BACK STORY WITH DANA LEWIS

Send us Fan Mail On This Back Story the gains made by Ukrainians in the east are nothing short of astounding. Even Russia TV commentators are reeling in disbelief and anger, and blaming the Russian army for embarrassing losses. U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (Ret) predicts very soon Ukraine will attack the Crimea. And from Moscow Christian Science correspondent Fred Weir says Russia will build back...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story is a new revolution in the making in Iran?  It's just over 40 years since the Shah of Iran was over thrown, and it became an Islamic republic, but now people are back in the streets calling for the end of the religious regime. Violent demonstrations were sparked by the murder of a 22yr old woman arrested and beaten to death by the so-called 'morality p...

Send us Fan Mail On Back Story this week Dana Lewis interviews former Russia Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who says Putin IS bluffing and his regime is in its final chapter. And, NYTimes reporter Peter Baker and his new book on Trump, The Divider. It's all  about American democracy in decline. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story a new season of international news coverage.   We begin with the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth.  Dana Lewis talks to British commentator Jo Phillips.  And from Canada ,Prof. Nicolas Kenny/ Simon Fraser Univ. on the future of the Commonwealth. Plus the incredible counter offensive in Ukraine, we go to Kyiv and speak to Paul Niland. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story w Dana Lewis,   British P.M. Boris Johnson is being forced to step down.  Liberal Democrat Candidate and writer Edward Lucas on Johnson's turmoil and what went wrong. And from Kyiv, commentator Paul Niland on Ukraine's future and the war with Russia. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story the incredible tales of rescue's in Ukraine from the head of project Dynamo, Bryan Stern, an American Vet now saving lives in a war zone. And the Int. Crisis Group's Olga Oliker, on the remote chances for talks to end the war in Ukraine. And how there are indications of escalation before one side or both are ready for a pause in the war. Support the sh...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story Russia has threatened Lithuania for its decision to stop sanctioned goods crossing from Russia to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Host Dana Lewis talks to fmr. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius who says Russia has to be confronted. And foreign fighters in Ukraine - British and American volunteers to the Ukraine army captured by Russian forces cou...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story the Institute for the Study of War's Nataliya Bugayova, talks to host Dana Lewis on the critical timing at stake in Ukraine. A tiring, and largely spent Russian force colliding with an ever stronger and better equipped Ukrainian army.   Ukraine will not cede territory to Putin's war machine, but it needs to counter attack and take back lands soon. And...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story Host Dana Lewis talks to an expert on defense strategy, Malcolm Davis from Australia's Strategic Policy Institute, on how long this war could last and what would victory look like for Putin? And on gun violence in America, former NYPD Lt. and criminal expert Darrin Porcher who says it has to be time to reduce guns in America, even for pro gun lobbyists.   S...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story - you've heard a lot about the land war in Ukraine, but soon there may be international efforts to break the Russian Black Sea Naval blockade. The World's food supply may count on it.  Russia is holding back commercial vessels that need to set sail for Asia and Africa with Ukraines massive harvest of grain.  Host Dana Lewis talks to Sir Lawrence David...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story host Dana Lewis talks to Soufan's Colin Clarke, on why this shooting in Buffalo happened. Guns and hatred in America. Nicolas Tenzer at the Centre for European Policy Analysis on why talk of a ceasefire in Ukraine now would be a critical error playing into Putin's hands.  And Finland and Swedens bid to join NATO - Henri Vanhanen explains why Finland wa...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story Sir. Mark Lyall Grant, the former National Security Advisor for Britain, says Ukraine may be forced to settle for a Russian seizure of the larger Donbas region, as the war looks set to drag on.   But it will be a long term conflict, not easily solved. And William Alberque is Director of Strategy, Technology, and Arms Control at the International Institute for St...

