when that believes that may be odessa could be spared, simply because it's good. it's considered the jewel of the black sea. there's a lot of russian investments here. it has been built initially by the russians use the russian empire at the beginning of the 918th century. so there is a very strong link between odessa and russia. but i would also say that since we what we drove in, we just arrived a few hours ago. i do see a very you crew cranium flavors. a lot of ukrainian flags everywhere does not very far from where we're standing. there is as loud speakers with ukranian music, so certainly there is a message coming out of odessa. we've heard also that the love of the people who do support russia, a very angered with what's happening in how to even care if so they are also sort of switching their side's. okay, thank you so much. and i've been hamid reporting from odessa and ukraine. now the

european union has announced more sanctions against russia. they include banning all transactions with a number of state owned enterprises, while brennan has more on what's being targeted. a more stringent sanctions from the european union. i ones which will hit investments specifically in the energy sector. now that's not going to stop energy supplies from russia to europe. we know how dependent the european union and europe is on russian energy exports. but the new sanctions that have been imposed or will be imposed when the, when a properly published in the european union gazette later today include a ban on investments in the russian energy sector. a ban on luxury goods export to russia. so that means anything costing more than 300 euros will be banned from the luxury good sector into russia. and i know from personal experience of being in moscow how,

how much russian all the golf like the blame. so there's going to be some pain attached to not being able to drive round in the latest sports cars. and there's going to be a ban on the imports of steel products from russia as well. and that could hit russia to the point to about $3600000000.00 worth of dollars worth of products, according to the european commission. so yet more sanctions, which are going to have a very serious economic impact. the u. k prime minister boris johnson is holding a summit where the leader is of nordic unbolted countries. these talks are focusing on efforts to boost military support to ukraine, and also how to reduce energy dependence on russia. the ukrainian president viola demur, zalinski, addressed the leaders virtually, and he called for more action to help stop the war. thanks for watching al jazeera inside story is coming up next by to how do you define a successful 1st year in charge of a counseling?

we bring you the stories and developments that are rapidly changing the world we're living. what do you think's been driving to home tennessee not counting the cost on al jazeera. ah, could china help in the rushes invasion of ukraine? beijing up here, split between supporting its close ally moscow and condemning the war. so what are the options for chinese leaders? this is inside story. ah hello and welcome to the program i'm. i'm a jim jim. china is one of russia's closest allies and trading partners. tense relations with the us in europe have pushed the neighbors even closer in recent years. but may jing has come under international pressure to condemn the invasion

of ukraine, which goes against its own stated principle of protecting sovereignty and non interference. while russia's finance minister has suggested china could help lessen the impact of western economic sanctions. a 3rd of moscow, $640000000000.00 in foreign reserves, is held in the chinese currency you on the us national security advisor made this warning just before meeting china's top foreign policy advisor in italy. we have made it clear to not just beijing, but every country in the world dead, if they think that they can basically bail russia out, they can give russia a workaround to the sanctions that we've imposed. they should have another think coming because we will ensure that neither china, nor any one else can compensate russia for these losses. u. s. media, se moscow has asked beijing for military help and ukraine. china's foreign ministry denied this, calling the accusation. disinformation. dingy may yvonne's i recently the u. s. has

been spreading this information against china in regards to ukraine. time off to time with sinister intentions. china's position on ukraine is consistent and clear . and we have always played a constructive role in persuading peace and promoting talks. or bring in our guests in a moment. first, let's take a closer look at the ties between china and russia. the 2 neighbors share a border that's more than 4000 kilometers long. their economy is compliment one another with energy and raw materials going to china. and industrial products heading to russia, both are united in their rivalry with the u. s. and their leaders often speak of their countries, historical greatness. president, she's in ping and vladimir putin declared a strategic partnership. last month, they signed a so called no limits agreement where they pledged to support each other. no matter what. ah. all right, let's go and bring in our guess in beijing and the mom senior research fellow at

