and put like, like there's a basement where people can also take shelter upstairs. the sorting the packing, the distribution continues as this city prepares for the worst child stuff that al jazeera, than the pro ah, it's half past the hour. and these are the top stories russian troops or intensifying their push to take control of keys. a power trip is of also landed around the crane. second law defeated officials like 21 people have been killed in the past stage hall with more from the focus and indeed the focus for the last couple of days has been on harkey is a major city. the 2nd biggest in the country, one and a half 1000000 people. there it is, an ethnic russian city under attack by russian forces. and indeed that attack,

sustained through the night. at 3 am reports, the paratroopers landed in the northern sections of the city, coming under immediate and sustained resistance by ukrainian forces on the ground. heavy fighting on the ground missile strikes, hitting apparently a mis military hospital, also military site and exploding enormous exposure the air of an ammunition dep going up also reports of a university being hit. all of it deepening the misery for civilians inside that city who have already and due to days of indiscriminate rocket. 5 russian forces of claim control of the southern city of her son. but the male says, fighting still going on. several towns along the black sea coast have been taken and your friends capital keeps also bracing for a rush of sold. hundreds of military vehicles are advancing on the city. miss l strikes are intensifying. one of the latest targets was a tv tower. the you in refugee agencies is nearly 850000 people have now fled the

conflict around half or a neighbor in poland. the e u is considering that decision to grant residency rights for displaced ukrainians for up to 3 years. a russian government says it is ready to continue negotiations with ukraine though. later on wednesday, it's not clear if ukrainian officials, i would take part presidency. lensky said on tuesday that russia must stop bombing before any negotiations can take place. there was a 1st round of talks on the berries border with ukraine, which failed to make a breakthrough. and we just heard the international paralympic committee has met to discuss the participation of russian athletes at the winter paralympic games in beijing which begin tomorrow at both russian and bell, russian power athletes will be allowed to compete. but we're being told they will only be competing as neutral competitors that is under the paralympics lack. all right, you're up to date with the headlines inside story is coming up next i,

which is 0. right? now, can you have a military power of its own? the war in ukraine has pushed many countries in the continent to ramp up the defense spending. but is that enough? the counter external threats? this is inside sort. ah hello, welcome to the program i'm has, i'm seeking, rushes, invasion of ukraine has treated 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,

all of schultz russia's actions in the continents marked a turning point in how his country views itself in europe. in a historic shift, he committed to raising germany military spending to 2 percent of its gdp. that's more than a $111000000000.00. shelf also said germany would supply ukraine with lethal weapons, opening the door for many of its allies to do the same. on the military agreement, germany has for years banned, weapons is 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 am very grateful to the federal finance minister for his support on this 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. 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 as quickly taking suit, some comparisons for context. join the last year of the 2nd world war, the united states defense spending was about 40 percent of g d. p. 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 war war. 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 been to in 40 and 60 percent from spent 2 percent in 2020 and 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 davis, specialist on e, reclaim re let a license and head of research for the european expert association in london. andrea, andrea as creek author and senior lecture 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 secor,

thanks so much for joining us. so, maria, if i could start with you, presumably his, 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 hockey. 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 is like for people there. yeah. so the thank you very much for having mer. russia is sheylan harkins, 6 days already. and yesterday and today it was special ed. so yesterday we have seen that the russian grad rocket system used to deliberately and targeted against the residential area in car q. and we have a confirmed to our civilian dads and am on them 2 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 guest infrastructure. what infrastructure that means that the within the expertise that he's bleed creek sex fix, i didn't to brock as he probably what i was thinking about and now he's taking the whole one on the house. milan was just and trying to blockade the see to because people are because of the constant shell and completely locked to where they are. that basement shelter metro. so they, we've been there and been there for the cold day and night. there is shorter just of food supplies for water supplies, medical live,

and it's not possible now to bring it to the city 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 which is 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, under 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 very close to the the,

the sound of the aircraft and the bombard, nurse, or, or other kinds of aircraft very close supply. and they know been and shell in the residential area in. hark, if so that's completely seen in your grant at the ex or can the side against your brain. nancy, 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 russian officials that are responsible for that will be known as a war criminals. and he is craig, how significant a shift is this for germany? 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 all data. where does it stand and found actually very difficult to define it for an insecurity policy, post code or post what we're to,

