less that i'm not seeing the o producer, it's been suppressed. our country has always followed the principle that sport is beyond politics. but we're constantly drawn into politics because others understand the importance of sport in the lives of russian people, the tokyo olympics and paralympics as well as the beijing wincy games have shown to everyone the despite the precious, the spirits of our athletes will not be broken. ah, it's heavy with us, this is our 0, the headlines, the saw a tv tower, the ukrainian capital keith has been hit by a russian missile strike this footage, captured by witnesses to it. the tower is also used for communications purposes. at least 5 people are reported to have been killed. masses russian troops inch closer to you craves capital. this is how keith just a few moments ago were fighting has intensified ukraine, 2nd largest city coming under some of the most intense bombardment. so far.

president vladimir zalinski says this attack of freedom square in hoc cave is a war crime. residential areas of the city have been under 5 days now. and there are signs the conflict is widening. baylor, russian troops have crossed the border according to ukraine's parliament. these pictures show convoys moving south. the conflict has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis. 660000 refugees have fled ukraine. in the past 6 day, according to the united nationalist, ukraine's leader has called on europe to stand up to russian aggression. the you says it's sending half a $1000000000.00 worth of weapons to support ukraine's army. mrs . it was a lie. we are fighting for our existence for our survival. and this is the main motivation for us. but we are also fighting to be an equal member of europe. and i

think that to day we are showing who we are. the european union is with us, with ukraine. the european union will be stronger without ukraine. it will be lonely. we've proved our strength. we've proved that we're at least the same as you please prove that you're with us. please prove that you're not going to let us go prove that you're really, europeans mode and cranes. foreign minister, 2nd lover of a said without evidence that ukraine is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. diplomat stays to war countering his remarks at a disarmament meeting. at the ear has been told to prepare for millions of refugees from russia's invasion according to the blocks commissioner. for home affairs, i'll be back with an usa here on al jazeera and little over what 25 minutes from now. but right now, but more ukraine coverage, which is inside story. what did you for living? i worked in the gulf industry. what was your pool like that? it was great on my spoke to another strength and helped me with my whole process,

explained the breakdown and from the next day and in close, changed over every single fact onto the green. i mean, how much you saving with $600.00 a year. what did he say to all the other god who haven't tried at a low undergrad switch to archer may say to 3 to 8 double thing. oh, it began with 50000 to switch and saved today. i can europe have a military power of its own? the war in ukraine has pushed many countries in the continent to ramp up their defense pending. but is that enough to counter external threats? this is inside stores. ah hello, welcome to the program i am has am seeking rushes, invasion of ukraine has triggered policy, shifts across europe, among them,

a change in germany's policy on military spending. for more than 30 years, the defense budget has been a low priority for german governments. but in the words of german, chancellor of shots, russia's actions in the continent marked a turning point in how his country views itself in europe. in historic shift, he committed to raising germany's military spending to 2 percent of its g d p. that's more than a $111000000000.00. shots also said germany would supply ukraine with lisa weapons, opening the door for many of its allies to do the same. on the military agreements, germany has for years banned weapons. it's sold to its partners from being transferred into conflict zones. year 11. i know type and we are experiencing a turning point on this means that the world after this is no longer the same as the world before it. in essence, it's a question of whether power can break right. whether we allow potent to turn back the clocks, the time of the great powers of the 19th century,

or whether we have the strength to set limits to warmongers like that. we will set up a special bond to swear funds for this purpose, and i'm very grateful to the federal finance minister for his support on their side . the 2022 federal budget will provide this special fund with a one time sum of 100000000000 euros. and we will use this fund for necessary investments and armament projects. from now on year after year, we will invest more than 2 percent of the gross domestic product in our defense. i know that in times of peace, countries rarely allocate more than 5 percent of gross domestic product or military spending. but when there's a war that rises, this could take suit some comparisons for context. join the last year of the 2nd world war, the united states defense spending was about 40 percent of gdp. in 2020, it was less than 4 percent. the united kingdom's military spending in peacetime,