the center for china and globalization and russel's theresa fallon, director of the center for russia, europe, asia studies, and in alexandria, virginia. hi, no clink. a former us deputy assistant secretary of defense for east asia, a one welcome to you all, and thanks for joining us today on inside story teresa, let me start with you today. could china actually help in russia's invasion of ukraine? is this something that's within the realm of possibility? well, after all, today is day 19. we haven't seen china actually condemn russia's invasion of ukraine at all. so i think that there as high representative, joseph of the european union, had reached out and said, said that china was the only country that could possibly do some mediation. but i haven't seen too many moves on china's part. but of course, i wouldn't want to diplomatic and to this disaster, but i think that what's more telling is what happened on february 4th with the

joint agreement that was signed by putin. and she just in the run up to the olympics, which declared the relationship as you know beyond the limits. so some alice has seen this as a top ribbon trop, non aggression pact. shortly after that hootin was able to move his troops from russia's far east to ukraine, so he couldn't have done that without a support of china. so china is walking a tightrope in all of this. it has economic interest with west big markets in europe and the u. s. but at the same time, it has its arrangement with russia, so they are trying to speak out of both sides of their mouth. you could say, and you heard theresa there, talk about this tight rope the china is having to walk right now. it does appear that beijing is split between supporting moscow and condemning the war. what are the options right now for chinese leaders? well, i think china has been very clear on this, and i think traces engaging and a little bit of fallacious thinking of nice relations argumentation here in that,

i think china absolutely has called for a peaceful resolution to the situation. ukraine condemning russia would be choosing the side and i think what the situation really. ready leads as why we, i believe, has a multiple times is really cool restraint not to exacerbate situation. we need to recognize to that. certainly, china, like russia, like many other countries around the world, face a very challenging situation in dealing with a violent and really gets a frantic sociopathic country. if we were to just describe the u. s. as a person, wife gets a frantic, is that because it's fundamentally unreliable, we don't know every 4 years. there could be $180.00 degree policy shift, which makes it very, very difficult. the violent part of it, of course,

we've seen from iraq to afghanistan in recent years, really causing incalculable damage and human cavities around the world. so it's really a difficult situation. i think china is playing a, a positive role. ready as our president wally roach in the new york times today that really there can be a diplomatic off ramp and i think china can play a positive andy just to follow up to very quickly because i was going to ask you about that off at in new york times that's from your colleague at the center for china and globalization. when it comes to this idea of an off ramp with china's help, is this feasible? and is this a rule that try and chinese leadership really wants to play right now? i think that's a very, very good question in that this is a very, very delicate difficult situation. i think for all countries involved. i think the big challenge here is the quote unquote west,

but certainly the u. s. has repeatedly, i think, not recognize the legitimacy of russia's security concerns. and that this really is exacerbated the situation. and, you know, it seems that the u. s. certainly is willing to fight russia down to the last ukranian and in this very volatile situation. i think every country can play a role in china as a major power. a certainly is called for a peaceful solution. theresa, i can see that you want to respond and i'm going to give you that chance. let me just go to high know and ask him as well. i know what does the us expect from china right now? the united states as well as the rest of the world, and certainly the members of the united nations expect china to play a productive role. and, and when i say that, you know,

it reflects very clearly on china, it's leadership. and the regime led by the ccp and how about it in the us, in that state. if the chinese want to actually be a major power on the world stage and want to be what we used to refer to the bush administration are responsible stakeholder. china certainly needs to step up to the plate. and remember, russia invaded a nother united nations member, a sovereign country, a country by the way, that china has a very good relationship with a country that when b r i back in 2017, i'm not mistaken. and we see the brutality of the russian invasion that in my opinion, the chinese are complicit it because at a minimum they knew that the russians were going to do that based on their own intelligence capabilities and their own. a very special relationship with russia

