ah, ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. russia wins china's backing in its stand off over you pray ahead of the start of the winter olympics in beijing, president's book and an sheet showing solidarity. all the same, closer tides. also coming up on the show, the european union condemns russia's decision to ban this network to which a valid p w. moscow bureau was shut down this week in retaliation for germany. bending russia, state media outlets, our teeth and the lympics kick off in beijing fireworks at the

opening ceremony in the chinese capital light up the night sky. vision come to the 1st city to host the summer and winter games. ah hello, i am clare richardson. welcome to the show. the leaders of china and russia have resolved to work together and against the united states. vladimir putin met with a she jumping in beijing in a choreograph show of solidarity just hours before the opening ceremony of the winter olympics. and the 2 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 bay jing russian president vladimir putin, is in china to attempt the opening ceremony. but before that, a, it's

a way to reunion with this chinese counterpart cheating pin to 0, alert the opening day of the winter. tell him who is this thought of spring the hill and on this special day we meet with them. we believe this new spring new change there will inject more vitality into china, russia relations, tour ocean the only the only is the soon as i would like to thank you for inviting me to the opening ceremony of the bay ging olympic when to games. muslim, we will not, we know that that is will say heavy task that we believe that our chinese friends have is always made excellent preparations for this large scale event. but if you look at that, your group 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. a nato of a cold war,

ideological approach to defense policy, a show of unity and mutual backing emit 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 d. w. 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 of 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 your korean china is going to be nowhere near ukraine. china has its own economic interest, and 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, either you cracked behind the following on from that with 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 rush out from the massive sanctions that washington berlin, brussels, london, and paris has. i have promised limiting factor, but it's not one of the primary factors either calculus or the cost of the west, but i will do it. but she and prue tenant condemned nato expansion. but i want to ask you, in that really the reason approval 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. and it's trying to revise the moment through diplomacy, but if it goes to worrying and it's really about the military relationship, when you came to the west, the pain is not an a member. there's very few prospects for us to join the nato alliance. so it's a little bit of a red herring, it's about sort of who calls the shots and ukraine. and that's what russia wants to do and it wants to push the way back. but they do is to integrate all of that. in addition to having an upper hand in calling the shot, what else has proven 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 has a free hand in terms of domestic politics. i think what we would see, again, is really the deciding role as to where you grant falls on the map of europe,

which is a very significant question. and if he can't quite determine that question positively, there are ways in which he can prevent certain outcomes from happening. and that's where the military action has its attractions for looking 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 the silver effect effects of a possible wider war. but it's not a factor. the pressure is going to impress is going to go and of course, these troops are not being sent to ukraine and the commitment to ukraine, the military terms has been rather modest. so it's really about something else. other than the grand conflict. at the moment. michael cambridge 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. alice

bring you up to speed now with some other world news headlines. and u. s. military probe have found that the suicide bombings and targeted couple airport during the evacuation of afghanistan was not preventable with the resources on hand over at $170.00 africa. and 13 us troops died in the attack last august by 20 investigation also concluded that the single islamic state of bomber alone area for triology at the, at a gas far, is bracing for a powerful fight clone forecast to hit the islands east coast on saturday. authorities more in the tropical storms impact could be severe, with winds of almost 200 kilometers an hour. the parts of magic are, are still really from deadly flooding. after heavy rainfall in over a $100000.00 dead fish have been spotted off the french coast after they spilled into the atlantic ocean from a large fishing vessel. owner has blamed the spelling and broken match by environmentalists, have accused patroller of illegally dumping and catch french authorities have

called for an investigation. criticism is growing here in germany and across europe over moscow's decision to shut down the russian operations of this channel to each of ela, movies, apparently in retaliation for german media regulators, prohibiting russia state media outlet r t from broadcasting in germany, the west seas r t as broadcasting kremlin propaganda and just information deutsche as well as moscow office is now closed, and dw journalists can no longer work from russia. the russian government announced on thursday that it would shut down dw bureau and revoke the accreditation of dw journalists in russia. it also said in a statement, it would terminate the satellite and other broadcasting output of deutsch 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 nicholas o 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 my a globe is more 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 cuz we need dialogue. we need de escalation and not escalation law group often d as escalade. so nish escalade, so the russian government also said at plans to initiate proceedings, to label deutsch, vela 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 must go now to morocco, where rescue workers have been working tirelessly for days to save a 5 year old boy who fell into a well. crowds have flaunted to the village of a grand to cheer on the rescue. worse. official say they are getting close to the boy bought that conditions are dangerous and the rescue is in a challenging face. throngs of people watch as rescue was raised to save

a boy's life. little ryan has been stuck. 32 meters down this well since tuesday that a him i had done was he was playing until the middle of the day. he was with me at 1st. but then i looked for him and couldn't find him in everybody up after searching, we're realised that he fell into the well of it. now we are praying to god learning to miss ellen at less than half a meter wide. the well is too narrow to pull the boy out. rescuers use ropes to lower oxygen and water, as well as a closed circuit camera to check on his health. on thursday a rescuer was able to go down a parallel hole that had been doug to get closer to ryan. both of them up, but i managed to communicate with the child and asked that he could hear me. oh, that there was a response. is going helena. i waited for a minute and saw that he began using the oxygen. once rescuers were able to dig

down to the depth where ryan is stuck, they began excavating a horizontal tunnel to try and reach the boy. but the loose soil has slowed their efforts. gripped by the boy's terrifying plight. many have come to cheer on the rescuers or even to volunteer. but authorities of asked them to stand back and let them do the work. blood with many people from the region came to besides a be accidents and some even spent the night that it's a ryan touch them and every one is praying for him. a drama official said on friday that they were just meters away from reaching ryan, a police helicopter is waiting to take him to the hospital as soon as he is freed. the 2022 winter olympic games are now open after a lavish ceremony app, asians iconic birds nest stadium tickets weren't sold to international visitors or to the general public in china. another opening ceremony at beijing's birds nest

stadium hall must 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 stems. many spectators instead enjoyed the fireworks from outside the stadium. disappointed that events will be held without fans. yeah, i think i really need some pity. we cannot go to watch the games. we didn't this out. if it weren't for covered, we would be very happy. in case you guys yes. at all. sent it is a kale has a 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. yeah, but i will still cheer them on to. yeah, i all ready,

along with hazy, 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 traveled to beijing. the political sub plots of these olympics is just as much part of the proceedings as the coven restrictions. all those attending events must wear and f f, p to moscow 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 whether 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. their doors to athletes organizes will hope

that the sporting action becomes the focus of the headlines. ah, that's your news update as our coming up next is a world stories with a week report. stay tuned for that and play richardson in berlin during the team here. thank you so much for joining us with me closely with listen carefully. don't know how with today ah feel the magic.