there are also abstain or vote no. there are also countries like india which need to be taken into consideration with the nuanced view, as she put it. you made a coume — nuanced view, as she put it. you made a couple of _ nuanced view, as she put it. you made a couple of issues, the un should capture the well�*s position as it is happening in the financial system should be used as a means of exerting pressure on vladimir putin. a lot of people will be watching and saying, 0k a lot of people will be watching and saying, ok but there is a war and invasion taking place right now. when saddam hussein invaded kuwait with his iraqi forces, the world responded and now the world is watching russia invade ukraine and is doing nothing militarily. as an the way this is being operated at the way this is being operated at the moment is an entirely different beast. we have seen state actors, including the us and the uk, they are playing out their national agendas through proxies, and we have seen that with the us operating with the syrian democratic forces in syria and we have seen other proxies

as well, the way russia came into syria in 2015 to support a side on the invitation. that brings up an important point here of sovereignty going back to the un charter, article two of sovereignty is absolutely imperative, which is why the un fcr should be called for the vote and the votes should be recorded. absolutely fundamental, 100%. ., , , recorded. absolutely fundamental, 100%. s, y , 100%. finally, help me understand how the uk — 100%. finally, help me understand how the uk fits _ 100%. finally, help me understand how the uk fits into _ 100%. finally, help me understand how the uk fits into the _ 100%. finally, help me understand how the uk fits into the strategic i how the uk fits into the strategic response to russia's invasion. how would you like to see the british military and the british diplomatic dimension fitting into the global response? i dimension fitting into the global resonse? ~' ., dimension fitting into the global resonse? ~ ., ., , dimension fitting into the global resonse? ~' ., ., , :: response? i think over the last 20 ears, response? i think over the last 20 years. have _ response? i think over the last 20 years, have served _ response? i think over the last 20 years, have served two _ response? i think over the last 20 years, have served two tours - response? i think over the last 20 years, have served two tours in i years, have served two tours in afghanistan, it's become absolutely apparent that sticking boots on the ground in foreign countries is no guarantee to using coined the term, winning the war, so what's been going on is what's been going on for

a long time here, the way work is being conducted at the moment isn't with conventional forces, but with unconventional ones, i mean special forces, there's a reason for that because the world's governments, the biden's the borisjohnson's, they are not obliged to comment on what special forces are not obliged to comment on what specialforces are doing are not obliged to comment on what special forces are doing in special forces will have been operating inside ukraine for many months now. it's open source reporting. we know that you cia has been training ukrainian forces for many months. so what's been going on inside eastern ukraine is called surveillance and reconnaissance support and influence and they are non—kinetic operations that the special forces do. they are trying to figure where the pockets are of militant groups, who are the loyalists, the people who would be the enemy, the capabilities and how did they go about countering that. we saw that in syria. this is what put in good at. it had a good eight years inside of syria understanding the hybridisation of warfare and

this is what we are seeing at the moment. so boots on the ground would be an absolute no—no if i was biden, but what they are doing is figuring out ways using direct and indirect military support and the us sending in the cell is the big topic of conversation at the moment. it's a shoulder lunch missile that effectively against the soviets in the 90s and 80s and it disrupted the way that the soviets operated inside the country. if the missiles come into play and i've seen no evidence of them yet that they been utilised in the country, but if they come into play, we know that lithuania have artie given ukraine the missiles, that has the ability to severely disrupt and deter ukrainian airpower. there's been a couple of miscalculations here. the first is the strength and resolve of the ukrainian people and ukrainian forces. the second one apps we have heard today by the finnish prime ministers the appetite for non—nato members tojoin nato based on national security concerns. the

