29/05/2017 100 Days+

Vladimir Putin says the Russians wouldn't have been

so childish as to interfere in the French election.

In the gilded halls of Versailles, the Russian leader

President Macron seems less convinced.

Russia and sputnik at the organs of influence through this campaign and

have treated counter stories about me and my campaign. This doesn't

mean we try to influence the election and would have been

impossible as well. Angela Merkel doubles down

on criticism of Donald Trump - she says it was right not to gloss

over her differences with the US. The President says his son in law

is doing a great job amid reports the 36-year-old is under

investigation over ties to Russia. And on what would have been

John F Kennedy's 100th birthday, we look back on the enduring legacy

of America's 35th President. I'm Katty Kay in Washington,

Christian Fraser is off this week. He's in France but he's not hanging

out with the new French President - that's what Vladimir Putin's

been doing today. The two leaders had

a get-to-know-you And you really have to wonder how

cordial it was given that days before the French election Mr Macron

accused Moscow of At a tense press conference,

Vladimir Putin insisted any implication of Russian

meddling was rubbish. Despite the sweltering weather, this

meeting held a touch of Frost from the start. At the entrance to

France's Versailles Palace, the two leaders greeted each other with

brief handshakes and small grin smiles. Two hours later after their

first meeting, the mood was, if anything, even cooler. France and

Russia have backed different groups in the Syrian conflict. Emmanuel

Macron said that while France did not want to destabilise the Syrian

state they were red lines that must not be crossed. I stress in my

meeting with President Putin are firm rejection there is a clear red

line that exist on our part, the use of chemical weapons by whoever it

may be. The use of chemical weapons will be the object of immediate

retaliation on the part of the French. The two leaders are also

divided over the situation in Ukraine with the Russian president

condemning the sanctions imposed on his country as a result of the

crisis the sanctions against Russia are not helping to find a solution

to Ukraine. We must fight to list these economic restrictions. This is

the only way we can be more free and be able to restore peace in the

region. Mr Putin also denied any interference in France's

presidential race despite accusations by Emmanuel Macron.

TRANSLATION: he banned to Russian agencies covering his campaign,

calling them of propaganda. There is an exhibition on 300 years

of France and Russian ties here was meant to highlight the relationship

between the two countries. more recent events have made this a stiff

and awkward meeting and it showed. Joining us now from London

is Andrew Jack, a journalist with the Financial Times,

who was the paper's Moscow bureau You looked at that press conference.

How tense didn't seem when they got onto involvement in a French

Pretty frosty. We had handshake diplomacy and this time around there

was a little bit more assertiveness than the famous handshake between

Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump but Emmanuel Macron did his best to hold

