule for the people who actually make the rules." if you want to know more about the political consequences for the british prime minister, just go to the bbc news website. there, you'll find more analysis on what kind of support borisjohnson still has from his conservative party. and much more analysis on that. queen elizabeth's son, prince andrew, has failed to get a civil case dismissed in the united states, which accuses him of sexually assaulting a

here�*s our uk political correspondent, rob watson. i guess just two really obvious things to look out for, will the total of 54 letters be reached sometime between now, and the next thing i'm looking out for is when the report comes out by the senior government official into what's been going on with lockdown violations. the prime minister said that would be out next week. those are the two things. do we get to the 54 first or the report? given how febrile the reporting of this was last night, you would think the prime minister and his allies are relatively happy with the point they have reached this evening. absolutely. what you hear from conservative mps, although again, it's incredibly hard to say, is that the momentum has moved slightly more back towards the prime minister surviving. but i go back to my standard position, which is that but the fundamental questions about those gatherings have not gone away, which is why the pressure here in downing street has also gone hello. no frost this morning, but it�*s going to be a differ

rob watson is our uk political correspondent. always good to get you on the programme. what are your thoughts on this was ne evening? like programme. what are your thoughts on this was ne evening?— this was ne evening? like everybody else, i'm this was ne evening? like everybody else. im waiting _ this was ne evening? like everybody else, i'm waiting for— this was ne evening? like everybody else, i'm waiting for this _ this was ne evening? like everybody else, i'm waiting for this report -- i else, i'm waiting for this report —— wednesday evening. the prime minister has made it into such a key moment, and a moment he has to survive. my thoughts from what we've experienced today as anyone who thought the prime minister was somehow going to walk away, absolutely not. borisjohnson is going to fight with any fibre in his body to stay leader of the conservative party. to body to stay leader of the conservative party. body to stay leader of the conservative pa . ., . conservative party. to what degree it is this disrupting _ conservative party. to what degree it is th

we can talk about this with rob watson our political correspondent. i know you like to spend an evening weather here in downing street —— exchanging messages on the state of their political party. haifa exchanging messages on the state of their political party.— their political party. how are they feelin: ? their political party. how are they feeling? not— their political party. how are they feeling? not enjoying _ their political party. how are they feeling? not enjoying the - their political party. how are they feeling? not enjoying the day - feeling? not enjoying the day one bit. i can't go into it too much for a variety of reasons but one was something like how did you make the and one said awful. i said is it survivable and he says maybe. so i've got a couple of messages like that and i've bent over in parliament and it's not a mode of celebration. it's been a very difficult day.— celebration. it's been a very difficult da. �* ., , ., difficult day. but it does not sound like there is _ difficult day. but it does not sound like there

rob watson is live with us from oxford. what are your calculations when you look ahead to the next few days for the prime minister? i was in westminster _ days for the prime minister? i was in westminster but _ days for the prime minister? i was in westminster but i _ days for the prime minister? i was in westminster but i wish - days for the prime minister? i was in westminster but i wish i - days for the prime minister? i was in westminster but i wish i was . in westminster but i wish i was still with you. there are two really obvious things to look out for, will the total of 54 letters be reached sometime between now, and the next thing i look out for is when the report comes out by the senior government official about lockdown violations. the prime minister said that would be out next week. what do we get to first, the 54 letters or the report?— we get to first, the 54 letters or the re ort? , ., , the report? given how febrile the re-uortin the report? given how febrile the reporting of _ the report? given how febril

let�*s speak to rob watson. good to see you. we heard chris mason talking about the local elections but when mps are making their calculations about the partly leaders, presumably they�*re more concerned with general elections. they more concerned about general elections and that is some way off. i think the kind of calculation you have to make a viewer conservative and beas, what is the least worst option at this moment? there�*s a line of argument that you�*ve heard from some conservatives which is borisjohnson is damaging the brand. and each day he�*s in office he damages the brand more and therefore if you are going to them as leader you�*d be better to do it quickly. or do you think that actually things will settle down, the media, politicians, the country will move on i want to discuss other things, evenif on i want to discuss other things, even if he is somewhat damaged you live to fight another day. presumably settling down in the short term is quite a liking given that the police is carrying on investigation.â

that was my hesitation, thank you tojohn watson. more pressure for the prime minister this morning after it was revealed that downing street staff met inside number ten to celebrate his birthday during the first lockdown. it's the latest headache in what has been another difficult week for boris johnson. ros atkins reports. in the last six days, the pressure on borisjohnson has continued to grow. this was on wednesday. you have sat there too long for all the good you have done. in the name of god, go. the former minister, david davis, wanted the prime minister to go. borisjohnson declined. i take full responsibility for everything done in this government and throughout the pandemic. also on wednesday, the conservative mp christian wakeford defected to the labour party. on thursday, a conservative mp who had called for mrjohnson's resignation alleged he'd been threatened by the government. the intimidation of a member of parliament is a serious matter. moreover, the reports of which i'm aware, would seem to constitute blackmail. will