are you ready to meet the 7th then join me, right? just do it on d, w. ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, germany advises at citizens to leave ukraine. the foreign ministry says germans should check whether their presence in that country is essential and if not to leave as soon as possible. this comes with the united states warrants. russia could invade ukraine at any time. and at the beijing olympics to veteran american snow border show, it is not such a youthful sport. after all, we speak to our sports corresponding in china to will also give us the latest on

some big controversies. ah, our next by cert, welcome to the program. germany has warned against travel to ukraine and told its nationals to leave the country following fears that russia is planning an imminent invasion. my german foreign minister and alina burbock said that the crisis was escalating. while on a trip to egypt, she told journalists that she and nato allies were still working on a diplomatic solution. germany is a latest country to issue a travel warning to the region in recent days. there is a german 4 minister so we will keep our embassy in kiev open, but reduce the entire diplomatic staff there. that includes this economy, employees of our partners and the german teachers abroad. family members will also leave the country now. our concert general and annette's set up in 2014 will be

temporarily relocated to lavet to foreign office also issues a travel warning germans who are there are urged to consider leaving the country. and for more on this is bringing d w chief international editor richard walker. can you talk us through this warning a little bit more yet? nick. so alina bab described the situation at the moment in ukraine as precarious, saying that there is no de escalation. the de escalation, the germans and the rest of the west have been pushing for diplomatic channels in recent weeks. but rather the opposite and referring to the fact that there are large military exercises going on at the moment by 30000 russian troops in belarus . there are also naval exercises going on around the port of savannah to pole in crimea, which the russians of course, annexed back in 2014. so pointing to this and this really timing in with, with warnings that we've had from the united states yesterday, that it does appear that some kind of military action could be imminent. so an

alina burbock saying, on the basis of this that they are taking purport precautions then around germans in ukraine, at the moment, talking about the embassy stuff, they're not closing the embassy, but reducing their head count, they're insane to germans, who are in ukraine, that they should think about if it's essential for them to be there, and if not that they should leave. and can you tell, tell us a little bit about the timing. why this now? yeah, well there has been really a kind of a flurry of concern if you like of the last 24 hours or so about the situation that the exercises that we're seeing and belarus, the naval exercise that i just mentioned. also, those both feeding into that in the united states yesterday, issuing a start warning that they believe according to their intelligence, that is possible that the russians may make a military move in the next week or so, even while the winter olympics is still taking place. there been some speculation that the russians might be waiting that out. i should stress the russian farm and

assist folks his american counterpart today on the phone. we know that the russians is pushing back so sag love ra, saying to tony, blinking in that cool. according to the russian side, that they feel that the west is trying to provoke of conflict with this. talk this public talk of this aggression. well that, yeah, i think the russians have quite often accused the rest of things that, you know, is a bit of a mere debit look. do we feel now that a russian invasion is around the corner of given that you know, western countries are getting a nationals to leave it in a background briefing recently one german official described it like this that, that they want to look at capabilities, not necessarily intentions. and what they see here, and what the americans are pointing to at the moment, is the capability to take some military action, very large numbers of troops. these exercises going on, providing a kind of reason for these troops to be on the move. the intentions, of course,

this is a huge question. what does vladimir putin really want? there's been a lot of debate about that. that's not completely clear, but the capability is there. ok, thanks so much for that. and so did of you chief international editor richard walker. now moscow denies having any plans to invade ukraine, of course, but with more than 100000 troops as we just heard station near the border and a ramp up and military drills, tensions are reaching a fever pitch. american president, joe barton, is due to speak with russia as vladimir putin later today in the hope of averting war. more activity on all sides of the ukraine crisis. russia's ministry of defense released footage of navy ships arriving in savannah to pull bay on the black sea. in the russian annexed crimean peninsula. they're here taking part in large scale landing drills. the situation makes many ukrainians uneasy. it's not a pleasant feeling. believe me,

to understand that you and circled by the russian troops from bellow, wish 1000 kilometers more than one. follow them from the east. and the last couple of days, sir, russia actually close to the entire a z o c and the the particles do. blake see actually excess ukrainian ports to the black seat. ah, the united states wanted citizens out of harm's way. immediately president joe biden has urged all americans to leave ukraine. if a russian attack on ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality. a subsequent ground invasion would involve the onslaught of a massive force with virtually no notice communications to arrange. a departure

could be severed and commercial. transit halted, while civilians pack up security forces are coming in the other direction. around a 1000 us soldiers arrived in poland to add to the $4000.00 service members already stationed there and on romanian black sea coast. a 1000 strong strike force rolled in from a u. s. bass and germany. nato secretary general was there when they arrived. he spoke of the importance of boots on the ground as a deterrent to russia's military buildup, which he called unjustified. so the combination old military buildup, threatening rhetoric, ah, a track record of using force against neighbors. of course, that's the reason for being a cedars to concerned and are being vigilant and ready also to ah, react if they're once again use force against the ukraine. although the u. s. hasn't

sent ground forces to ukraine. it continues to supply weapons to the beleaguered country. part of a $200000000.00 security package meant to keep this crisis from escalating into an outright conflict. and we're going to go to ukraine now to see how things look there and talk to the demo correspond mathias billing here, who is in the capital kit mathias. germany joined the list of countries asking it citizens to lead ukraine as soon as possible. are people likely to evacuate? you think? why we've heard the foreign minister she's already announced. who is going to leave us from a, from a state organizations that includes the embassy, non essential stuff, their families. and that also includes the organizations, for example, in, in aide or in other cooperation. um that are here on behalf of the german government on the, on the federal budget, they will also evacuate some stuff and all the companies will go through the same.