his ground and draw a number of distinctions on Syria but also the

question of the elections and his justification of the decision to ban

a couple of Russian media outlets. I know after the election there was a

lot of heated rhetoric from Emmanuel Macron's camp. Do Russia and France

need a reset on their relationship? We have to work on some issues like

Ukraine but with so much political mistrust because of interference in

the vote, how much can they actually achieve on other things? This is a

good initiative. Angela Merkel knows Emmanuel Macron very well and those

who stalemate in relations. It needs formal and informal contact so

Emmanuel Macron really took the lead to leap ahead of Putin's meeting at

the T20 and develop a relationship that had got very cold under his

predecessor Francois Hollande including after the bombing of

Syria, the use of chemical weapons and the decision at that point in

October to cancel a previous visit by Vladimir Putin to Paris. I was

struck by something the Russian ambassador to Paris said ahead of

the meeting. He seems to suggest he got Emmanuel Macron would be more

flexible on the issue of Syria. You heard Emmanuel Macron say there were

red lines that chemical weapons and France wouldn't hesitate to

intervene if Syria crossed them will stop what did the Russian ambassador

mean by that? What is President Macron prepared to give on to Russia

on Syria that he wouldn't have done? Both sides are trying to create

opportunities for negotiation and flexibility. The red line seems to

be on chemical weapons. The shock and disgust that even change Donald

Trump's opinions for the current regime but prior to the French

presidential elections, Emmanuel Macron seemed more open to the idea

of new routes towards easing sanctions against Russia for

example. It's not quite clear what his stance is on continuing to

cooperate with Assad or if there is some possibility for discussion to

take place before Assad's departure which previously was being pushed

for. Kristian is off this week, but I'm happy to see our political

analyst is going to be with me for the next four days. Ron, you heard

Andrew Jack talking about President Putin's involvement in the French

election, I imagine coming out of the American election you might have

some questions for the Russian leader. No question about it. Good

afternoon, we're going to have fun this week! There is no doubt

Vladimir Putin has had a strong hand in influencing the election here,

the hacking of the DNC, of Hillary Clinton's campaign manager. The

question for me when I look at this is, where else is likely Putin

trying to destabilise the region in Europe and elsewhere and why? one

area will be looking at is Germany and Angela Merkel I'm sure is

watching that, too. She is fast emerging as a European thorn in

Donald Trump's side. She doubled down today on criticism

of America's President The German Chancellor has dumped

diplomatic niceties since the tense Today she said it was right not to

gloss over differences with the US, which follows her weekend comments

that Europe could no longer TRANSLATION: We Europeans must

really take her feet into our own hands, in friendship with the United

States of course -- our fate, and with the United Kingdom and even

with Russia but we have two now we must fight for our own future on our

own, for her destiny as Europeans and that's what I want to do,

together with you. -- for our destiny.

So, how are Chancellor Merkel's comments going

I'm joined now by William Cohen, former US Defense Secretary under

President Clinton and now a BBC world affairs analyst.

When you listen to what Angela Merkel has said and her take on how

the G-7 meetings went and Donald Trump's trip to Europe, what do you

make of it? How do you compare it to his visit to Saudi Arabia? He was

well received in Saudi Arabia. His trip went quite well throughout the

rest of the travel schedule except when it got to Brussels and there he

made a mistake in my judgment in not reaffirming America's commitment to

article five of the Nato treaty. That was something the Europeans are

anxious to hear because they have had from spokesmen they're

spokesmen, vice president pence during the conference in Munich, but

they were unsure of what the president himself felt. He more or

less reaffirmed their doubts and scepticism during that meeting,

pointing out that they had to pay up there do is and that's not something

anyone would disagree with, but that was not the place to do it, in a

public forum, to focus on what they have not done as opposed to what

they are doing today and what will hopefully do tomorrow so I think he

upset the Europeans and I think that contributed to Angela Merkel's

statement that they had to go out on their own. The only people who could

take any kind of joy in that is President Putin and I'm sure he's

breaking open the vodka as we speak because this is something he has

longed to do, break the transatlantic connection between the

United States and our European friends. You make the point that the

Europeans carry some of the burden of this and should have paid more of

the defence budgets into Nato's coppers. Is it alarmist at this

stage in President Trump's presidency to suggest the post-2nd

World War order, the alliances that we have grown used that that

produced stability on both sides of the continent, are up for review at

the moment? Are we looking at a shake-up of that order? Is to be

determined. -- it is to be determined. It is important for the

US to reaffirm the transatlantic bond and for anyone to suggest that

it's no longer as relevant or needed, the notion that we are a

mess and I -- mercenary military, like its a fee, you pay up and get

protection, that to me is undermining not only European

security but American security. I don't want to see us take the

position of America first and America alone. No one wants to see

America is second, but we can only be first if we have the support of

our allies and to the extent you take any action, see anything that

undermines that link, and you're painting us at greater risk as well

as our allies. I'm sure it's a maximum of American Republicans that

when they're together, they will talk.

