or life starts february 16 on d, w ah ah, this is dw news alive from berlin, russia winds china's backing in its stand off over you pray ahead of the start of the winter olympics and beijing president, portrait and sheet showing solidarity and promising loves her tides also coming up on the show, the european union condemned russia's decision to ban this network. georgia valid, dw, most out, euro was shut down this week in retaliation for germany banning russia. media

outlet park cheap olympics began in bay j fireworks at the opening ceremony in the chinese capital light up a night sky as they drink to come to the 1st city for summer and winter games. ah. hello, i'm clare richardson, thanks much for joining us. the leaders of china and russia have resolved to work together and against the united states. vladimir putin met with she, jim pang in beijing in a choreographed show of solidarity just hours before the opening ceremony of the winter olympics. and virtue sent a message to the west that they are unified in their opposition to nato expansion. the highest profile guest of the winter olympics, touching dawn and beijing, russian president vladimir putin is in china to attempt the opening ceremony. but

before that, a much awaited reunion with his chinese counterpart, cheating pin to shallow alert. but the opening day of the wintel. mm hm. is this thought of spring leave here and on this special day we meet. what do we believe this new spring new change there will inject more vitality into china. russia relations torsion? the only the only that is the so i would like to thank you for inviting me to the opening ceremony of the bay ging olympic winter games, muslim republic. we know that that is will say heavy task. but we believe that our chinese friends have is always made excellent preparations for this large scale of n for that. but, but the look at that, your group of middlebury, it but the new russia, china partnership goes way beyond the winter olympics. china added its support for russia, but the tensions with ukraine. both lead us highlighted their aligning views and

global security, while accusing the u. s. and nato of a cold war, ideological approach to defense policy. a show of unity and mutual backing amid fears in the west that moscow is preparing for military action against ukraine. so let's get more on this story from michael kim edge. he is a history professor at the catholic university of america and a former state department, russia, ukraine, expert under president obama. and please to welcome him back on dw news. and we've just heard about putin has secured china's backing in his stand off with the west over ukraine. so what will the practical implications be of what they're calling this a strategic partnership? a little bit less than meets the eye. certainly, if russia does engage in a wider war in ukraine, china is going to be nowhere near ukraine. china has its own economic interest in ukraine is a little bit skeptical of a wider board. ready there, i think what russia really wants is help with sanctions that comes from the

european union and from the united states. and they're, it's not entirely clear that china will be fully behind russia as well. so it's important media display of unity their view, correct? uh, hold on from that, would that then allow an effect, let's say united states ability to take punitive action or isolate putin, should russia indeed invade ukraine? but it's certainly a limiting factor in terms of russia having something of an alternative. but, you know, really remains to be seen where they're trying to get bell rush out from the massive sanctions that washington, berlin, brussels, london, and paris has. i have promised it's a limiting factor, but it's not one of the primary factors, either calculus or the capitalism to ask what it will do above she and pretended condemned nato expansion. i want to ask you, is that really the reason uprooting would potentially risk russian live and the crippling of the economy through retro butte of sanctions?

know the principle of a to expansion is something that we can get a lot about trying to revise the moment through diplomacy. but if he goes to warning and it's really about the military relationship, when, when you came in the west, the pain is not an a member. there's great new prospects for to join the nato alliance. so it's a little bit of a red herring. it's about who calls the shots in your brain, and that's what russia wants to do and it wants to push the way back on it. but they do is to integrate all of that. in addition to having an upper hand in calling a shot, what else is putting stand to gain from an invasion of ukraine? and is there actually a political appetite for it at home? i think that there's very little political appetite for it, but it's not as if i think russians would really protest if it were to happen to a degree. i think we can have the free hand in terms of domestic politics. i think what we can with the game is really the deciding role as to where ukraine falls on

the map of europe, which is a very significant question. and if you can't quite determine that question positively, there are ways in which you can prevent certain outcomes from happening and that's where the military action has its attractions really can at the moment. and the western allies are reinforcing their military capabilities in eastern europe. and your view is this the right way to dissuade russian aggression? i don't think it will have any deterrent effect on and russia. i think what it is is an effort to reassure the baltic republics in poland to contain this perfect effects of a possible wider war. but it's not a factor in russia is going to impress is going to go in. of course these troops are not being sent to ukraine. and the commitment to ukraine military terms has been rather modest. so it's really about something else other than the grand conflict at the moment. michael kim, at history professor at the catholic university of america, we're going to leave it there. but thank you so much for coming onto the show.