Send us Fan Mail On this edition of Back Story the sinking of the Russian Warship Moskva, and was it really hit by Ukrainian cruise missiles?   Host Dana Lewis asks naval expert, former British Rear Admiral John Gower  -who thinks it likely was sunk in an attack. And no planting, no crops, no food.  The war in Ukraine will create huge aftershocks for the world food supply says David McNair of the...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story can badly battered Russian forces regroup and take eastern Ukraine? We talk to (Ret) Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander U.S. Army Europe who says Putin is looking to claim the east of Ukraine but is unlikely to do so, and Ukraine won't now easily accept a cease fire because of warcrimes. And there are many frightening parallels between Syria and what...

Send us Fan Mail One month since the war was launched, without provocation ,on Ukraine by Russia, there is talk of peace, or at least a ceasefire.  But there are huge gaps in how the two sides see this being resolved and the fighting is ongoing.  On this Back Story Dana Lewis talks with the Int. Crisis Group Olga Oliker who says the two sides don't yet appear ready for a deal.  And (Ret) Brig...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story Dana Lewis talks to the Soufan Group's Colin Clarke who says Putins failed war in Ukraine will relegate Russia to a third World fringe power. Writer and resident of Kyiv Paul Niland on life under siege in Ukraine and the will to fight on.  And former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov on the economic pain in Russia and the need to replace President Put...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story the frightening and growing threat of an attack on Ukraine by Russia using chemical or biological weapons.  Dana Lewis interviews former U.S. Assist. Sec. of Defense Andy Weber, who says Russian leader Putin has reconstituted and concealed his illegal chemical/biological warfare programs and has shown he is ready to use these banned weapons.  And Former British....

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story Dana Lewis talks to Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former U.S. army Europe who says he's frustrated with those who say more can't be done to stop the destruction and killing in Ukraine.  There is more to be done by the West. And we speak to Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk who fled Kyiv to Western Ukraine on the effects of the war and the future. Support the s...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story can Ukraine hold on? It's a genocidal claim by Russian President Putin that Ukraine is not a real country. And Putin the great chess player, has now turned out to be a reckless gambler holding what looks like a losing hand in Ukraine. Host Dana Lewis talks  to Lt. Col Alexander Vindman the former European affairs director at the NSC. Guest U.S. Major Gen. M...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story long time  campaigner for sanctions against Russia Bill Browder who says sanctions will isolate Russia, but we are in for heart break in Ukraine. We talk to Dr. Ben Connable, a retired Marine Corps intelligence officer, a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council,  professor of security studies at Georgetown University. And author of an article for RealC...

Send us Fan Mail On Back Story with Dana Lewis this week, the Crisis in Ukraine is reaching a boiling point, and our guest Ben Hodges, a Lt. Gen. (Ret) who commanded all U.S. Army forces in Europe, says 90% Russia is likely to invade. Journalist Fred Weir talks to Russian public opinion, where the appetite for war is low. In Canada Truckers protests in Ottawa, and at the border, won't go away...

Send us Fan Mail On Back Story the case of Boris Johnson and his parties at 10 Downing St., while the rest of the country was in lockdown and gatherings were against the law.  14 parties are now the subject of a police investigation, and British politicians and journalists say theres never been a Prime Minister like this. The calls to resign are headline news and the scandal won't go away. Ho...

Send us Fan Mail On this Back Story  host Dana Lewis who spent 12 years in Russia as a Western TV Correspondent speaks to Ambassador John Bolton, who served as the National Security Advisor to the Trump Admin. and was the U.S. Ambassador to the UN. And former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who worked for President Putin and who thinks Putin is bluffing on Ukraine, and needs to be confron...

Send us Fan Mail On this weeks Back Story a reality check on Covid and the notion the pandemic is ending or the variants are guaranteed to get milder. Dana Lewis speaks to his two favourite experts, Epidemiologists Deepti Gurdasani in Britain, and Eric Feigl-Ding out of Washington.  Both will tell you Omicron is not less severe in many ways, it's endangering children and even causing deaths i...

Send us Fan Mail On this BACK STORY we hear from the foremost experts on Russia, and what should its leader Putin get from the West in talks to avert war? We talk to Olga Oliker of the International Crisis Group who says talking is better than fighting, and theres a lot to discuss. Brett Bruen of the Global Situation Room talks of getting tougher with Putin and fighting lies with hard truths, incl...