and theresa, i'm gonna go ahead and give you a chance to respond. i also saw that you were nodding along to somewhat high, no set as well. so please go ahead and jump in. i mean, i think beijing is trying to do a very carefully cultivated ambiguous pose. and this one of their number one foreign policy issues is not to use force to change orders. so russia did that yet . they chose to ignore that. that's one of their key pillars. of their foreign policy, so they are really willing to take a lot from the russians. in addition to that attorney's ambassador has announced that this is a great opportunity for china to buy a lot of things in russia. because there's all the sanctions and russia companies are leaving russia, we see a long list of all the different organizations willing to leave russia. so the chinese are looking at it as a fire sales, a great opportunity for them. so i think that they have seen a very diminished russia on their doorstep. so if you look at the lower the small

little piece right now, and this is much to china's benefit. also, we saw after 2014, after russia's annexation of crimea. russia turned more towards china, created some energy deals and you know, knocked on prices and in the february, 4th agreement, we saw in that agreement, you know, it's in that way it's available to everyone free. it's not salacious or fallacious . i don't know which adjective you are using, but i think this is, you know, black and white. we see we're russia and china. and they said they were creating the new contours of the international order. so we saw this kind of relationship. they've met with each other 30 times and they describe the relationship between she and put and as the best and 300 years. and let's remember, she didn't think spoke to put in after the invasion. he didn't speak to zalinski or the ukrainian leader. so i think that we have to keep in mind, and i think china would love to re brand themselves as a peacemaker. but we are under 19 and i think the big ask now will be that russia

assets which are in some chinese banks should also be sanctioned. will china? this will be the real bell, whether china's role and the international will. they allow their thanks to be chinese, russian assets, the sanction didn't change. thanks. i know it looked like you want to jump in. i also want to follow up with you about something you mentioned a moment ago that abstention in the u. s. c. by china, when it comes to that resolution, that would have deplored russia, russia's invasion of ukraine. the reason i want to ask about that is because that was taken to mean different things by different players are some interpreted it as a diplomatic when by russia. some said it was a diplomatic when by the west, do you believe it was a diplomatic win for either the west or for russia and why? why think it's indicative of china a walking that tightrope, quite frankly, but at a certain point in the nation's history, countries and their leaders need to make choices. does the p r c. want to be on the

side of who, who has launched invasions against a number of its neighbors, georgia, ukraine in europe as well as of participate in the bruce oppression of people in syria and other places in the world. or does china want to be on the side of the vast majority? the countries have voted for that resolution. i think it is a win in that at least the chinese did not align themselves with north korea, bella rues, near a trio. ah, that is a win, i guess you could say for us. but again, how reflective is that of the strategic calculus that's going on and john on. hi, andy, is there any concern my date? yeah, and the, i'll let you jump in, actually go ahead and then i'll ask my question want to make a couple of points here. first,

i think teresa talks about this very important notion of sovereignty, which china makes a cornerstone of its foreign policy. but i think some people, perhaps being mischievous or some people, perhaps not fully recognizing the complexities of the situation in the ukraine is that china can respect sovereignty while also acknowledging that sovereignty can be forfeited. when a country acts in a way us to be so threatening to a neighboring country, that some action has to be taken. and i think that we can accept this more nuanced view as a legitimate without taking a position on whether what ukraine did rises to that level. and i think the other thing that we risk falling into, i think a very typical us binary manage way of thinking is that there's only 2 sides. you're either with us or against us. and i think what china has shown is that there

is a 3rd way and try and it is saying, we hope we are on the side of development peaceful development. we hope that every country that has some state, whether that economic political, humanitarian really should do what it can to foster a peaceful solution here. and i think this is really the key issue that the framing is problematic. you know, very typical, the way the u. s. approaches these and social 4.2, it is really not the whole world here that is on the side of the u. s. in western europe, india also stay in the u. e as well. and i believe india is making active preparations for a routine ruble settlement system. so there really is a 3rd point of view here that perhaps the most effective and like least way out of this terrible situation. and let me ask you, this is