thank you for having me. we can turn our attention now to some of the other stories making headlines at this hour. amid the tensions in eastern europe, the u. s. and nato allies are holding naval drills in the mediterranean. and adrian sees a u. s. carrier group is meeting the next unit price 2022 exercises, italy, germany, grief and pain are all part in the drills nato secretary general young sultan burg will become the head of norway central bank. the term in the alliance and only certain of timber critic fear his appointment will weaken the bank independence sultan burke has previously served as more ways by minister and finance than star iceland has announced plans to and wailing by 2024. the fisheries minister said she sees little reason to permit wailing after the current license fires together with norway and japan. iceland is one of the only countries to continue to hunt whales, commercially or criticism,

is growing here in germany and across europe over moscow's decision to shut down the russian operations of this channel. deutsch avella and the movies. apparently in retaliation for german media regulators, prohibiting russia state media outlet r t from broadcasting in germany and the west. these are t as broadcasting kremlin propaganda and dis, information. joyce velez, moscow office is now closed, and d, w. 's journalists can no longer work from russia. the russian government announced on thursday that it would shut down d w's bureau, and revoke the accreditation of dw journalists in russia. it also said in a statement, it would terminate the satellite and all the broadcasting output of deutsche avella in the country. the measures come after germany's media regulator banned the german language broadcasting of russia's state media, r t,

which began operating in december 2021 under a serbian license regulators say the license does not align with european law. artie has also been accused of spreading propaganda and disinformation had saw her . this is the fact that deutsch avella has been deprived of its broadcasting license, and that its employees have also been denied accreditation is completely unacceptable . yet, walden, this is for come in acceptable. this violates the freedom of the press and independent media is after all, a sign of free and democratic states that says a lot. i, negus, deutsche of ela, has our full solidarity, had hundreds of it's already deleted. the german government says russia's actions are unjustified and called it a hostile decision is more globally, with these drastic measures from the russian side are not acceptable by any means. it is a truly aggressive act bar helped me, but we don't need aggressive ag cliff. we need dialogue,

we need de escalation and not escalation law group, often d as escalade, so an honest escalade. so the russian government also said at plans to initiate proceedings, to label deutsch avella as a media outlet acting as a foreign agent, a designation that carries further government scrutiny. for now, d, w is considering possible legal avenues and says it will not stop reporting on russia. and the european union is sanctioning 5 high ranking members of molly's transitional government, including infirm prime minister show gal. my god. the e has criticize the military transitional government for obstructing and undermining the return to democracy by delaying elections. germany is among the countries taking part in a u. n. and e u. peacekeeping mission in the west african country. german parliamentary approval for the deployment expires in may, and the new government has expressed doubts about continuing the mission. it's

the most dangerous mission in the world. according to the united nations. there are currently over a 1000 german troops stationed there, but may be not for much longer does it do its own. and molly is the situation in molly is very threatening, and that's why it's time to check whether we can continue our commitment that she or it doesn't make sense supporting and training regime the boss off elections and is making it almost impossible for us to know allies to carry out our work when the ard to, to wish to fuel german troops or training soldiers in molly as part of an e you program. but since the qu, though same soldiers worked version to that is ruled out free elections and recently expelled the french ambassador demo. while hampton i am old one has the impression that molly's interim government is increasingly questioning the foundations of cooperation from week to week. so we can't simply keep going on like

this. instead, we are now examining very carefully and seriously along with our partners what further engagement looks like of mall seen. the french army are germany's most important partners in molly. leaving could result in a vacuum then deeply where to lay, what would the consequences bay and also for the flow of refugees, all terrorism in molly could possibly be brought to europe. all this has to be weighed on them. the german government wants to coordinate with france on the matter this weekend, but it's the german parliament that will have to decide on a final withdrawal from money. well, the 2020 j winter olympic games are now open after a lavish ceremony at beijing's iconic birds nest stadium. but tickets weren't sold to international visitors or to the general public in china. yet another opening ceremony at beijing's birds nest stadium almost 14 years on from the 2008 summer

olympics. $3000.00 performers took part in the proceedings. as athletes from around the world took a lap of ana in front of a reduced crowd, with only a select few allowed into the stands. many spectators instead enjoyed the fireworks from outside the stadium. disappointed that events will be held without fans. yeah, i think i really, it's a pity we cannot go to watch the games like again this ellen, if it weren't for covered, we would be very happy. in case you guys yes. at all. sent it again. i was being held on our doorstep. i really want to go watch the events and cheer for it when it's a pity this time we can only watch our athletes on tv and on line that yes, but i will still cheer them on to. yeah, i don't, i, uh he already, along with haiti,

saudi arabia are taking part in their 1st winter games with both countries sending just one athlete. meanwhile, the usa have the largest contingent with $224.00 competitors at the games. but no diplomatic representation travel to beijing. the political sub lot of these olympics is just as much part of the proceedings as the covey restrictions. all those attending events must wear and f, f, p to mosque and get tested twice a day. almost 12000 people are in the olympic bubble, of whom over 300 have already tested positive. it is still unclear where the all athletes will receive their p. c. r. test results in time to compete. many events will be held on artificial snow. the use of which has been heavily criticized due to the regions water shortage bought as venues open and tools to athletes organize is. we'll hope that the sporting action becomes the focus of the

headlines. that's your news update. at this hour, the business headlines are coming up next with stephen beardsley. if you want more news and analysis before, then you can check out our website at g, w dot com or find us on social media. that's actually need of units. i'm clear. richardson in berlin from the team here. thank you so much for joining us. people in trucks injured one, trying to flee the city center. more and more refugees are being turned away at the border. families plain bomb attacks in syria. to these credit owners, we load demonstrate people lean extreme around getting $200.00 people.