third one is air superiority, and i think putin thought he was going to have air superiority over eastern ukraine and it's becoming quite apparent that he doesn't. thank you ve much apparent that he doesn't. thank you very much indeed. _ apparent that he doesn't. thank you very much indeed. if— apparent that he doesn't. thank you very much indeed. if of— apparent that he doesn't. thank you very much indeed. if of course, - apparent that he doesn't. thank you very much indeed. if of course, it'sl very much indeed. if of course, it's early days on supremacy because we know that at least one and possibly several airports in ukraine are being fiercely contested by russian and ukrainian forces. now, being fiercely contested by russian and ukrainianforces. now, nato leaders have called the invasion of terrible strategic mistake for which it will pay as severe political and economic cost for years to come. nato, as he would have imagine has been holding a summit which included finland, sweden, the eu, all to discuss the latest development. turkey told the meeting that the alliance should have responded to the invasion more decisively. meanwhile in america, president biden says he is targeting russia's largest banks and state owned companies, cutting them up from western financial markets and freezing trillions of dollars in assets. 0ur diplomatic correspondent has this report on the global response.

this is what the defence of kyiv looks like. soldiers with guns and armoured vehicles, ready to take on the might of russian tanks and warplanes. little wonder there is a debate about what more the west can do to help. but these american fighter jets will not be coming to their aid. they arrived in romania today as part of nato's decision to beef up its presence in member states close to russia. so as well these british forces, arriving in the baltic states of estonia. they are there to deter potential russian aggression against nato countries. at the headquarters of the military alliance in brussels world leaders agreed to go even further, making what they call significant additional defensive deployments in eastern europe. we are deploying elements of the nato response force on land, at sea and in the air.

to further strengthen our posture and to respond quickly to any contingency. there must be notes of a four miscalculation or misunderstanding. there must be no space for miscalculation or misunderstanding. we will do what it takes to protect and defend every ally. and every inch of nato territory. what the west could do is give ukraine more help like this. these are anti—tank weapons provided by britain. downing street said more support was planned and nothing was off the table. there is clearly a strong appetite here at westminster and in other european capitals to give ukraine more military kit, to support an insurgency against russian forces. but ministers are absolutely clear there will be no uk troops on the ground, nor a no—fly zone enforced by nato warplanes. but we must all in this house be clear that british and nato troops should not, must not play an active role in ukraine.

we must all be clear what the risks of miscalculation could be and how existential that could very quickly become when people miscalculate and things escalate unnecessarily. and here is why. ukraine might have held a parade for nato forces last summer, but it is not yet a member. it wants to join but that will not happen while there is a risk of importing conflict into the alliance and that could take years to resolve. but look at how far and wide nato reaches, and the fear is that if nato forces joined the fight in ukraine, then war could spread across the whole continent. an attack on one member of nato is an attack on all members of nato. we will defend every inch of nato territory. that is the most powerful deterrent against president putin going beyond ukraine. but that may be of little solace to the many thousands of people trying to flee kyiv station. guards fired warning shots

to keep backgrounds, crowds choosing to head west rather than rely on the west. i'm joined now by our washington correspondent, barbara plett—usher. a few minutes ago we saw a few minutes ago we sanoe biden talking by the supreme court. i don't know if he sends turn to ukraine, but what is the latest we have on the approach to the situation from the white house? we situation from the white house? - haven't had much new information from the white house today, but certainly mr biden was in that nato emergency meeting that you were talking about earlier. we know that he deployed 7000 extra troops yesterday and gave the authorisation to do so, and this is going to be part of this nato response force that mr stoltenberg mentioned that they would be activating as well the americans have deployed aircraft and other weapons to the eastern part of

