made for mines ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. germany doesn't about face and agrees to send weapons to help ukraine battle the russian invasion. the significant policy shift chancellor, olaf showed approved a delivery of anti tank weapons and missiles. shoulds cause russia's action attorney pointed history, which threatens the world order. and germany also bows to pressure over swift, berlin, now on board. as the you and other western powers announced a coordinated move to limit russian access to the global payment system. also

coming up brushing artillery launches into a 2nd night of shelling. increasing the pressure on kit residence ukraine's capital are seeking shelter underground. many of the cities, 3000000 residents remain to defend the russian invasion. ah, i'm ami and isa welcome to the program. in a major shift and foreign policy, germany has agreed to support ukraine with weapons as it resist rushes invading forces. berlin backtracked on a long running ban on weapons exports to war zones, and says it will now send anti tank weapons and missiles policy shift brings germany into line with other western allies supplying arms to ukraine. earlier chancellor, olaf shoulds met leaders from poland and lithuania to discuss imposing tougher sanctions against russia. that's on top of measures already announced by the

european union and the united states. ahead of the meeting, colin's prime minister was highly critical of germany saying berlin's previous decision to only send $5000.00 and helmets to ukraine was a quote joke. i'm joined now by thomas and he's a member of the german parliament for the conservative csu party, which sits in the opposition and the vice chair of the foreign affairs committee. mister and the, the german government has long argued that it won't send weapons to conflict zones because of a historic responsibility as the word has been used. is that responsibility over now? no, the responsibility is, is not over now. but i think what we derive from our history is basically the responsibility to protect the democrats against or in the state, against aggression. and in the beginning, it was always said, we need to keep up the diplomatic channels and therefore we do not deliver weapons

. but i think that is definitely over now. and so we need to do everything to support the little creating people and they are in the military. and therefore it's a good decision. and i get that the government took the decision today to deliver weapons. well, many could argue that aggression against the sovereign state is one of the reasons why most conflicts happen. so what is different this case? well, i think it's in front of, of our door. basically it's in the middle of europe, it's aggression. you could never think of any last week, and therefore, if there is sponsibility also from germany to lead in europe and china, all the other countries delivering weapons. and that is an absolute,

necessary action. a turning point in history as a chancellor shows called it. now a few of any analysts actually believe ukraine can hold off russia's military indefinitely. so what does germany hope to achieve by sending these weapons now? i mean, the aggression need to stop and i think the army and the people doing and harrowing chop in resisting the rest of the aggression. and of course, germany stands with the korean and need to stand with the korean. and that's why we need to support in any way we can do. and i think sending with military equipment money on one side, but also supporting and leading all the decisions on sanctions on the other side are some have called it symbolic rather than strategic. would you disagree with that? well, i mean it's, it's

a hot war and many countries have decided to deliver now equipment and, and whether that helps at the end make the difference. this is up to the situation in ukraine. it's not up on us to decide whether this is a symbolic or, or real need. that is, of course, some symbolic as well. and it's important, i think, for them or out of the ukraine. in fact, us also to really is the support of all the countries in europe, a thomas and the thanks for joining us. german member of the german parliament from the opposition fear you party. thanks again for your time. berlin has also agreed to restrict russian access to the global payment system. swift germany was the last european union nation blocking the measure. but it has now joined a coordinated move by a group of western powers to cut key russian banks out of that system. and in

another decision that's likely to inflict pain on the kremlin, they agreed to prevent russia central bank deploying its foreign reserves. here's what you present on the line had to say about the latest, the latest sanctions. first, we commit to ensuring that a certain number of russian banks are removed from swift. this will ensure that these banks disconnected from the international financial system and hom, their ability to operate globally. we will paralyze the assets of russia central bank. this will freeze its transactions and it will rate it impossible for the central bank to liquidate. let's cross over now to d. w correspondent, best in heartache in new york, bask in the u. s. was key to booting russian banks from the swift system. so this is really a united, international effort on the part of western allies, isn't it?

well, it is. now i'm in, this is actually to be frank. something that the u. s. would have done days ago. there was a press conference on thursday that u. s. president biden gave and he was asked in a press conference. why are you taking this step? why are you kicking russia out of swift? and his answer was because the european partners are on board and chief among european partners, of course, was germany because they depend a lot. germany depends a lot on energy deliveries from russia. and so, kicking russia out of swift making those transactions, those financial transactions more difficult, and more costly. germany was afraid that that was going to hamper their ability to get energy from energy delivery gas cold from russia. so that's why they were against it. but now, as it seems, international pressure just got to big in light of what we're seeing happening in ukraine and the russian aggression and the war that russia is waiting there. that in the end, germany and other european countries. finally,

kate and they saw that they had to agree to this as to the sanction that is now being stopped on russia. and that expert say is one of the most severe economic sanctions at the west can impose on russia. i mean, you in security council, which we've seen meet in new york there, is there set to convene a rare emergency general assembly meeting in new york as well. how significant is that? that is significant. this would be only the 10th time that an emergency session of the general assembly is can be $950.00. so that shows you that that is not something that bad usually happen. there's going to be a vote tomorrow if that person should be convened. and then if the vote at the was very likely, then that will happen on monday. then you can be assured right now, i mean, there's diplomats riding up the resolution that is going to be introduced at that session. chief among them, the united states was leading that effort and they will,

