will you, ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin still, no breakthrough is leaders step up there. if it's to try to fuse the ukraine, stand off, joe biden, and vladimir putin talk for the 1st time in 2 months. russia dismisses a us warning of an imminent invasion as his tyria. also coming up, police failed to enter truckers protest against pandemic restrictions which his hit cross border trade between canada and you with the blockade, the spot, copycat demonstrations in several other countries. and germany's federal convention

gathers to elect countries, president with incumbent. frank vitus died, maya poise to win a 2nd term. ah, i am jared read. thank you very much for your company. a phone call between the us and russian leaders has failed to ease tensions over ukraine. president joe biden and flattered me putin spoke after the us warned that russia could invade ukraine at any time. moscow is dismissed. the climate is syria. ukraine's forces are on high alert as more than 100000 russian troops are gathered near the border. germany has joined are the countries in telling its nationals to leave you crime. a white house statement says biden, warned putin of swift and severe costs. if russia does invade ukraine, moscow says the u. s. is guilty of unprecedented hysteria. american citizens have

been urged to leave ukraine immediately. other countries, including germany, are following suit. experts say they're doing the responsible thing or is a very substantial below of russian troops. the russians are in a position to launch an assault if they wanted to. what is not known and what cannot be known as precisely when that will happen. and that is why these evacuations are taking place. ukraine's president followed me, zalinski urged his people to stay calm despite the alarm. you know, i have to speak with our people. like you to, you know, like, like president, as safe people, drew's. and the truth that we have different information. and now the best friend for an image that hispanic in our country. and all this information that fails only for banding doesn't help us thousands rallied and give to show their support for

zalinski their message. we aren't going anywhere. and i'm not afraid in to worry did. it wouldn't stop. like in a week, it's a, it's already been going for 8 years. so nothing new for us. away from the rally. residents told d w. they don't want any part in a war. yes. may that actually mean there should be peace. that should be the principal go in the we are brothers. we shouldn't be fighting each other. yeah. right now i'm telling you officially neither. i nor my friends are going to fight. yeah, i am either. yeah. way way. he will. stoicism in the face of dire warnings. another day passes without fighting in ukraine's capital or u. s. president joe biden spent a full hour on the fine to his russian counterpart vladimir putin in their lightest effort to job been biden's latest effort. i should say to prevent the you cat crane

crisis escalating. so what exactly did the 2 ladies talk about? will t w's? washington bureau chief in his poll has this assessment to hear that the resurrect has basically not changed. and that the president joe, by the repeat of the message he sent out before he was putting that in ukraine attack would bring her and i, i a quote that here a swift and decisive response. he said that in case of an invasion, russia would be hit very hard by sanction sanctions, which also would target specifically the ali galks and also proteins, personal assets. so today's phone call was another sign. the president biden is willing to play hardball. in his poll there in washington. let's go to ukraine. now . mathias bullying is d. w's bureau chief in kia mathias. hi there. how concerned

are ordinary ukrainians? about a possible war? if somebody dropped you yesterday or today into the center of gear, you wouldn't think at all and not telling you where you are. you wouldn't think at all that you are in the country, threatened by war. people are out on the streets. they are enjoying their life. you see street musicians, people doing their shopping. it's a beautiful day. but of course people are concerned and many people have done some preparations. some people have withdrawn an amount of money or to be safe for the, for the, for any anything happening. and some people have in stock piling, fuel or food people have thought about what they will do or whether they will, for example, go to their country side. how's their summer, how's, or whether they might even flee the country. so people are of course concerned, but this does not mean that people are sitting there scared panicking. you don't

see a panic buying of groceries and even the currency exchange is still stable, although the government has to support it. not speaking of panic, president zelinski is saying that that is his big. it is countries biggest enemy right now. so does zalinski not share the u. s. assessment that an invasion could happen within days? yeah, he has been saying this for some weeks now that he's unhappy with the communication by the u. s. and other western partners about all these detailed, or, or very specific scenarios that they are, that they are giving the husband also some speculation about why they are doing this. it's the 1st time her a crisis is communicated this way. and he feels that this is making his job to keep the country together and to keep the economy together or make is making it more difficult. because of course, in a if, if capital flees the country,

which is already happening at the country, will be weaker in the case that something happens. however, he does not say he has an entirely different assessment of the situation. he says he has no detail. he knows does not know about any detail plans of an incursion, but he sees of course, the threats and he also sees the same military picture around his country that the western allies mathias burning in kia. thank you mathias, let's get a round up of some other headlines making world news at this hour. a recent ballistic missile test by north korea is topping the agenda at talks in hawaii, the us, japan and south korea. also discussing the pandemic and climate change, hungary is prime minister victor alba is campaigning for a 4th term in office. all been told supporters. in budapest, there could be an influx of refugees from you. crank should war break out?