fluctuates around 2.5 percent at the height of the 2nd law was the u. k. was spending around 53 percent of its g d p. on its military. there is no clear data on how much france spent between 1940 and 45, though it's estimated to have been 2 in 40 and 60 percent. france spent 2 percent in 2020. germany is estimated to spend about 50 percent more than 7 decades ago. 2 years ago. it was 1.5 percent the of morris. i'm joined by i guess in car key. ukraine is maria of dave, a specialist on e, reclaimed with a license and head of research for the european expert association in london, andrea andrea creek author and seen electra at the school of security studies in the defense study department at kings college. and joining us from brussels,

theresa fallon, director at the center for russia, europe, asia studies. theresa is a former member of the advisors group, nato sacker. well, thanks so much for joining us. so maria, if i could start with you presumably has this is welcome news. in key of the germany, the biggest economy in europe is going to ramp up its defense spending. but i want to ask you as well, since you are talking to us from there. at the time of, of us recording this, there have been some large scale attacks on hawk if. hopefully you are, you are safe, but i just want if you could talk to me about what the situation is there and what the atmosphere like for people there. yeah. so the thank you very much for having mer russia. it's sheylan harkins, 6 days already. and yesterday and today it was special ed in. so yesterday we have seen that the russian grad rocket system used to deliberately and

targeted the against the residential area in car q. and we have a confirmed to alpha, seville. and so that's and am on them to children. one of their okay got into the car where their family was at the moment and the car completely burned out. so they were deliberately targets in residential areas and the facilities for, for normal infrastructure like a guess, infrastructure what infrastructure that means that the within the seas is that he's bleed creek sex fix. i didn't to brock as he probably what i was thinking about. and now he's taken the whole one on the house. milan was the just and trying to blockade the theater because people because of the constant shell and completely locked to where they are. that's basements, shelter, metro. so they,

we've been there and spending, therefore the cold day and night. there is water just of food supplies for water supplies, medical live. and it's not possible now to bring it to the seated because of the constant challenge and the day. what's especially striking because at 8 am in the morning russia launch throw kids to the building. so the main administrative build done in a car. we just did it in the central square. and the reach was the symbolic. but place for hark, because it's where they are the flag east and the all the local government is situated there. so the building is now is completely destroyed. the there the latest, the latest reports say that the, the 10 people are buried under the window. what was left to problems, a building and the cell is continuous. i myself had to move to court door

in my crowd because i have heard very close. there was the, the, the sound of the aircraft and the bombard, nurse, or, or other kind of aircraft, very close supply. and they know been and shell in the residential area in harkins . so that's completely seen in ukraine at the end of the fight against your brain. and you both and russia is committed, right, right now the crime and we are really looking for that this case will be, will be followed very quickly. and that the, the russian officials that are responsible for that will be known as a war criminals. and it's craig, how significant a shift is this for germany? for, for now, it's just a narrative, right? i mean, germany has had added very difficult after the cold war to actually define it was

old data. where does it stand? i've found it very difficult to define is phone and security policy, post code or post what were to but always he was quickly embedded into nato and then really kind of followed the need to lead because it was really the ground 0 of the cold war. but we see as the, you know, the iron curtain came down and you know, we have this expansion into eastern europe of the european union. jimmy never really defined what it actually stands for. it's a country that, for the most part, defines its foreign policy by or conducted foreign policy by commercial interest and advancing commercial interests. even the european union has been a means for the industrial complex in germany to advance its interest. but beyond that, in terms of values in terms of actually do strategic interest, jamie. busy hasn't really defined who it actually is, and it has played as a much smaller role in europe and in the security architecture of europe than it, it's actually weight economic weight in, in europe. and now what we see is it is