I'm very curious, you were one of the erased Republicans during the

Watergate scandal to call for the impeachment of President Nixon. Some

are talking about impeachment and starting the process. Other any

parallels you can drop between what happened in the 70s to what we're

seeing with President Trump and the calls for the Democrats calling for

his impeachment? First, it is premature for anyone to talk about

impeachment. There are certain parallels that have been taken by

this administration and what the Nixon administration did but there

are also closer parallels to the Iran-Contra scandal, which I was

involved in, too. The issue for me in terms of the potential abuse of

process or the covering up of presidential staff activity is of

concern. For example, President Trump has fired three of the top

investigators looking into the Russian connection. Three of his

closest advisers have failed to disclose that they had any

connection, any conferences with the Russians. That would include the

Attorney General, it would include Mr Kushner and also includes General

Flynn, so those three individuals all fields to acknowledge they had

met with Russians -- all of them failed to acknowledge they had met

with Russians. There is nothing wrong with setting up a separate

channel to communicate with the Russians. The problem is, there is

so much doubt hanging over what the Russian influence has been. We know,

our intelligence agencies have certified, they have tried to

influence and attacked our democratic system. We know that. We

should lease acknowledge that from the highest levels including the

president so the question is, what was really being communicated? What

will be trying to do with the Russians that couldn't wait until

after the president was sworn in and why did we have to go to the

Russians and easily -- use their encrypted communication facilities?

Those questions cast a cloud over the administration and its not going

to go away until we have much more forthcoming information. Don't about

impeachment, don't talk about scandal, led the special council do

their work. Thank you very much. The secretary was referring to these

latest reports that Jared Krishna, the son-in-law of the president,

went to the Russians and said could he set up a private communications

channel with Moscow during the transition and that has put the

spotlight again on ties between Russia and the Trump White House so

I guess the question for you is, how serious is this for the president?

We know that Mr Trump releases statement in support of his

son-in-law and said he is total confidence in him, adding that he is

doing a great job for the country. What are you hearing from the White

House about this? And healing is very serious. I spoke to number of

officials and the White House week behind closed doors and will tell

you it is creating a cloud of suspicion over the White House but

they're worried about Mr Kushner's rule. There is a very broad

portfolio in the White House and I've heard he walks in the room and

since he is the master of everything but has never served in Government.

Witnesses knowledge base coming from how to act to navigate these very

tricky waters? I look at the support and it's not good. -- these reports.

After a successful foreign policy trip, they don't need to come home

and deal with these domestic issues, who's doing what with the Russians

and why? As a waitress giving you any explanation as to why Jared

Krishna would want to setup back communications with Moscow other

than the want to avoid being targeted by US intelligence? No one

really wanted to talk about as to why he was trying to have those

channel communications but certainly having worked in the White House for

four years, I can tell you that during the transition, you are

trying to bring the administration up to speed so that on January 20,

you can hit the ground running. What is the need to have those back

channel communications with the Russians that are off the grid,

unless of course maybe you don't want our Government to officially

nor those contacts? There's going to be a lot more questions about that.

It is Memorial Day here in America, a public holiday

President Trump went to Arlington Cemetery to lay

It's his first public event since he got back

Here that this hallowed shrine, we honour the most noble among us, the

men and women who paid the ultimate price for victory and for freedom.