europe, so that something as he heard mr blank and talking about is one of the key things that they have been talking about all along that they will make sure they are showing that they are committed to nato and they will help to beef up the forces of nato to reassure allies on the russian ukrainian border, and also send the message that nato is standing together and standing strong. standing together and standing stronu. �* , ., strong. i'm sure you heard the re ort strong. i'm sure you heard the report from — strong. i'm sure you heard the report from our _ strong. i'm sure you heard the report from our colleague - strong. i'm sure you heard the report from our colleague a i strong. i'm sure you heard the - report from our colleague a moment to go with a clip from anthony blinking saying we want to ensure these troops don't go beyond ukraine, but i'm sure people in ukraine, but i'm sure people in ukraine are wanting america to get more involved in the fact that russians are there in the first place. is there any suggestion that should be as shift in the military dimension of this war?— should be as shift in the military dimension of this war? now. now, there isn't- — dimension of this war? now. now, there isn't. mr— dimension of this war? now. now, there isn't. mr biden _ dimension of this war? now. now, there isn't. mr biden has - dimension of this war? now. now, there isn't. mr biden has been - there isn't. mr biden has been unusually clear about not sending troops to fight in ukraine. usually there is a sort of ambiguity about keeping all options on the table. he

is made clearfrom september —— december that troops are not on the table. and there is a number of different reasons for that, but one is that nobody here in washington wants a shooting war with russia. there are afraid there could be an escalation if us troops are on the ground in ukraine, and that is a strong feeling across the aisle. you have both democrats but also traditional republican hocks saying the same thing. it's not something they want to do. there is a lot of support for sending weapons, and thatis support for sending weapons, and that is going to continue. there is a concern, of course, because the airspace now, the russians control a lot of it. will you be able to deliver them to the airport like before. that has to be worked out, but the weapons, the desire to send the weapons as they are.— the weapons as they are. barbara, thank ou the weapons as they are. barbara, thank you very _ the weapons as they are. barbara, thank you very much _ the weapons as they are. barbara, thank you very much indeed. - the weapons as they are. barbara, | thank you very much indeed. well, the weapons as they are. barbara, i thank you very much indeed. well, as every and eased global moments, our focus tends to turn to the major cities of the world. we have looked at the situation and kyiv, right at the centre of this conflict from the

centre of this conflict, brussels is a focus on the london because of the uk's response, washington because of joe biden and the americans. next let's turn to another crucial city, one of the most crucial, moscow. here's our correspondent there who has been to ballarat, a city close to ukraine's eastern border, and she has been hearing people's these there. the roads to ukraine are icy and quiet. through the snow laden fog, we spot them. we are about 20 miles away from the ukrainian border here. this is one of the main roads between belgorod and russia up the road and kharkiv down there in ukraine as well. and we've seen plenty of military vehicles along this route, including here where we've seen some military vehicles parked up behind. driving around belgorod, the signs of russia's military action obvious, from trucks, armoured vehicles, to sections of missile launchers. in the centre of the city,

many tell us that they've heard the sounds of an assault overhead in the last 2a hours. some repeat president putin's rhetoric. the president explained it all, that they will target military objects only. of course it's unpleasant, but there was no other way out. there's already evidence that non—military targets have been hit in ukraine. but others are not so reassured. leanna's home is one kilometre from the border. she is pregnant and worried about herfamily. translation: of course we are frightened. - for now, we decided to move to belgorod. we don't have any idea what is going on. translation: there is nothing good in it. - everyone has friends and relatives there. i can't find words to express it. today, moscow seemed initially open to talks with kyiv, to discuss ukraine adopting a neutral stance. russia's repetition

of unsubstantiated accusations leaves little room for diplomacy. translation: it is not possible - to consider as democratic government which is oppressing its people and subjecting them to genocide. a recent poll showed the majority of russians believe the us and nato countries are to blame for the escalation in ukraine. but some have protested, despite the risk of arrest. 0thers showed their dissent with small acts of defiance. taken on the moscow metro, this woman has written "no to war" on her bag. in western russia, equipment continues to head to the border. the kremlin shows no sign of changing paths. as we continue our coverage of the conflict, let's speak to the international institute for strategic studies. thank you for