a follow up if this continues to drag on. is there a growing concern among officials in china that if china continues to stand by russia at some point, the costs are going to outweigh the benefits? well again, i would question that premise mohammad that is china standing by russia though, certainly teresa's correct in early february presidency and put in did sign and announce a a relationship that often as described in the media as quote, unquote no limits. a new kind of relationship, and that is not i think, mutually exclusive with wanting to see a peaceful solution being an honest broker perhaps in this and that this is a complex situation. everyone from george kennan to henry kissing her to john near

shermer has said including, i think, some us ambassadors, previous ambassador and said that what the u. s. is doing in the ukraine, clearly as a provocation and is going to cause this kind of reaction from russia sooner or later. and as the chinese like to say, perhaps himself reflection is an order here at teresa from your vantage point. what is china going to be expecting from russia? and, you know, you mentioned earlier that so far, chinese banks, financial entities are not cut ties with russia. is there a scenario that exists where you think that that could happen at some point? that remains to be seen a response to the international communities. china is not helping whatsoever on sanctions. we know that so when the international community asks them to support these sanctions, i think that will be about whether,

whether they're really an international player. and if they have good intentions, i think that the fact that this agreement was february, 4th and the invasion to place on 23rd speaks volumes. we also know that china started to feel the strategic petroleum reserve as p r. after meeting with putin and also buying more green and we understanding most likely you can draw your own conclusions that it was on its way. so i think that as i know, clean pointed out ukraine had great relations with, with china. so they're not really much of a friends, are they? in fact china got their 1st aircraft carrier from, from the ukrainians, and they said it was going to be a casino. so we seen a lot of deception in this relationship. and let's not forget the way this is being framed by andy is pretty much what the russians are saying. so it is almost a magnification of this information. most analysts see the invasion of ukraine as unprovoked. and i think that's to say that ukraine has no sovereignty, it's not

a country that is definitely right out of russia's narrative. and lastly, the final point i'd like to make in regard to this information, we've seen chinese officials. it was printed inch and they wrote a quote from the high representative, joseph brown. you saying china was a peace loving superpower, but he never said that. so this is information machine is just rolling on. i know if china regular way would you consider georgia and let me run this information as well, and i'll, i'll let you make your point just a minute. let me just ask kind of a question here, and i know how do the u. s. and western allies feel about having china potentially play a role in the escalating this conflict. well, china were to play a positive role. it would be well thought, i just think that many of us who spent their professional lives working with the chinese and the chinese men and the chinese communist party are not particularly

optimistic. the chinese will view this as an optimistic a chance to better their position. both bilaterally with russia take advantage of the economic straits that the rushers find. as well as the place for the role of the united states and europe and not just euro, but the west, meaning other countries such as japan and australia. i think fundamentally, we cannot lose sight of the fact that what we see today is a blatant violation of national sovereignty of the territorial integrity of ukraine and the russians. launching a brutal onslaught against the civilian population. and the fact that you created a sovereign country with a president that was elected by the people wanted to have closer relationships with

the european union. and nato should not have been caught to necessitate or warrant russians putting in almost 200000 troops and killing thousands of ukrainian civilians. andy, i do want to ask this. russia finance minister had suggested that china could help less than the impact of western economic sanctions. how much will china be able to help russia economically? why one of response traces quaint about rushing this information? i mean, would she or would teresa, would you then consider again, george kennan and when kissing group, john mearsheimer several former us ambassadors who said exactly the same thing, also purveyors of russian disinformation. and you know, i would say that certainly the loss of life in the ukraine is tragic. but is it any more brutal than the us attacks against iraq and afghanistan,

