or life starts the june 16th on d, w. d. ah, ah, this is deed of you news live from berlin. germany federal convention gathers to elect the country's president incumbent. frank walter stein meyer has the backing of the governing coalition and looks poised to win a 2nd term, also coming up, living with a threat of war ukrainians rally for unity in the face of russian aggression. the president appeals for com as western nations warn and invasion, maybe a minute ah

unexpired. welcome to the program. and we begin here in berlin, where a specially convened body, known as the federation convention, is now gathering to choose the country's president popular and common frank walter stein meyer is expected to be voted in for a 2nd 5 year term. after winning the backing of all 3 parties in germany's governing coalition, the head of state rule is largely ceremonial position. former chancellor, anglo merkel is among those are eligible to vote. and she's there in her 1st public appearance since she left office. and then ended up on the proposal and our political correspondent, nina has it is in the bonus tag where the convention is taking place. nina shine myers reelection today as president is pretty much considered certain. what. what does he stand for? oh,

thanks. fight i stein maya is 66 years old and he has a solid background in politics. he has held many high ranking positions for a social democrats. in the past. he was the chief of the chancery m of gach florida . in the ninety's, he became foreign minister of germany twice. and then for the last 5 years, he's had this position of german president. of course he's left to party politics for that. he sees himself as a kind of a bridge builder or the president's role is mainly that of healing, of uniting a country and find fight. i stein maya has focus very much on bringing germans back together again during this. a very hard corona pandemic that covet pandemic. here in the country, he's organized several round tables, for example, where defenders and opponents of the covert measures sat together because time fight as timer says, that what is needed is a thorough debate and not just am arguing. so this is something that he will a very much and hope to continue in the next 5 years. also,

he's identified the topic of digitalization and ethics to what are the rules on the digital platforms he spoken out against hate speech on several occasions. but of course, we'll probably also hear a bit more of him and when it comes to foreign policy, now he, as with his experience, our foreign minister has a very strong idea. he's very good connections with international leaders. and he's traveling to latvia, for example, later this week, so we'll probably hear some more words from him on those topics as well. jenny, no, i will come back to you, but i'd like to share with our viewers what frank walter shodmurray has been doing as president up till now. for 5 years, frank boucher stein maya has held german his highest office. he's met royalty and dealt with many world leaders. from the moment he was sworn in 2017, he want democracy was under threat. it wasn't in mood. we must have the courage to

protect what we had freedom and democracy in a united europe. this is the foundation we want to and we must defend together dismissal the emitter under for tithing. it in his 1st year as president stein maya played a key role in the democratic process and inconclusive general election left the party leaders struggling to form a government shine maya coaxed them into a coalition paving the way for angle or miracles. 4th term as chancellor or different ro traveling the globe and winning friends for germany, often with his wife al, caboodle bender shine maia, a form of foreign minister in his element. in 2020, he attended the ceremony in israel to mark 75 years since the liberation of the outfits nazi death camp stone. my speech to a link with racist violence to day arrived as a different age. the words are not the same. the perpetrators

are not the same but it is of same evil. and there remains only one answer. never again. ne vida. just months earlier, a heavily armed man had tried to enter a synagogue in the city of halla aiming to cause a blood bath. stein maya quickly visited the scene. because if the man on history warns us and the present challenges us, we must show we have the right attitude. emerson hold on sighing. as the covert pandemic opened new rifts in society shine maia showed he shared the nation's pain . some said he was not clear enough in challenging coven deniers and vaccine skeptics. but again and again, he appealed to germans to stay united, including last year as he announced he was running for a 2nd term. defending me hot steve for wound the pandemic is left deep wounds. it is brought suffering and grief, economic and mental distress,

and much frustration and bitterness. we've argued over the right way forward and open wounds. i want to help. he lays wound in vig this mister heaven, these haven't and so frank vanished, i admire, stands ready to keep offering his healing words. if air goes back to need a, has a at the buddhist i where the voting is taking place to day, minute. thank walter, stein, mar isn't the only candidate, as you know the far right. if de left, hardy and the free voters, i believe, had put forward their own candidates, why is that? well, because they can, it, is that right to do so? and at the 3 votes, as for example, i put forward a woman, they say that is vital that we opened this position also to women. we've never had a fema president here in this country. and many people are saying that it's almost certain that after frank, by thursday mazar in 5 years time, will probably have

a woman in that office. but as far as i just, i my does look almost certain to be reelected because not only does he have the support of the in 3 governing parties, he also has the support from the conservatives. and of interestingly, of course, the most interesting and controversial position is probably that of the a f d. candid at max auto. now he is a member of the conservatives, and many people are saying that the far right after you party nominated him just to annoy the conservatives. and the parties also nominates celebrities and other well known figures to attend the federal commission. we were just talking about anglo merkel showing up, ah, for the 1st time in a long, long time since she left the office. what, why is that? what's the, what's the point? well, it is very interesting and it is fascinating to walk around brenda's fact to day and to see so many different people from all walks of life, some in very glittery, glamorous costumes dress for this occasion. or you have to remember that the