a new narrative emerging for the 1st time germany thinking about actually the entire policy towards russia has failed. and then i'm trying to rethink that. but for now we, we need to be very careful. yeah, i mean, the german government is a coalition government. the child has made a speech without actually talking to the various parties in the coalition and, and think about what it actually is that germany wants to achieve. so for now, this is if they're fairly hollow, and the problem of germany again, is not about how much money it's spending because it has spent money. but it's how it's spending the money. and most importantly, how it defines itself. what is that is only what does germany stand for? and, you know, that's what a strategy is all about. strategies about 1st and foremost, defining your grand strategic narrative, defining your end and your objectives before you actually then go and developing capability, which is which is something that germany is lacking, obviously as well. theresa fallon is this also the recognition of a new reality in your well,

i just want to say her part of the last because comments. so i hope i don't repeat anything he has said. and i also want to just to lou to maria, i what you on other networks and i'm just amazed that you're bravery in regard to europe. yes. hooton's moves and ukraine has galvanized opinion across europe. germany is the largest country in europe, the most powerful and the fact that they have announced these changes, i think is very, very important. some have seen as a little too little too late. if they had announced the sanctions and these actions this put a could have prevented pollutants calculus for invading ukraine. but we are where we are now. and i think that this is a very key moment. it's the 1st time in the history of the you that they will actually fund weapons. this is a huge watershed moment. and i think that i heard an official yesterday at a conference date that the 1st time in 20 years, he feels proud of your comment. security and defense policy known as c s d p. it.

so that means in 20 years he never felt proud of it until what happened now. so i think that we're seeing a kind of change in europe, which is very important. germany yes, it's good that they've agreed to this, but they agreed back in 2006 to meet 2 percent of their g p 2 and they haven't done it. so announcing that they're going to do that now. yes. give them a pat on the back, but they promised to do this in 2006. and i think that they have fallen into line because they see what is happening in the neighborhood and that they have no other option. so putting has gone far more than he expected, more united europe, more support for nato and germany, which is no longer sitting on the fence. and if we zoom out a bit, this has much larger ramifications for germany's relationship with china. therefore, the rest of europe, because germany is the biggest trade partner china in europe. and they, since a february, 4th, signature of the she agreement, many have seen that as

a non aggression pact. and so we've seen putting move troops from russia's far east after meeting with she jumping in beijing before the olympics, and he's able to move troops towards ukraine. he couldn't do that unless he had agreement from china. and in addition, you know, they both were the same kind of killer soup shirt and tie, they're coordinating far more in space and other areas. and in that agreement, it's a $5000.00 word agreement. china said that they supported russia, moves in regard to nato, that they would also build a pipeline. and also, you know, there is a question mark over china. how will they act? will they really help russia? so the biggest loser in this is probably russia because they will be far more a junior partner to china than they ever dreamed of. maria deva, if putin was trying to weaken and divide nato, he's done the complete opposite. now has an easy, as ne, strengthened in united europe against him. absolutely,

the strategy of russia was aim to all the time and to find vulnerable with this inside europe and tried to use them. and they were pretty successful in some countries doing that. and they use it for that there's information a lot and what he says now, i think he didn't expect to see that europe is now united. and he, he, he now says that the only means for russia has, are now to threat and throw. there is to use of nuclear weapons because he said yesterday that he's put in a nuclear app on a system on the high alert. and also this is a question that is discussed in the russian no media media. and that's the only option and the we can now has to threat them to other because he sees that threat digit is not working. and the nato countries and the alliance and the europe

is more united than ever. and you probably know the president, you made an appeal to you for the ukraine to be part of the european union. and the brought this is of course, will been not weak, but then it means a lot for ukraine now. because what makes our most strong is that we see that we have support from all other countries across the globe and support both like in terms of general support to the people, but also support in by app on supplied in light their jets supply in economics and partially come, not mix functions on the roster. no switzerland was which was always a neutral country express functions with them. and the last time they did what the against hitler during the war 2. so we see now that the, the role fees put in and his regime as

