ah, ah ah, this is dw news life from berlin assure force from the kremlin. russia extends its joint military drills with belarus, including tests of nuclear capable missiles. the west is stepping off diplomatic efforts to head off an invasion of ukraine. us vice president camella harris wraps up a major international security conference where they warning that war in europe remains a real possibility. and beijing closes the winter olympics, overshadowed by pandemic restrictions and the doping scandal surrounding

a russian star skater. ah, monica jones, thanks for joining us. russia is extending joint military drills with its allied belarus as western leaders. step up warnings that an invasion of ukraine is imminent. diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis are intensifying. the united states their seed will keep talking until tanks are actually rolling. the french president, man, william, our call has been speaking with a russian leader vladimir putin. they have set up new 3 way talks between russia, ukraine, and europe. meanwhile, russian back separatists have re ignited a simmering conflict in eastern ukraine on the lookout, a shells fall on ukraine's eastern front. government forces say they have been

ordered to show restraint. and they trust me right now. we don't respond to their fire because we're all so shooting at us now at the command, post commando, unusable to live. our commanders don't allow us to file and we are following orders even if there is a wish to respond. but if the vote of deutsch guy, because the enemy is waiting for us to shoot back at the mortgage in the police, but if there is no political agreement, things will get resolved. with military power. ukraine's interior minister came under fire while visiting soldiers in the east. he was later brought to safety with navy school. we. i'm a civilian, i'm not a soldier. i'm shocked. say, a moment. i know that the civilians who live here in permanently feel this fear.

christina la yeoman, though, as it civilly eluded a fear that his approving lives as the crisis intensifies residents of ukraine, separate as regions boarded trains and buses bound for russia. whose gazelle, my husband said, go away, take the kids and go to school there. physical and psychological health is more important than anything else. meanwhile, russia has extended joint military drills with beller as that were scheduled to and sunday. the exercises include nuclear capable missiles. nato has joined us in warning that russia is planning a quote, full fledged attack against ukraine. he w as nick connelly joins me now from keith. nick, russia and belarus are extending their joint military exercises. what's the reaction to that in keith? well, i don't think this comes unexpected for people here and give who didn't really believe

those russian troops would ever leave bellows, at least in short, to meet him terminal. indeed, lots people say here that as basic the 1st step towards russia incorporating, perusing, keeping those troops on a permanent basis and increasing its control of obliviousness, internal affairs. the really important thing here is that those russian troops and pillars. but of course, it has a 1000 clumped long border with ukraine that stretches all the way to poland and that you need to broader. so by having russian troops along the whole stretch of ukraine's borders from poland, basically all the way to the black sea along a 2000 kilometer russian border with ukraine. it spreads ukraine's forces very thinly and makes it very difficult to prepare for any potential attack. belarus is basically just over a 100 kilometers as the crow flies by air direct from care of. so any troops based beller is, could be in kia very soon compared to if they were having to reach care from russia stiffly the ups to threats and makes sure in here a lot more tense. even though it doesn't really come as much surprised. these x is excise being extended. yeah. and as tension grows,

ukraine is sir calling on the west to implement sanctions against russia. now, while at the same time diplomatic efforts to deescalate the crisis continue, how likely are we to see any breakthrough? well obviously as this threat becomes more real and more convincing image near the expectation here is that there will be greater pressure from the west on ukraine to compromise, to agree to implementing those piece talks on dumbass in the way that russia wants them to, which would be to basically allowed separatists to become ukrainian politicians. and yeah, basically pick up a kind of permanent, a bit of leverage over ukraine and it's future by legitimizing them and bring them into the fold. ukraine of it doesn't want to do that at any cost and has been resisting those calls. but it's a question of a diplomatic pressure on ukraine from those west l. i. so, so far have stood up for what ukraine sees to be right. what ukraine thinks is the energy from its duration. it doesn't look like so far. the russians got anything that they could sell internally as a when they've been know

a promises by nato to rule out membership ukraine, the future or to pull back nato forces in those eastern european member countries. so very little that would suggest that some kind of deal face saving deal when when is possible and on the cards right now. all right, and of course are right in the middle of this crisis today, ukraine is commemorating the victims of the my down protests in 2014 oh, what's been happening? people in a, in any kind of mood to commemorate that today. the destiny just behind me, where i'm here in center, key of near the might on square. you've had people with flowers are coming to the kind of impromptu memorial still stands. that was great. it just after those deaths back in 2014 people are crying. taking pictures of pictures, old memorials, to friends or relatives who lost their lives in those protests, very human, very real direct connections. and as a kind of protest, medium sophomores going on behind me. and when you talk to these people, awesome, we'll tell you that back then standing up for european values and ukraine's choice

of going close europe cost ukraine daily. we had that russian annexation of crimea, beginning of that conflict in don bass. they would say that now this is again the same story. russia trying to prevent ukraine moving, west, moving close to nato. and again, they see russia willing to use force against ukraine. i have nick connelly, they're reporting from kia for us. thank you so much. the u. s, vice president kamala harris has warned that war in europe remains a real possibility. she was speaking as the 3 day munich security conference drew to a close. the gathering brought together western leaders and was attended by ukraine's president and russia sent no representative for the 1st time since 1990. 1 delicate stressed that a massive sanctions package is being prepared in the event that russia does in bay, teen crane. when it's last day, the conference shifted for goes to europe and its role in the crisis unfolding on ukraine's bought a new council presidential. michelle summed up the views of many in the block