ah, they will also have to check with their insurance companies because once a warning is issued, this has also consequences on their insurance companies. so i would expect that many people will bring at least the families out of the country, but also many experts will do not have to be here. might be leaving. and also a business crypt the trips will be canceled and have you spoken to any ukrainians about how they feel about all these western governments telling them to to leave the must be unsettling. well, yeah, it is unsettling, of course. and there is a sense of urgency, a sense of crisis here that has, i mean, there has been a sense of crisis before, but people have been going about their daily lives. they still do so many have prepared for it. but this of course makes it much more urgent and i've heard some voices who've said that they feel like like, like abandoned. and there is also

a pushback from the ukranian government saying there is no need to panic. somewhat disagreeing with the rhetoric of the western governments, although their tone has been shifting slightly. and they are also now insisting that this is a serious matter. let me ask you about that emotion and perhaps the despair i don't know of putting words in people's mouth and the when stylish and protests in the capital to day. can you, can you tell us about that? briefly? yeah. despairs the wrong word. despair is the wrong word. there is resolve here to defend the country. many people have joined these forces and this march is not a very big mansion or, but this march is of course, a signal of is meant as a signal of unity and that people here are not giving up on their country. there is no despair in the, in the way that people would feel that it's an inevitable fate to be invaded. ok,

correspondence, mathias, a bullying her in care on the situation there. thanks so much and we turn to sports now and the beijing winter olympics, where the united states has prevail for to, to over canada in the clash between ice, hockey heavyweights, the group stage meeting was missing north, america's n. h. l. stars. after the pandemic force, the league, the stoppage players were attending, but to youthful side still provided an entertaining game with the us now in the driving seat in group a and there has also been more joy in beijing for us, snow border lindsey jack of bellis, who picked up her 2nd gold of the games. 36 year old teamed up with nick baumgartener to secure victory in the inaugural snowboard. cross mixed event. he did his job by winning the men's race. jacqueline bellis then benefited from 2 rivals crushing in the women's race. she added gold to her individual title on

wednesday. jacko bellas and baumgartener had waited $54.00 olympics respectively for gold metal and dw correspondent jonathan crane joins us now from bay jane to tell us more. so jonathan, more gold for jacob bellis. sheep waits, 5 games and 2 golds come at once. indeed, what's that expression about london buses? i think you can say the same for lindsey jack about his con you. she waits a g for girl madeline than to come along at once. this really is the redemption story of these games. they don't sell at lindsey jack policy. you say that because she doesn't see it like that. but just to recap, 2006. she made her olympic to aid you in the snowboard cross. she was cruising to victory, it was in her off, and she showed her to drive to the and foul and only got a so with meadow $2102014.00. she crashes out in the semi finals 4 years ago in piano chung, she misses the bronze by 31, hundreds of a 2nd. everyone thinks that fit a career is over. she's not going to get to go metal. and in 4 days ago,

she finally does an individual event. and today she's followed up with another one in this team really with nick baumgartener and they have a combined age of 76 years old. who says, snowboard is for young people. nick, that is hope horse after all. is there jonathan? listen. you are at the ice hockey today. ah, what picture? interest there? well, the germans were taking on china and i have to say it was a really interesting match because germany rent 3 now up and you saw that was going to be a china last the previous match against the united states. 8 now. but china came right back in for a historic moment. spencer fu scoring china is 1st ever, i limping goal in ice hockey. and, you know, we've been seeing the signs inside the stadiums. they've largely been quiet the atmosphere today. inside the stadium was fantastic. cheers of giant throughout, which is a chinese expression of support and cheering that team on. and then to place just

a rupture when china finally got they got they got another one that they can quite hang on during the day. as you'd already mentioned, the united states and canada, the 2 heavy weights really in that group faced off and it was the united states. he prevailed for to to. so they really are the team looking like they're going to qualify for the next rounds. and we hear that ukraine can stay out of the news even even at the olympics. can you tell us about that? yeah, that's right. this is what to do with the protest last night at the men skeleton, if we were expecting athlete protests, but not necessarily on ukraine, maybe about china and human rights better. yeah, this was a skeleton, asked me by the name of a lot of stuff. harris, kevin, now he held up a post saying no war in ukraine. he was basically saying that any normal person just wants peace. but he actually forbids protest during the competition today with ro, 50 and, and, you know, protecting political neutrality. but in this case, it has come out and said, this is just

a gesture of peace. we see the master close. at least some common sense has to have out here. yeah, i think i think that's the message most most people would agree with jonathan crane for us, reporting in beijing on the limit games. thanks so much. and your of course watching did of you news live from berlin only back at the top of the hour with more world news. i'm nick spicer. thanks for watching. the green. you feel worried about the planning? me too. i'm neil. host of the, on the green fence out cost, and to me it's clear we need to change. join me for a deep dive into the green transformation for me, for you, for the plans with the battle against cove it. the oma coon variant is putting.