you very much for coming on the show or european union leaders have agreed to impose new sanctions on russia over its war on ukraine. but they held back from cutting russia from the global swift payment system. after resistance from some countries, european commission president, also lafond alliances, the agreed measures would have a major impact on russia's economy. we will hold the kremlin accountable. the package of massive and targeted sanctions. european leaders approved to night clearly demonstrates that it will have maximum impact on the russian economy and the political elite. and it is built off 5 pillars, the 1st that the financial sector. second, the energy sector, the 3rd is the transport sector forth our export controls and the ban of export financing. and finally, visa policy, christine boy, is in brussels for us to talk about these sanctions and other rounds. how far do

they go though this time? then the european council president shall, michelle said that these sanctions were massive and painful. and by all indications they will be been, they will be felt by ordinary russians as prices grow up because of inflation. ordinary household items are going up in prices and we can also expect a been that some businesses will not survive as the economy goes into recession. because of these sanctions beyond the sort of medium term impact at this is also going to effectively destroy industry. some industries in russia, as, as they're not able to access a certain technologies that are required to power modern day future. so it is certainly looking like these sanctions will have an impact in the medium term, but also in the longer term been christine, we've had

a whole raft of sanctions now a whole series of them are from week to strong and now massive. but the harshest of them all will be calling rush her off from the into banking system called swift. but we're hearing that germany and italy held off on that. why? that's right. been, you've got to understand that for the sanctions that are going to be imposed on the russian economy and they're also going to hit european economies to and some more than others for berlin and rural. and perhaps there is self interest at play here for, for, for germany. it is, of course, are those that, that dependence on russian gas in germany is a major russian gas importer for italy. it's those increasing business ties between italy and russia. the swift payment system is a messaging system between banks, bin and cutting russia off of that would effectively make it impossible to send money to russia and out of russia. and of course, that makes doing business with russia difficult germany in italy have been accused of pursuing self interest at a time where, you know, lives, i'd risk in fact,

the ukrainian, a foreign minister. i was before that meeting anticipating that this would happen so that anybody who wouldn't dis, a vote to, to ban russia from so to effectively had the blood of ukrainians are on their hands . but there is also another argument to this been, and that is that you've got to keep some leverage. because if this goes into some kind of a protracted war, you've got to be able to have some leverage to go to moscow and, and put something on the table for. so that as well is, is a factor that say european leaders and did consider, i understand the argument on, on leverage. or i don't wanna talk more about the business reasons behind this. but, but i mean, why hold back when russia really isn't? i mean, that's the strategy of hooton's to go when. um and, and i'm not hold back and mean watching europe holding back here is, is,

is really unsettling. i, i have to say a, but before i go on a route, let me just place you something the ukrainian president said, listening to this. yeah. give us missouri yar, that in all the many conversations i've had with other leaders today, i've heard several things. the 1st one is that we're supported and ungrateful to every nation that helps ukraine in concrete ways. all the ye do, but there is a 2nd thing. we are alone in defending our nation. the sonata door bully, who is ready to fight with us on la. i don't see anybody jeff. nearby kentucky who is ready to give you crane a guarantee of joining nato. everyone is afraid. chisel. she will yet. a very good question. let me pose at one to you, christine, is ukraine alone in this fight against russia?

we have to say, yes, i been, that is the reality. and when the nato secretary general ian stoughton burge, a brief, the press yesterday, he confirmed that there were no combat troops and nato combat troops in ukraine, and that there were no plans to send any to ukraine. i'm so this is certainly a fight the ukrainians are going to have to take on on their own. we know that nato is making plans and it has warships and battleships on high alert. it's given special powers to its top commander. he can effectively, ah, deploy nature's response force or without having to go through the procedure of consulting or the 30 allies. but this, these provisions been have only been made for nato member states and awful ukraine for ukraine. it is the promise of more political support. our more military aid going over to ukraine, and indeed we have seen some initiation by some member states are opting to st.

more military aid, as well as financial donations to help the ukranian army, but ukrainian soldiers will not be fighting alongside western soldiers in this fight. this will be their, their own fight, been casino, why for us at brussels correspond great to have you on the show as well. you as president joe biden has also moved to punish russia with fresh sanction, saying he's convinced, put wants to overthrow ukraine's democratically elected government in a premeditated attack. biden has ruled out military intervention in ukraine, but he did affirm the u. s. commitment through defending its nato allies in eastern europe and prudence aggression against ukraine will end up costing russia dearly economically and strategically. we will make sure that food will be a pariah, the international stage. any nation accountant has russia's naked aggression against ukraine, will be stained by association the history of this,

or is written prudence choice to make it totally unjustifiable war on ukraine will of love russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger, liberty, democracy, human dignity. these are the forces far more powerful than fear and oppression. they can not be extinguished by tyrants, like putin and his armies. they cannot be raised by people from people's hearts and hopes, by any amount of violence and intimidation they endure. let's bring in al correspondence in washington. stephanie simons, 7th. we had president biden talk about russia having to pay dearly for its aggression against ukraine, full president lensky. the sanctions are not going far enough and as we heard germany in italy have bad business interests to think about. could the us have done more well, i think your, you heard