and janet wasa, offer an olive branch while rush actress ducks missile test and continues to i'm as troops with ladies and gentlemen. one thing is certain, if there is further military aggression, we really, we act with massive sanctions. and just for russia must be and will be severe. but let's be french. it will be also a, just for us, in europe. losing our prize europe seems willing to pay if russia does attack ukraine, because the threat from moscow has not caused division in the alliance. michelle stressed, but cemented unity and unity of purpose. the youth foreign policy chief added in contrast to countries like russia and china, which were undermining democracy and watering down human rights must realize that

the main tar digit not about defending western values is not about defending the west, but upholding shared principles. that on to been come on security and promote collective goals. the conference was a show of western resolve, but not off dialogue with russia, which was absent for the 1st time in decades. the hope is that vladimir putin can still be persuaded to step back from the brink of war and t w's mikaela, tucson. now with a key takeaways from the security conference in munich, vladimir putin is choosing accent over words on the border with ukraine. having just announced an extension of maneuvers in bella, bruce, there are a lot of question marks. what the next was the next days and weeks will bring in terms of destabilization here on the european continent and what the west response will be. but one thing is for sure, the traditional west nato, its allies,

the european union are unified, holistically, but also sending a clear signal to ukraine. that yes, there is solidarity, but no european or nato soldiers will defend ukraine's sovereignty when it comes down to it. and he has a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. britain's queen elizabeth has tested positive for koby 19. buckingham palace says the monarch has mild cold like symptoms and will continue with light duties of the coming week. the queen met with her son prince charles, just days before he tested positive for the virus. earlier this month, people in malia celebrating frances more to pull its troops out of the west. african nation. french forces have supported molly and tackling radical islamist, malicious. for the past 9 years, but relations are solid since the army ceased power in 2020 the death toll

from torrential rains that triggered flash floods and landslides and brazil has risen above 150 rescue workers and residents of the mountain city off a petrol palace, some 70 kilometers north of rio de janeiro are still searching for scores of people who remain missing the winter olympics in beijing has signed off. with a traditional closing ceremony, norway, top to the metals table of the games, were overshadowed by pandemic restrictions which bart spectators and he kept the athlete in a strict bubble. the doping scandal surrounding a rush and skating prodigy was another tap. ha, fireworks lit up the night sky in beijing to mark the start of the 2022 winter olympics. china's government spent billions in the builder and cove. it didn't make it any easier. the host nations human rights record was put under international scrutiny. their treatment of wicker muslims prompted countries

like the u. s. and the u. k. to stage a diplomatic boycott, china responded by having a weaker athlete light. the olympic flay. sticking to the script. international olympic committee president, thomas bah, cited his know politics pledge, the position or for the the, or you see her must be given the or political or neutrality that we are not her commenting on her political. her issues, however, organizers did comment on this display from ukraine. instead of calling it political, the i o. c described it as a call for peace on the supporting front rushes, 15 year old figure skater, camilla valley ava dominated headlines due to testing positive for a band substance. but due to being a minor, while the eva was allowed to continue competing,

which didn't and well for the teenager, away from the politics and controversy. china hauled in a record 9 gold medals. 2 went to freestyle skier, eileen, go. francesco free day and germany's bobsled team had an unforgettable showing in beijing. but when it comes to the best of the best, out doing all nations was norway. the norwegians top the metals table with a record 16 goals for more than the successful germans. despite the hiccups here and there, the beijing winner games provided plenty of sporting highlights and historic achievements. jonathan crane of deed, healthiest force is in beijing. he looks back now on the winter olympics basing has rounded off it 2nd the olympic games with an up be closing ceremony. it was

directed once again by jang e e e e move. he becomes the 1st man to oversee 2 sets of opening and closing ceremonies. after the summer games in 2008, now this was an opportunity for the athletes to come together and celebrate their achievement from these past 2 weeks. because mas forcing points of view these games provided many memorable, magical moments. sadly though, because of the harsh coded restrictions in place here, very few spectators were allowed inside the venues to see those magical moments contributing to a subdued atmosphere. really making it very difficult to judge whether winter sport has a long term future. here in china. and of course questions over beijing suitability as host did linger over the games, but only a handful of athletes felt comfortable enough speaking out, and mostly doing so once they've reached the safety of their own countries. now milan cortina in italy takes over the man, so of winter olympic host in 4 years time. it is of course,

a far less controversial choice with all the restrictions that we've had to put out with these past 2 weeks. hopefully it will be a less torvard effect you'd want that's all for now. up next report, a looks at efforts to reconcile greek and turkish cypriots and there's plenty more . well use analysis on our website, d, w dot to comp. i'm monica jones. thanks for watching the music security conference, 2022. and the question over what to rasa will do next in ukraine is overshadowing all the tools. see those tools are about the pandemic security in this saw how region the indo pacific, but also the iran nuclear deal. but russia really is on everybody's mind. media security conference, 2022 here on t w news.