joining us this evening. as you look at how this conflict is playing out, how do you assess the russian strategy? how do you assess the russian strate: ? ~ ., ., ~ ~ strategy? well, it looked like the russian strategy _ strategy? well, it looked like the russian strategy at _ strategy? well, it looked like the russian strategy at first - strategy? well, it looked like the russian strategy at first was - russian strategy at first was shocked and, as they used to say about the iraq campaign, blitz attack that would cause ukrainian lines to collapse and the quick movements of russian forces into the rear zone to be able to crash resistance immediately. they also fought —— thought there would be wholesale surrenders. i told them to paint a letter on their vehicles in white paint, and that would mean that they were friendly and would be able to take and safely by russians forces. that didn't happen. they fight fiercely. because russia's strategy is to have many options, they then started pushing forces towards kyiv in belarus, and as we've seen fierce fighting at the airfield, they wanted to seize in

order to bring more voices into crash kyiv quickly, now the effort is to try to decapitate the government, to replace it with a public government so that they can declare alignment with russia, they can try to seal the borders with poland and slovakia and romania and to move to crash all ukrainian forces trapped inside the country. can you help me with some of the practicalities of the scene play out? 0ver practicalities of the scene play out? over the last three weeks, we've made much of the fact that 150,000 russian troops where close to ukraine. how many of them do we think of now come across into ukraine? ~ ~ ., ., ., , ukraine? we think that total is closer to 200,000, _ ukraine? we think that total is closer to 200,000, so - ukraine? we think that total is closer to 200,000, so we - ukraine? we think that total is | closer to 200,000, so we think ukraine? we think that total is - closer to 200,000, so we think about one third of them have gone in, which means a second referred to fashion a second flesh and a third for reserve. fashion a second flesh and a third for reserve-— for reserve. and in that case, in terms of — for reserve. and in that case, in terms of the — for reserve. and in that case, in terms of the volume _ for reserve. and in that case, in terms of the volume that - for reserve. and in that case, in terms of the volume that is - terms of the volume that is currently moved across, do you imagine we are very much in the first stage of this operation?

absolutely. the desperation for kyiv is to collapse the government, i think putin really believes that once the government collapses and they put in a puppet regime that my ukrainian forces will surrender. i don't think that's the case, but they also have this large reserve of forces to go in and to fight any units that don't surrender. i understand why you would focus on the capital in terms of the politics because he could potentially get rid of the government, but in terms of the ukrainian military, is it centred around the capital, or even if the capital fell, but it still have significant presence elsewhere in ukraine? it have significant presence elsewhere in ukraine? ., , have significant presence elsewhere in ukraine? ., have significant presence elsewhere in ukraine? . , ., , in ukraine? it has a very significant _ in ukraine? it has a very significant presence - in ukraine? it has a very - significant presence elsewhere. i really believe, again, this is in order to try to precipitate a quick collapse. right now, the rest of the country that borders, the ukrainian government can request that we send in supplies. ukrainian volunteers from across the world coming back

can come across the border. 0nce can come across the border. once there is a puppet regime in place, they can declare that border sealed and justify russian forces attacking anyone who tries to come across the border. right now, that would be a severe escalation if they tried to go near the borders of nato. this is where we have huge possibilities for escalation. ., ~ , ., , where we have huge possibilities for escalation. ., ~' , ., , . escalation. thank you very much indeed, director _ escalation. thank you very much indeed, director of _ escalation. thank you very much indeed, director of strategy, - indeed, director of strategy, technology and arms control the international institute for strategic studies. that's invaluable and thank you very much for your time. the un's refugee agency has said more than 50,000 people fled ukraine since this invasion. many have headed west, attempting to cross the border into neighbouring countries. now, there's concern that the steady stream, could become a mass exodus. 0ur correspondent, mark lowen, is on the polish border, as ukrainians try to flee the fighting. a border separates but

also brings together.

poland is welcoming the new arrivals with open arms, and is setting up several reception centres. it's been one of the eu's most hardline, anti—migrant countries in recent years — but it also knows all too tragically the cost of russian occupation and hostility. these scenes of seeking refuge across europe's borders are more associated with the migrant crisis from the middle east. but now the threat is on the eu's doorstep, and while poland says that the uptick in arrivals so far is modest, it warns that it could become the largest refugee wave since 2015. there is traffic in the other direction too. ukrainians andrei and nikolai heading back to help their homeland fight. "we are going home to defend our country," he says. "this is our duty."