he also hinted that hungry could leave the you election is in april. extreme drought is affecting large areas of spain. these images you'll see a you're seeing show the ruins of a village once submerged below a reservoir, now exposed to the air as water levels drop. drastically. experts are warning that a dry spring would be dire for spain's agricultural sector. police have failed to clear a major bridge crossing between the us and canada. it's being blocked by truckers protesting against vaccine rules. police persuaded some drivers to move their vehicle was bought reconvenes lisa. the action has sparked copycat protests in several other countries. taking their outrage, lou to that government doorstep. it's been over 2 weeks now that the freedom convoy has come to the canadian capital altura,

the plan to force on vaccinated truck drivers crossing between canada and the us to quarantine, spoke the initial rally. but the demonstrators in the blockade goes way beyond opposing the rules on and not kill ations. we're not here vaccinations. i can tell you 90 percent of the truckers here are likely vaccinated. but we're here for freedom of choice or canadian need to wake up and realize that our freedoms are being stripped away. it is not normal for us to wear. ready mask all day. ok, i'm sick and tired of it. i'm a teacher in the classroom and part of it to police could not move the protesters off a border crossing. it's one of the major corridors into the united states. the blockade has affected trade and travel between the 2 countries. it's

also inspired support rallies over the border to buffalo, new york state, and as far away as new zealand in the netherlands truck has rolled through the hague and thousands of french police were deployed to stop the convoy of freedom from entering paris. oh, but some protest has made it, they took aim at vaccine pulses and president emmanuel micron, but also tapped into the discontent over rising prices. as you know, little are right. this is our freedoms are violated, but we just have the right to work to spend and to be taxed, agreed. as the price of diesel increases, we told sugar insurance increases everything, increases police clear the streets using tear gas. but this is not ended the protests, the freedom convoys. next stop is the european union's power base in brussels.

will germany's federal convention is gathering to day to choose a new president popular incumbent scanned file to stein maya is expected to be voted in for a 2nd 5 year term after he won the backing of all 3 parties in germany's governing coalition. the role of president is largely ceremonial. we have this look now at what exactly the job entails. it's time to elect the president in germany, the countries highest office, such as to can be german president. there are just 3 requirements. you have to have german citizenship. the right to vote in federal elections and be older than 40. since the federal republic was founded in 1949, they have been 12 president and 7 since german unification in 1990. the place is only ever been held by men. so what does the german president do? the president represents germany at home and abroad and concludes treaties with

foreign states. they also appoint german envoys and receive foreign dignitaries. the president also proposes a chancellor and after parliament. alexa, chancellor, the president officially assigned them and them ministers, their roles. they also have the power to dissolve parliament and laws only come into effect after the president has signed them. they also appoint and dismiss federal judges. have the power to pardon people and ward thousands of honors, make it $300.00 or 100 and 5th birthday, and he'll get a special congratulations off the president. the same goes for couple celebrating our 65th 70th am 75th wedding anniversaries had flesh in brooklyn. at the request of parents, a german president can also act as a good parent to a family 7 or subsequent child. since 1949 german presidents have become godfathers to more than 81000 children. ultimately, the german president is expected to have a positive impact on society and many use their christmas address to connect with

people at home. most recently, during the pandemic president frank vall, to shine maya called on germans to remain united. the coming term for germany's president looks to be another tumultuous one, with challenges both at home and abroad. well to the beijing winterly peaks were hunted nicer, became the 1st german woman to win gold in the skeleton. the 21 year old wasn't among the favorites, but she beat australia's jaclyn narrow cott to get germany's 6 gold medal from 6 events. at the sliding sent up. international olympic committee says they will be no repercussions for ukraine's by this love her rock cabbage. the athlete flashed a sign of support in support of peace in his homeland. at the end of his skeleton, barbara, he revealed a sign reading no war in ukraine. now the i see could have conceded his act,

political, which is of course, against olympic rules. the w jonathan crane in beijing explains why the committee decided not to take action. we were expecting athlete protest, but not necessarily on ukraine, maybe about china and human rights better yet. this was a skeleton athlete by the name of a lot of slough, harris kevin. now he held up a post to saying no war in ukraine. he was basically saying, look, any normal person just wants peace state. but the, i see 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 received a master close. at least some common sense has prevailed here. jonathan crane and beijing day before we go. carnival is back on the streets and squares. venice authorities dropped some pandemic restrictions, allowing people to swap surgical masks, full traditional 18th century costumes festivities are being described as lord

kaden. it's the 1st time there's been any carnival celebration since the start of the current up next sunday, w. europe's dirty secret. a look at the 1000000000 dollar waste business in ash i reported don't go away with stories that people of a world over information. they provide opinions, they want to express d, w on facebook and twitter up to date and in touch. follow us. dogs are more intelligent than most people think. psychology professor john pillay has.