federal convention is a body that is unique. it only comes together every 5 years, and it is different every time. so all the parties that are represented in the bonus stuck at the same amount of votes as they have seats. and they can give those votes away to people that they feel represent their own value. so we've got singers, he of rappers, we've got a football superstar leon corex. gov, we've got top fire ologist. we've got 5 people. it's sorta so this idea is to have a representation of german society. here. we don't have many occasions where a germany celebrates its democracy, but to day is one such day and it is represented very much by the people who are here a couple of meters away from me to day to elect a new president. ok, nina houser, thank you. for explaining the celebration and we look forward to joining you later in the day when we get the results. are political correspondent mean a has a the latest diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in ukraine have so

far failed to ease tensions. on saturday, the u. s. and russian president spoke for an hour on the phone. afterwards joe barden warned that russia would face swift in severe cost if it invaded ukraine. vladimir putin for his part dismiss us warnings as hysteria. meanwhile, ukrainians have rallied to support their government, which is calling for calm, even as many foreign nationals leave the country a shoe of unity and ukraine's capital. the brave faces here though belie growing fears about her rush, an attack on their country. we are we afraid would probably yes, i feel the anxiety inside me by them. others are already plotting their escape if i'm here. so we will try to prove that them to prepare all documents and making plans for their children to

with ukrainian forces training near the black sea. these are been warfare exercises, heads at the kind of unrest. they are preparing for president sa lensky, however, called for com heads to prevail the best friend for enemies that is benny in our country and all this information details only for fanny doesn't help us during an hour long phone call on saturday. u. s. president joe biden, warren vladimir putin of swift and severe costs. if russia does invade, perkins team accused the u. s. of unprecedented hysteria. the u. s. is taught diplomat. antony blinking also spoke with his russian counterpart on our call for mr. lover off said that herb russians are working on

a response to the paper that we sent to moscow more than 2 weeks ago. proposing concrete areas for discussion. it remains to be seen if they'll fall through on that, but if they do, we'll be ready to engage on sunday contingency plans turned real u. s. staff at the organization for security and economic cooperation. based in the rebel held city of dawn net, were packing up and heading home. just the latest group to decide that the risk of all i wore is now too great. and for more, the mood and ukraine we go to d, w 's, nick carnell in the capital care, a neck biden, and french president mack on both called vladimir putin as we were talking about earlier. what are the people and politicians where you are saying about about those talks, the expect much i think there is certainly some diplomatic fact fatigue here in kiev basic if it is the last couple of weeks, it's been

a top level visit almost every day. so much so that you had told him zalinski having to delay the dutch prime minister. so he could meet for his johnson that just weren't enough hours in the day. so there definitely is a sense people aren't going into this following this with the same kind of attention to ditch as they would in normal time because it's just too much happening. i think the expectations are pretty low. and the main takeaway is something we heard from moscow yesterday with one of flooding approaches, advisors saying that, put in, had complained to joe biden, that there wasn't enough western pressure on ukraine to implement the a peace accords on eastern ukraine in the way that russia demand something that ukraine says would basically permanently limit ukraine sovereignty, its opportunities, its chance to decide its own future. so that the main takeaway of mr. but no real sense here in key of the anyone expects that there's going to be some magic wand, some kind of solution that will miraculously put an end to this just with a after phone call. well, there's going to be another diplomatic visit as you know to morrow. when the german

chancellor, olaf shots discusses the situation with la, amir zalinski before going on to moscow to meet foot on tuesday. what kind of welcome do you think the ukranian president will give him? it's not going to be the war, mr. welcomes, because germany has refused to 2 things in recent weeks. firstly, to supply ukraine with defensive weapons in this kind of style or at all in constant style that we've seen. the u. s. the u. k, sending anti tank missiles bull to condescending anti aircraft missiles. germany has said that it will only send medical supplies helmets, but nothing more than that that's being seen as basically germany sitting on the fence and not supporting a country in need here and ukraine. and the 2nd thing is that nor stream to gas pipeline between russia and germany, ukraine, or wants that basically sanctioned and put on the table now immediately as a preventative thing to show the russians that the west means business germany so far, saying that this is a question of diplomatic ambiguity, keeping all options on the table and not making any announcements before anything

happens on the ground. so a lot of frustration there from ukraine, even though germany has been the single biggest donor to ukraine since 2014 since rush annex crimea. but all that basically forgotten over the attentions the last few weeks, and what perceived to be a lack of empathy from germany towards ukraine. and just coming back to the visits of the western leaders, they're all going there to talk to a lensky, to talk to putin as they call on their nationals to, to leave ukraine. how do you craniums feel about all these westerners being told to do to get out of the country for their own safety? i think that really has cut through in a way that a lot of the news in recent weeks kind of went over people's heads. and you know, we had unprecedented briefings by us intelligence officials talking about a russian full flag operations. other things that the russians were alleged planning to do here, and ukraine in most people basically zoned out. but those images of the embassies here being wound down, diplomats leaving sometimes for broad. sometimes the western ukraine,

closer to nato, into you countries that really has got people worried, and people who up so now have been keeping home and saying they just wanna get on with their lives. will now tell you that they've got a suit case packed with documents and cache in case they need to leave and hurry. ok, t w's nick connelly in care. there. thanks so much. you're up to date now and watching did have been used live from berlin unexpired. thanks for watching with imagine how many pushing of lunch or so now in the world climate change, very harmful story. this is my plan, the way from just one week. how much work can really get we still have time to act. i'm doing all this process. ah.