"we didn't do anything wrong to russia." "putin is trying to capture the whole of ukraine." from wherever they came, they have one destination — safety. yesterday they were residents, today refugees. mark lowen, bbc news. from the un refugee agency gave us her assessment of the situation in ukraine. we her assessment of the situation in ukraine. ~ ., , her assessment of the situation in ukraine. ~ . , . ukraine. we are extremely concerned. i think riaht ukraine. we are extremely concerned. i think right now. _ ukraine. we are extremely concerned. i think right now, the _ ukraine. we are extremely concerned. i think right now, the situation - ukraine. we are extremely concerned. i think right now, the situation is - i think right now, the situation is so fluid, but all reports that we have are citing the fact that there are many, many people on the move. they are scared, they are unsure of where to go, and i think that the most important thing right now is that we make sure that civilian lives can be protected as under the international humanitarian law. i think we are there as long as we can

be in every capacity possible. unhcr as well as other humanitarian agencies are inside ukraine, we are not leaving, we will be there to provide as much assistance and protection and security and access as they allow us to. we are using a planning figure of up to 4 million, but of course, there figures that go higher. we don't know what the situation will be in the coming days. right now, all of the borders are open and all of the surrounding governments have shown such solidarity, have shown such support. they are the ones right now that i receiving the refugees. we are of course there to help. we have stockpiles of aid, we have come as i mentioned, staff on the ground, and of course, we are reinforcing all of this to provide the support that will be needed, but right now, it is the governments who are showing tremendous initiatives for the

refugees that are fleeing, including building reception centres and other facilities to house and to provide medical assistance and food as needed as the emergency unfolds. now, while it is russia that's invaded ukraine, this is very much vladimir putin's war. he's the one making all the decisions, he's the one deciding what russian forces will do. here is a look at the man himself who is prepared to use overwhelming force on a much smaller neighbouring country. vladimir putin grew up in the aftermath of the second world war. in 1945, the us, the uk and the soviet union met to shape the new world. seven years on he was born in what was then leningrad and is now st petersburg. by the 70s putin had studied law and then joined the russian secret service, the kgb. at this time the soviet union's influence reached across the communist nations

of eastern europe and in the 80s putin was posted to dresden in east germany. from there he witnessed the fall of the berlin wall, the fall of communism. this was a visceral example of people power. to putin, though, the demise of the soviet union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century. and while that demise was negotiated, putin was heading home to find a place for himself in the new russia. russia's president in the �*90s, boris yeltsin, would help him do that. he made putin head of the security services, then putin was elected prime minister, then in 1999 yeltsin resigned and putin was president. his way of operating was clear from the start. tightening the grip over media was one of the first things that he did, and also the lack of genuine opposition because his critics either had been in exile or dead or were facing prosecution. putin's focus on his own power and wealth was relentless. by 2008 when his two terms were up dmitry medvedev

replaced him as president, but putin became prime minister and everyone knew who was in charge. by 2012, he was back as president again. putin's indifference to democracy is matched by his view of sovereignty. in 2008 russia invaded georgia to support separatist. in 2014 russia annexed crimea from ukraine. it supported separatists in eastern ukraine. and in 2018 the former russian secret service operative was poisoned in salisbury. the uk says russian intelligence was responsible. to putin the rules are for him to make. he said as much himself. translation: i hope no one will cross russia's red line. i but in each case we are the ones who will decide where the red line is. and russia's right to decide roots back to putin's view of what he has seen in his lifetime. in 2015 he addressed the un and said instead of the triumph of democracy and progress we got violence, poverty and social disaster. nobody cares a bit about human rights.