a president actually who was trying to a cert leadership here and who was kind of also desperate to keep the house of the west together. and unity is a key word here. you know, if you leverage sanctions against or russia, now you need to do this unified and as soon as this unity shows cracks, you'll have a problem. and i think a u. s. administration. us diplomats as well as i think a european governments aren't realize that. so the president tried to exert leadership. ha, a speaking of the sanctions and the swift program. you know, it's fairly easy for russia to get around the swift program. so the president actually alluded to this because the american say they had actually told all of the allies and partners that and also told and foreseen what will happen that russia will go for a big rap on ukraine. not just a don best region. now, i don't know if that's true, but that's at least what they claim. so,

but i could have been done more to save your crane. i don't know. probably not. there is a lot of experts out there. lot of people are lot smarter than i am. who say and who have good reasons, good arguments for saying like it was an inevitable and they couldn't have done anything more sanctions leverage now against russia. they are not preventing anything any more. they are punishment and, and they are leverage for future possible negotiations. i think it is definitely just looking at live pictures of ukraine in the situation right now, which is very sad situation. a bombed out building that the u. s. is ruled out military intervention in ukraine, but what more can it offer in order to support the country? one with the war? yeah, troops on the ground to our boots on the ground. definitely not because ukraine is not a nato member. and of course, the united states wants to avoid and that is express is verb is also the president

saying as well as everybody else in his administration, that the u. s. does not want a war or a confrontation soldier against soldier with the russians. i'm the believe is he also that the russians don't want that either, and actually are a little bit afraid of that's gonna happen. so, but you have a horrible situation in ukraine and there is really no clue offered by anybody. what the u. s. can do actually to actively help the ukraine now, definitely not militarily, more weapons to get more weapons or weaponry or weapon systems into the ukraine. right now seems a little bit if he and best. i mean, if not even in possible. um, so a moral support and or maybe an increase in or a, a leveraging of more severe sanctions per, per step by step in the next coming days. but, but the way for

a sending over more for here to neighboring nato members, we know that how, how is the american public feeling about that? yeah, we know that the american sent 7000 troops to germany. and from there, there will be sent to other nations to the eastern border of nato, so to speak. i can't tell you how americans feel about this because it's a little bit too early. that was yesterday, that the president said that i knows though, that the american public now pays attention to what's going on in the ukraine. but that's not necessarily because the united states says they're sending 7000 troops. that's because the president said that every american will feel the pain and that means that the gas station, the sticker shock is coming to america. and of course, mister bind realizes that this is not a something which helps him politically. and in the eyes of the american people, 7 simons, thank you very much for the analysis from washington. russia's

invasion has been met with horror in many parts of the world. people have been gathering outside russian embassies to protest hooton's actions and express their sympathy ukraine. in russia, taking part in public demonstrations is likely to result in immediate attention. despite that people took to the streets and multiple russian cities to say no to wall risking arrest even prison time to show the world that russia is not united behind president putin. thousands came out across the country, chanting no to war. they were flaunting a ban on demonstrations. police arrested over 1700 people, half of them in the capital. moscow. authorities warned they could be charged with the crime. with i don't want russia to attack ukraine like this.

yeah, i have grandparents then. yeah, that's great. yeah. so when you find out what, what happened is a shame like many of us have relatives and friends for ukraine, and this is a betrayal of them. e, with the free, thank you so much like russian stage, perhaps the most daring display of opposition, but not the only one. demonstrations of solidarity sprung up in cities around the world times square and new york saw a massive ukrainian flagon, frilled b, the brandenburg gate. and berlin was also visited by a crowd of ukraine's yellow and blue national colors. as is press, yes was many of us thought it was impossible, but it happened. i woke up this morning and it brought me to tears. oh no. moya touchless since rakish. i think it's appalling because it's an illegal war of aggression and it has to stop. it's important that there is peace in europe and

this is a worst case scenario ruthless assurance of us. it's hopeless. quantum, a condemnation of pollutants war and a message of solidarity with those and basements and bomb shelters across ukraine. journalists, natalia swan and see the joins me from moscow. the russians have advanced now all the way to ukraine's capital. we had president putin is looking to topple ukrainian president flor to miss a landscape. is the confirmation that that's the goal from russia's leadership here on the official russian kennels. we get the updates about this military operation. so called military operation. this is the term officially used here in russia, and they say, how many defense? and what are the defense advances and how many military ames have been captured or destroyed. but they don't really tell what's the goal of this operation. and what we hear from the official sources here,

it is still not an occupation or war or invasion, but this is the abrasion of the vacation of ukraine. this is the official word used by both latin and their clement rescue secretary at the best cough. and furthermore, the mystery of various press secretary money is however, said that this is not the beginning of the war, but actually our attempt to prevent the war and the end of the war. they've been going on there and you wait for 8 years. this is what the official position on this, on the russian traditions. it's interesting that the word defensive is used in advance as defensive advances. how are the russian media actually portraying this whole scenario? or to lou to talk about the russian media will have to an actual look a little bit back. this has been a narrative that has been there for a month. and maybe even years of narrative is about the russian being cause of the attack.