they will prevent that resolution $293.00 states in the general assembly. and that's why this is so important, because this is the only body in the world that has all the world's countries in it . and if, if they vote in favor of that resolution condemning russia of its actions in ukraine and demanding of russia to withdraw immediately, troops from ukraine. and that will, that will isolate russia on the international stage. and it will show that it's acting against the will of the majority of the world countries. now that's why the drafters of this resolution, they're going to be working frantically to get as many countries on board with it as possible. they're going to be probably looking to get north of maybe a 100 boats in favor of this as a lucian. that's what they got back in 2014 after russia and next crimea. now in light of the fact that this aggression seemed much, much more severe than the annexation of premier,

they will probably hope to get more than that. so that's what we're going to be waiting to see that we will probably take place around wednesday of next week. so be interesting to see how that plays out now us president by and also called for more weapons to be sent to ukraine and tell us more about that. yes. so that is all what secretary of state lincoln announced earlier yesterday or today that $350000000.00 worth of weapons is going to be delivered to ukraine by the united states. now he didn't specifically say what kind of weapons exactly. they were going to be sending, but ukraine asked for missiles or air defense capabilities, missile surface to air missiles, for example, anti tank weaponry that they needed to fight back this russian onslaught. and so after the united states announced those, those $250000000.00 in military aid that they're gonna deliver, that we saw other countries follow suit. and we saw,

as we saw earlier on this show, that germany also agreed now to send weapons other european countries to the question now is going to be, are those weapons going to be? is it possible to deliver them quickly enough to ukraine? get them in the hands of ukrainian soldiers for them to make a difference because we don't know how much longer they are going to be able to defend their country. i'm in italy, corresponding bastion hartigan, the york. thank you. best russian forces have been bombarding the ukrainian capital key of for a 3rd street night. many of the cities, almost 3000000 residents are hunkered down under ground. like those people here in the, in a bomb shelter. ukraine says that radioactive waste sight near kia has been hit by showing, but so far, no threat of leaks has been detected. earlier, russia ordered its troops to step up their assault on you grin. i'm joined in the studio now by dw, or border hannah, whom all has who has been monitoring the news coming out of ukraine and t f.

specifically hannah, what can you tell us about the latest developments in the capital city? well, it's again under really heavy attack, we're talking air raids, rocket attacks, gunfire. heavy shelling fights on the ground and there is even an aisle the pull that's been on fire for the last few hours. and there was 40 kilometers south of kia, but still in that region. and it's quite difficult to confirm exactly what and where and when everything is going on because there is limited communication, it's all happening so fast and bear in mind everyone there is obviously just trying to stay safe and in shelter. but i think russia is really going in for the kill here. they want to take over the capital city. they tried last night. they were unsuccessful. so they're going to be really throwing in all of their forces going and filled for us. and it's going to be really tough night for people who are in kiev. and just a reminder, i mean here is

a city of almost 3000000 residents. and these are people who, up until a few days ago, we're still going about their everyday lives. probably not really thinking that it was going to actually come to this and they are now hunkered down, staying in air raid shelters bomb shelters. like we just saw there with no lights, probably limited communication to family and loved ones. so since really quite unimaginable. now many ukrainians are fleeing as we know, but others are staying behind in order to help the war effort. what are they doing? so 1st of course men between the ages of 18 and 60, i'm allowed to leave. they have to stay behind in case they need to be there to fight. but other people are also remaining behind. probably because it's their home . maybe they think that am ukraine really stands a chance against russia, and they're building shelter is creating safe spaces for people. but also gearing

up to fight is the main thing. they're arming themselves with weapons and i think probably president zalinski has really played a big role and actually pissing morale in the country. right now. he's staying behind. he refused us, offered to evacuate, and i of the country. so i think the fact that he's, they're willing to be on the frontline for people is really exactly pissing morale for people in the country who have to stay there either by choice or because they're not allowed to leave. now outside ukraine, big crowds have turned out in the show of solidarity with ukrainians, especially those in the capital city. we have a report now on the thousands of, of, of russians living abroad, who say vladimir prudence decision to launch the invasion doesn't represent them. let's take a look, taking to the streets with blue and yellow flags, and calls for solidarity from crowds of people in cities around the world.

ukrainians, living abroad have joined with supporters of ukraine o, calling for more help to defend ukraine against russia's aggression in tokyo residence called on japan to step up actions to stop russian president vladimir putin and end the war. oh, in several australian cities, people also raised their voices, my family's vowing to you and then beating hind in the shelter, waiting to be bombarded and he died. russians to notice the dark military stations . they attack childcare centers, hospital schools, any shelters, they search for those shelters. people, heidi good. i don't know what else i can do. i'm try to gather as many people year as possible. 3 year old boy. we need.