a threat to the whole. and that means that he will be fight that. and my guess is that the, the he will lose the game because he has extra oil and not a lot to put on the table and they're brought just inside rush are, are growing because yeah. ok. if i can tend to andrea now, how, how much public support does, does this policy change? have not just in germany, but throughout to europe. i mean, we sold us protests in berlin the day before. that does, that does seem to be a certain amount of popular support for this, doesn't that? yeah, i mean it's a rolling moment across european capitals. we've seen definitely exp, public expressions of solidarity with ukraine which is, is, is at least some sort of hope that things might turn into the right direction. but we shouldn't be completely fooled. i mean, there is,

there are minority infringe groups with minorities and french groups in europe within the european union that the previous speaker already alluded to that have been quoted by the russians and have kind of taken a pro russian position. and many of those people in the cynical anti western cam, particularly anti american, anti they call american imperialist, can, are still in the camp of russia, and they are not condemning russia. so i think one of the majority, vast majority is very much on the street to support ukraine. ukraine, the russians have really invested for many, many decades. also in germany, into groups on the far left and the far right to kind of take up the russian calls and support to, to, and this kind of cynicism as you know, even in german parliament. and we've seen problems, people within the, the left of the ruling and social democratic party and the left party as well at still taking a very, very strong pro put in standpoint. and obviously most families, schroeder, the former chancellor of germany, also a social democrat, is still serving on,

on russian energy companies, boards. and he's still a very close friend of putin. so there is quite a lot that needs to be done. and i think there is also, that is something that worries me a little bit because i think the left within this current, german government is still not necessarily on board of with that militaristic poster that chance shows took in that speech. and i think a lot of discussion will still have to happen. and also that goes to the general public widely. the general public widely is passive. this is anti militarist. and for them to actually swallow, not just a 100000000000 being spent, but then that. busy and that's the more important question then actually allowing the military to take a more proactive ext chanel position. i don't see that happening at the moment because i think again, it has all the time germany is post world war 2 very much against war against the use of hot power. and it will take some time to for that to actually sink in. and people to mobilize and saying, we want to take more power stuff. and let's not forget those people in the streets,

in germany, in berlin, in cologne. over the last couple of days, there are protesting against war that also means against rearmament against the use of arms. and i think that will be an obstacle in germany. actually ever taking a more proactive position in the, in the likes with the likes of, of france, the u. k. or the united states. or let's put some of that to, to teresa then. germany has historically been averse, hasn't to having a largest, stronger and military. is it the scars of world war 2? and will, as, as andrea suggests, will it take time for german, many in the german public to digest that many analysts have noted the angel merkel, for example, would take advantage when the public opinion had shipped it like this to really drive a new policy. and so that's what it appears to be happening. i mean, well, the proof is in the pudding, but i really think that this has been a galvanizing moment because people are watching

a more in their living rooms on their television screens. and they can't believe it was happening. so i think that people, as the german democrat finance minister said it's an investment in our own freedom that they have to understand that they can no longer be so pacifist, there was a big debate even, you know, as everyone know, they only sent 5000 home it to the poor ukrainians, and that became a beam and a joke. and jimmy felt rather humiliated by that. there were how answers that were built in eastern germany when germany was divided. and because of rules and regulations, you know, had been sent to stone. yes, only had to ask permission from germany and they could send it to ukraine. and they said no, that was kind of an easy no brainer. they could have just let this tony and send it . it had no money had to change hands, nothing. but there was such strong disagreement on that. so i think the, the parameter has moved dramatically in germany and i think the public, we've seen the protests and i think that this idea of, you know, rushes influenced carefully cultivated influence network across europe has crumbled