We paid tribute to those brave souls who roared into battle and ran into

hell to face down evil. we wanted to give to the state of

the US military. In Iraq nearly 4,500 US

soldiers have been killed And the number of US military deaths

in Afghanistan stands at over 2,000. And here's a look at how much the US

- and some other countries spent The US committed $611 billion

to military spending in 2016, 15 billion more

than the previous year. China was quite a way

behind the US, but still Then there's a big drop to Russia,

which spent a total of $69 Saudi Arabia spent almost

$64 billion, which was 23 And in 2016 the Uk's military

expenditure was 54 billion dollars. Something we have talked about that

is interesting is the size of America's military budget and the

fact that between us, we almost know no one who serves on it. It's

remarkable. At the head of World War II, 12% of the US population was

serving in the armed forces. Today it is less than half of 1%. So many

people serving our military in America yet so few people it seems

in the circles that I'm moving know who they are. I have a handful from

high school and one from law school and that's it. As we look at the

fallen and look at the people who are willing to give the ultimate

sacrifice, it seems to me that a lot of people here in Washington, DC

don't know who they are, don't know their name and don't understand the

value of the service. That is definitely a disconnect worth

thinking about on this Memorial Day. The British intelligence service,

MI5, is to review the way it deals with information from the public,

in light of warnings ahead of the Manchester suicide bombing

carried out by Salman Abedi. British police released a picture

of Abedi that showed him wheeling a blue suitcase on the day

of the suicide attack last week. This CCTV shows Abedi buying food

and cleaning products just Police are asking the public to come

forward with information about his whereabouts in the four

days before the attack. North Korea has launched

a short-range ballistic missile into the sea inside Japan's

exclusive economic zone. It was the North's third ballistic

missile test in as many weeks. The launch comes in fresh defiance

of tough talk from Donald Trump, who promised last week at the G7

summit that the "big problem" There's just over one week to go

before the UK election and although campaigning

was suspended following There's been quite a lot

of movement in the polls. This is how the BBC poll of polls

looked over the weekend, with the Conservatives trending down

and Labour making gains. And to show you how big this shift

is, this is the latest from YouGov. What's going on? I thought this was

meant to be queried for Theresa May? -- a clear lead. This election is

proving more volatile than many thought it would be there for weeks

ago and at that point, Theresa May had a 20 plus point lead in the

opinion polls but they have tightened, no question about it,

don't perhaps seven or eight points in recent polls. That would still

suggest a Conservative win but not as emphatic as those earlier polls

suggested so perhaps the British electorate is looking again at both

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, and having a think.

It's a strange atmosphere here because this campaign was in full

swing up until that dreadful terror attack in Manchester last Monday.

After that there was a pause for almost a week and I think there is a

big TV debate which I'm covering tonight here, hosted by sky TV,

which will be the first big television debate of this campaign

and potentially could be a bit of a game changer. It's the first time

that these are me and Jeremy Corbyn the Labour leader are going to be

facing questions live on camera from a studio audience. That is was

unpredictable and there just ten days until polling day. They're not

going to debate each other though, just taking questions from

reporters, voters. What responses are you looking for to see a Theresa

May can change what seems to be a slide in the polls for her? Jeremy

Corbyn was desperate for a head-to-head debate with Theresa May

and she was emphatically does not going to happen so this is a

compromise they have come to, they will take it in turns to take

questions from the audience then they will both be killed by an

interviewer. They will both be put on the spot but not at the same time

-- both the grills -- both be grilled by an interviewer. They are

forced to clarify how it might work in the future. There was a dip in

the polls and so Theresa May is certainly going to want to do's

debate to calm things down for her party and get back on the front foot

and return to the subject she's desperate to talk about, the

question of leadership and the main key issue after polling day which is

how Britain takes itself out of the European Union, the Brexit

negotiations. That's the message she will want to be driving home today.

Looking to next week, how much of a game does she have to make to see it

was worth calling the snap election? Good question! I think she probably

needs to add dozens to her majority. Come on, one or two or three? I

think she needs perhaps 40 or 50 two think this was worth the gamble.

When she called it, it looked like she was going to romp home with a

three digit landslide majority. That looks a lot less likely now but this

is a very volatile, peculiar election and a lot can happen in the

last ten days. Then add the debate, thank you very much.

It's 100 years ago today that John F Kennedy was born.

The young and charismatic politician was 46 when his life was cut short

While he only served two years as president,

he is clearly identifiable by just three letters - JFK -

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your

country. I believe that this nation should

commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing

a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.

The present's car is now turning onto Elm Street.

President Kennedy has been assassinated. It is official, the

president is dead. Remembering JFK. Ron, I wanted to

ask you before we go as an American who covers American politics and a

Republican who has served in the White House, the building behind

you, what does JFK mean to you? He means a lot to me. He means so much

when you look at the Civil Rights act of 1964 and a voting rights act

of 1965. If it wasn't for President Kennedy having appointed his brother

Bobby to the Attorney General, no previous administration had phoned

the enforcement ability to bring these important statutes to life --

found the ability. It gives someone like me who dreams of working in

that building behind me, the opportunity to go to law school and

college and achieve the American dream so he means so much to me for

what he was able to do to really free so many people of colour in the

United States at the very volatile time in our history. Thank you very

much. We would say happy birthday Mr President. 100 years since JFK's

birth. You're watching 100

Days+ from BBC News.