but obviously was quickly embedded into nato. and then really kind of follow the ne, to leave because it was really the ground 0 of the cold war. but obviously as the, you know, the iron curtain came down and, you know, we have this expansion into eastern europe of the european union. germany 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 in advance. in commercial interest, even the european union has been a means for the industrial complex and germany to advance its interests. but beyond that, in terms of values, in terms of actually do strategic interest, jamie 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 is 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 chance 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 is spending because it has spent money. but it's how it's spending the money. and most importantly, how it defines it. so 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 into 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 comment. so i hope i don't repeat anything he has said. and i also want to just salute maria. i watch 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 hadn't known the sanctions and these actions, this 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 europe, common 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 tiny 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 announcing that they're going to do that now. yes. give out on the back. but that 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 gotten far more than he expected, a 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 jim ping 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 color suit, 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 me strengthened and united europe against him. absolutely, the strategy of russia was aim to all the time and to find vulnerable with just

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 now says that the only means for russia has, are now to threat on throw. there is to use of nuclear weapons because he said yesterday that he's put in nuclear wrap on a system on the high alert. and also this is a question that is discussed in the russian no media media. and that means the only option and the we can now has to threaten 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, the man you made in the field. so 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 was 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 slap on supply in flight. their jets supply in economics and partially come nomic sanctions on the roster. no switzerland which was always a neutral country express sanction. and the last time they did it was against hitler in 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, this, the,

he will lose this game because he has extra all 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, no, i mean it's a rolling moment across european capitals. we've seen definitely 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 are in the cynical anti western cam, particularly anti american, anti they call american imperialist chem, 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 this kind of cynicism as you know, even in germany, 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, germany, also social democrat, is still serving 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. busy is also that is something that

worries me a little bit because i think that 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, and that's the more important question then actually allowing the military to take a more proactive ext air position. i don't see that happening at the moment because i think again, it says 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. and let's not forget those people in the streets in germany, in berlin, in cologne, over the last couple of days, they are protesting against war. that also means against re element 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 it, to teresa then. germany has historically been a verse, has an it's 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 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 war in their living rooms on their television screens. and they can't believe it was happening. so i think that people, as the german free 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 howitzers 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 protest, and i think that this idea of, you know, rushes influence 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 or austrian british leaders who are on rushes payroll, and they have resigned from their positions and 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 willie brown, 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 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, the as the countries of europe, the weight and until the russia will actually in weight. and now we have the war crime here and the humanitarian crisis on the verge of begin. and so what i would also like to say is that why, what could stop russia and what could also make the support and make the unity of the european countries greater? is that actually now the are 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 to work your homes in city oxy guy in region new york argue so. i mean in that is having that in mind. it might lead that the russian officials won't be that. no, i don't want to be in. now i don't want to get into court as walkering and off and that probably they will somehow try to change the food and position on that and influence that this 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 russia,

ukraine and conflict? it's not, it's, it's the russian war against the sovereign state, though that must be put clear. and when every one you know, is on this position and understand that russia will not stop in your brain. russia already has full control over the territory or below was because it is launch in the files and rockets from the territory of bill and balise, the crockett as well. the us today are launched from that and today we have information that bill are we are meant these 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. i'm hoping here in the life of the me we understand the differences, minorities have conscious across the world that you taking out 0 will bring you the news and current affairs. ah, there are serious dorcas days with one man leading the country through pleasant outside as last legitimacy. he needs to step back. how has he retained control through over a decade of war? we examine the global power games of president basha, alyssa,

we believe assad simply carrying out iranian orders. what keeps you awake at night? and the reason that could effect any human thought master of chaos on all jazeera in the early hours of the morning, these palestinian families are being forced to leave their homes and belongings. these are the military sometimes uses this area in the north of the occupied west bank as a training ground explosions like these often break the piece here. i feel for the children they get scared and i tried to calm them down there, but we're scared to. these really are me told them just either that it takes measures to protect civilians during back the sizes. but there's really officers previously said that trainings are used to push palestinians out 48 families once lived in this village called zeek. now, there are only 20 people here, say they have nowhere else to go. so they have to stay out until they're allowed to

return to their home. after midnight, the military drill will continue for 3 days, which means they'll have to go through this again, twice this week. ah . hi there. i can validate how the top stories on al jazeera, russia's military is claiming to have taken control of a major ukrainian port city on the black sea. kershawn is near crimea, which russia annexed and 2014 pictures from verizon. sho, russian forces and tanks unchallenged in the city center. russian forces are reported to have installed checkpoints surrounding the city, where it's just a ripple that is in, in what units of the russian are forces to control of the regional centre of kershawn. the civilian widely.