. we've seen all of these former leaders who are on the boards of russian companies in their articles and in leading newspapers, citing all of these german austrian british leaders who are on rushes payroll, and they have resigned from their positions. and as the engine noted, former german chancellor schroeder has not. so he's kind of a weird outlier, but he's been, you know, eating at the wrong russian truck for quite a long time now. and i think that this has the unintended consequence, you know, sunshine is the best for transparency. and this idea of this under really broad, this idea of germany turning towards the east trading more with russia will make them more peaceful towards them. all of this is just been blown out of the water. so the fact that germany is 55 percent reliant and german and russian energy is

unbelievable. i remember in the eighty's when ronald reagan was born in germany, no more than 25 tops, 30 percent dependence on russian energy. so 50 percent, i don't care if your neighbors, canada, you should diversify. you should not be relying on anyone countries for that amount of energy. so i think there has to be a rethink. and this was also, chancellor schultz announced funding for to emergency l. n g plans. these take a long time to build, but it means that liquefied natural gas plants will be built so that they will diversify their energy. so i think the germany is really taking a massive change when you look at they wouldn't even allow somehow answers and they were only pledging home it. so i think that, yes, it's a bit late, but it's a very promising change. and i think this is all part of the strategic narrative of your they're coming up with their own strategic compass. maria deva, from way you said, do you feel that you should have seen is coming? yes, i think that the ukraine has been given the nato membership in the 2008,

when the ross started the war against the georgia. still now we will be discussed on possibly different issues, you know, and that will not happen. the rush of aggression. so i think that so that was a big mistake and, but we are, as we have already said, where, where we are now and that know before the invasion, actually ukraine asked, well, many times already to put severe sanctions on rational. but you know, as the countries of europe, the weight and until the russia will actually weighed. and now we have the war crime here and the humanitarian crisis on the verge of beginning. and so what i would also like to say is that like, what could stop russia and what could also make the support and make the unity of

the european countries greater? is that actually now a witness? and here the war cries, actually because russia is killing civilians by, by the, by the weapons that restricted that are prohibited because they used the rock your homes in city oxy got in some region new york argue so. i mean in that is having that in mind, it might lead that the russian officials won't be there. no, i don't want to be in. now i don't want to get into court as walkering and, and that probably they will somehow try to change the food and position on that an insulin that and that is why it is really important to now to give as much information to the board as possible. to what actually is going on in your grain? because what jim wants to show he is colon this special military ration was

sometimes a resort in western media. are you great non crisis or russian ukraine and conflict? it's not, it's, it's the russian war against the sovereign state, though that this must be put clear. and when ever one, you know, is on this position and understand that russia will not stop in your brain. russia already have full control over the territory or bill or was because it is launch in the files and rockets from the territory of bill and balise, the crockett as well. the 2 days were launched from there. and today we have information that bill is already on right now or yes. so i wanted to say that now they are really close to the baltic states and to the pool. and so what will be next? you know, we're going to have to leave it there. thanks very much. all 3 of you for talking to us. maria de la, a in a car. andrea creek in london and theresa fallon in brussels. thanks so much for

being on. and so i story and thank he was always for watching. remember, you can see this program again any time by visiting our website. i just really dot com and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash a j inside stored. you can also join the conversation on twitter handle. there is as a inside story for me hasn't. and the whole team here in the life and the we understand the differences, minorities have conscious across the world that you taking out just bringing the news and current affairs. ah, there. and i just either south koreans vote in a presidential election,

but of scandals and controversies overshadowing policies. people in power, as just as investigate the document the program looks at the use and abuse of power may to conduct the biggest military arctic exercise since the cold war with 35000 troops from 20 countries. i'm with antics explores the lessons learned from the global h i v epidemic and how to help fight overnight and to some nation seek to and corona virus restrictions. we bring you the latest updates and developments from around the globe. march on a jessia from international politics to the global pandemic. and everything in between. it did not respect poor people and your are plenty promise to ensure the faith v. a woman. what happened? just the 15th. i pulled back that people actually have more feel. why is the u. k, feel hostile to play in the mid 3 to all of us join me if i take on the live this

man or the misconceptions and debate the contradiction at the time to get up front on al jazeera. ah, this is al jazeera ah, hello, i'm adrian from again. this is louise. i'll live from dough hop coming up in the next 60 minutes. at least 5 people are reported to have been killed off for a russian missile. hit a tv child and cave as moscow's troops edge close, as you cranes capital.