putin's contempt was directed at western democracy. we have seen, though, how little he cares for democracy in russia and ukraine. despite this, years earlier, the west talked of trusting it. i looked the man in the eye and ifound him to be very straightforward. i was able to get a sense of his soul. but we are getting a sense of it too this week, as we did a few years ago when putin spoke of his childhood, telling us 15 years ago, "the leningrad streets taught me a rule. if a fight is inevitable, you have to throw the first punch." there was nothing inevitable about this week, but ukraine has felt that first punch, a punch putinjustifies in his country's interest, but which very much serve his. and as we watch the violence i think back to the criticism of the west, at the un in 2015. putin said, "i'm urged to ask those who created the situation do you at least realise now what you have done?" the world is now asking the same of him and everything

about putin's life suggests, yes, he does realise what he has done. you can find that and all of the reports that we produced here via my twitter feed, reports that we produced here via my twitterfeed, that's reports that we produced here via my twitter feed, that's where you can follow me, remember, all the latest updates on the situation is also going onto the bbc news website, bbc data from slash news, i will see you in a couple of minutes to our coverage. hello there. today it began to feel a little more like spring is just around the corner. many places dry, some sunshine and lighter winds, but there could be a bit of a winter chill tonight in some places. further west in northern ireland, increasingly in scotland,

we've seen more cloud coming in, there's even been a bit of rain in the northwest of scotland. there is the cloud that's coming in from the atlantic. it's all wrapped around that area of low pressure shown there. those weather fronts bringing the cloud, bringing some stronger winds into the northwest of the uk, but not bringing much rain at all. we are likely to find the winds blowing that rain away from the northwest of scotland, and with those brisk winds and more cloud in scotland and northern ireland, it should milder here. england and wales, it will be colder, particularly through the midlands, lincolnshire, east anglia, the southeast, light winds, clearer skies, may start the weekend with a slight frost. here, we're closer to an area of high pressure that at the moment is blocking off that weather front, the cloud and the rain from coming in to the atlantic. now, we will still have more cloud during the day on saturday across scotland and northern ireland, probably going to be dry. some of the cloud will push into england and wales, turning the sunshine a bit hazy. bluer skies likely towards the southeast. the breeze will freshen

through the day, a southerly breeze picking up across the country, but it's a mild breeze, of course. and those temperatures may be a shade higher than today, afternoon number is typically 10—12 celsius. now, that band of rain not having moved much during the day will start to move eastwards. the weather front will bring some rain overnight into scotland and northern ireland, but it's slowing down and it's weakening as it heads towards the uk. so there won't be much rain left over by sunday. more cloud, some pockets of light rain or drizzle for northern ireland, pushing into scotland, perhaps some western parts of england and wales, but many places will be dry. sunshine towards the east and temperatures 9—10 celsius or so. the winds will ease down during sunday. they are likely to pick up again, though. for monday, this deep area of low pressure, thankfully, is going to be driving its way up towards iceland. thankfully for us, because we'll just going to get a glancing blow and the northwest of the uk. but we will see what that weather front some rain around. that should clear away from scotland and northern ireland. it gets colder with some showers. rain pushes into england and wales,

could be a bit heavy over some of those western hills. dry for most of the day in the southeast with temperatures 13 degrees.

welcome to bbc news. our top story is that russian armoured vehicles have entered the ukrainian capital, kyiv, as the authorities hand out thousands of machine guns to defend that the city. damage in the city's residential neighbourhoods have occurred. warning shots are fired as thousands try and flee the capital by train or whatever means possible. meanwhile, the kremlin says it is prepared for talks. vladimir putin is calling on the ukrainian military to put down his weapons. take power into our to put down his weapons. take power into your own — to put down his weapons. take power into your own hands. _ to put down his weapons. take power into your own hands. like _ to put down his weapons. take power into your own hands. like that, - to put down his weapons. take power into your own hands. like that, it - into your own hands. like that, it will be easier for us to come to an

agreement with that