where countless civilians, women and children were killed and named and made homeless? isn't it? he was brutal. teresa, let me ask you, do you think that there is a scenario that exists whereby china would cut ties with russia? not just economic ties, diplomatic ties, condemn the invasion of ukraine. the conflict is going on. and if so, what would china stand to lose or gain as a result? i think the international community was mouth to see china support, international norms, un conventions, and all of these important issues. but their action so far and de 19 have proven that they are doing that and that they are trying to x. it would be welcome, as i said, but i think what they haven't, it's been a stress test and they've actually did a lot of learning because russia,

what they've done in ukraine, china can watch how the international community has responded. and i think that we're not expecting to see such a united west, they expected to see a device in europe. maybe we can nato, but in and we even seen neutral countries like switzerland, traditionally neutral, actually joined in on the sanctions and the banks. and also we've seen neutral countries like sweden, sand, legal aid to ukraine. so the world is changing and i think china better, you know, wake up to what is happening and this idea of a 3rd way. there is no law and there is a lot. so either they support the international community and the united nations and what they've signed up to. in addition to that, beijing also signed an agreement to guarantee ukraine's sovereignty. it was a site agreement, along with the group has memorandum in 1994. so the p r c is not honoring their

agreement, they're either. so i think that is all nice to say these things diplomatically, but what are they really doing? i think now is the time. and i think the meeting that will take place and wrong will really show when they're actually going to do something or they're just going to talk a lot. i know, is there a lot of concern among american officials right now that china would be able to lessen the impact of economic sanctions on russia that they would be able to help blunt the impact on russia through, through work around or through economic support. that is certainly concern and the unfortunate history of chinese and fortunate factions united nations of both factions, for instance, against other countries such as much korea has not been particularly seller. so there's certainly a precedent for the chinese not enforcing sanctions. i think what we see today in europe,

what russia's actions have done in terms of pushing more and more countries towards it's one thing to integrate with the european union, wanting to integrate with nato and diplomatically, for instance, doing on the precedent things such again, as is the case with theresa mentioned should also serve as a parallel example to china because in the age of pacific we have seen over the last or years, chinese actions pushing more and more countries to start to form up more against chinese rash and chinese assertiveness and chinese economic worship. and i think what we will find is that those trends which are not favorable to china will continue. and what will be necessary to stop those types of trends will be for, to start becoming more productive in opposing malign

activities. all right, well we have run out of time, we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thanks so much to all of our guests. andy mach, theresa fallon, and hi no clink. and thank you for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website of 0 dot com. and for further discussion, go to our facebook page at facebook dot com forward slash ha inside story. you can also, during the conversation on twitter handle is at ha, inside story for me. how much of german, the whole team here. bye for now. ah . oh when i think of my niger, i think a potential i think of potential i think of what b, what is not. i think of young people literally take it into the own and get something that they can be proud of. tell me it's impossible. i think that the challenge with isn't the child in the country alex, my name has been. gotcha so,

and this is my job. my, my gear on al jazeera and no place. and so i go on with say, the press retreated to the car about a media hub and vital vantage point during the 1st truly televised war from the roof. we could see evacuation at the american embassy, where the most iconic images of the conflict in vietnam were transmitted to the world. this was the front row sheet to the final stages of the war. saigon, caravel, war hotels. arnold, missouri. from the front lines out as there is correspondence continued to report every angle, if the war in ukraine, we've just heard shilling in the distance and machine gun. far in the forests, there is a humanitarian crisis. erupting on. multiple from rockets landed just a few meters from our convoy them in the positions. i've been all over the need for

a region. anytime st totally destroyed along the road, we came in on there was still clearly an active battlefield day with out there for the latest development. ah, a dumb, roberson. and oh, how the top so is on al jazeera, 3 european leaders are on their way to the ukranian capital. despite ongoing shelling on the outskirts of the city, the prime ministers of poland, 70. and the check for public are set for talks with president zalinski in the coming hours that the 1st foreign leaders to visit since russia began its assault. 20 days ago. caves mare says at least 4 people were killed and strikes over night. imminent con has more on the intended visit of those e u leaders to keep the visits under wraps. you don't know the exact details of it, but we do know.