up your own mind. ah, d, w. made for mines with ah, this is dw news life am berlin, france choose as a president. emanuel mack calls cheeks another 5 year term but faces a strong challenge from his far right opponent marine le pen also coming up ukrainian celebrate orthodox easter. despite the war that is ground on for 2 months, senior us officials are doing give 4 talks with president zalinski. ah,

a michael ok welcome. we begin in france where voters are casting their ballots in a tightly contested presidential election run off. opinion polls suggest pro europe and manual mat call is on course for another 5 year term in the lease a palace. but his far right opponent marine le pen has mounted a strong challenge. victory for her could shake the foundations of european unity. ah, it's election day and francis bracing for the lip pen. my call show down the stakes . a huge lip pen would become martin francis 1st far right. leader and 1st fema president. oh, my call would be the 1st french president to win re election in 2 decades. much will depend on how many people will show up to vote in a country that's deeply divided. was received thought several ab lima maxim,

i'm not a fan of my call, but i think it's the only democratic option in the video. look, we have seen how they have restricted our freedoms these last years, especially during the pandemic. i'm not sure if people are aware of this, but i think unfortunately, we will continue on this path if my call as we elected to the gentleman that expose heated to it's the supporters of left wing candidate jaundra, milan shaw, who came 3rd and round one who feel particularly frustrated, they no longer have a left wing option. now their vote or a low turn out has the potential to tip the scales. michael has tried to appeal to these voters by toning down parts of his manifesto. like the plan to push up the retirement age from the current $62.00 to $65.00, we'll decide we can fix the low. it's hard to change. i'm open to discussion with what i can do. meanwhile, the pen has also tried to gather more support by continuing to depict herself as

the candidate closest to the people are shock phone. i wanted to know every french person that my project is tailor made for them what i want them to be happy and prosperous safe. and i will defend their identity here to see that they for the lovely don't you think? all opinion polls in recent days, point to what's a wind for the 44 year old pro european centrist mac home. a la pen victory, however, is still possible and what sent shock waves across europe. let's cross over live to central paris. that's where d. w correspondent lisa lewis joins us now. lisa, what's the mood you're sensing from voters to day stay the course or bring on the train? well let me live, been talking to he has been telling me that it's important for them to actually block marilla pain from getting to power is some are convinced that in my, my call will adapt his course,

his program it more to left wing voters because he's seen that when i saw at the far left candidate escort a quite well in the 1st round of fading. and they think that he had a mom, a call has understood that he needs to change his program, introduce more social measures, more logical measures actually to satisfy those letters. other people have told me that they are not really happy about waiting for him on my car. that, that, that, but that there feel that there is no other option for them. mind you the people i've been talking to have all said that they would wait for my call or at least they the others have not revealed to me that they would wait for marina pen. but this is really very much my cor heartland here in paris because my call has caught quite well in big cities and marilla pen would rather school well in the country side, that's at least what happened in the 1st renovating 2 weeks ago. we've heard it certainly for weeks now. my call is expected to win, but i imagined not a few people are on the edge of their seats. wondering if there'll be

a surprise to night. especially if the unusually large number of undecided voters sit this selection out, in which case i suppose anything could happen while absolutely you're right. you know, especially as they were upholds showing a few weeks ago that there could be a neck and rate neck raised between the 2 candidates. that wasn't the case. 5 years ago in 2017 would everybody, all the pulses and alice, he and france were saying there is no chance that marina pan could win. now the pulls have 20 changed again over the past 2 weeks. and in my, my call has increased his lead. but as you're saying, there are 2 variables that could change the outcome, very low part of voting participation, or as those that haven't decided who have who they would vote for yet actually these 10 percent of ages. this is the 2nd time that mac hall and le pen are facing each other in the runoff. reminders what's different this time?

well, what's different is that marina pan has been she managed to increase at the share of the voters that would vote for her, you know, over the past few months, she's been campaigning through towns to remark is telling everybody that you know, she was the candidate closest to the people, the candidate that would increase her spending power. she was also helped by another candidate court exam more who seemed even further to the right. he was campaigning very much with outright racist slogans. and so that had, and mary independent p a softer and a thirdly a my, my call really stayed away from, from the campaign trail for a long time until the 1st round of voting. that is because then he understood that he needed to do more actually to wind over voters. hearts about the bottom line of this is really that marina pan has now maybe the polls are not saying not predicting that she will win the selection, but her share of the vote could be a lot higher than 5 years ago when she was already facing him. i'm

a co on the run of food and that means that him and michael really needs to do something to bring this country back together to satisfy those voters. you only vote for him to day to prevent marina penn from getting to power. no doubt will be seeing a lot more of you in the coming hours are d. w corresponded lisa louis. thank you. thank you. ukraine. so president, a lot of his zalinski is due to meet with top us officials in the coming hours. so lensky says she'll be asking secretary of state antony blinking, and defense secretary lloyd austin for more weapons to fight the russian onslaught in the south and east. earlier the president recorded an orthodox easter message from keeps st. sophia cathedral at makeshift houses of worship ukrainians. nationwide prayed for frontline troops and 4 civilians besieged in cities such as mary opal o. earlier i asked you job,

you corresponded rebecca readers in keep what zalinski could expect to gain from his meeting with the leaders of the pentagon and the u. s. state department. well, this is the highest level meeting from the us since the war began. i don't have a list of talking points is, is obviously a very confidential mating. one thing he can definitely expect is a guarantee from the americans of continued support in this conflict. and certainly one the one thing he wants can really be summed up in one word, michael and that is weapons from the very beginning of this conflict. president lance, he has been calling for support in the way of weapons saying that if they had the right weaponry, they would already have pushed back the russians and they would already be winning this war. he's going to be at pains to underscore and to, to really drive home to the americans that this is a turning point in the conflict this regrouping. this focus on the east and south

that the russians have now confirmed. that is the, is their plan. he said what happened when he believed that what happens now in this part of the conflict will determine not just the future of ukraine and the ukrainian people, but potentially the future of europe. and that is a message he will be driving home to the americans today. rebecca, of course, securing those weapons, is one thing, but one imagines physically distributing them to the areas where they're most needed will be explored. really challenging. absolutely. as you can imagine, i'm big weapons and also trying to do it under the cover of darkness. this war a, you know, is one of course, where nobody wants the distribution, the logistics to become public. you know, ukraine does not want russia to know just how and where these weapons going. and so we getting mine a bits of information about what's trickling into the country. but in terms of distribution lines or logistics routes, we just don't have the answers to those questions. you know, they're being transported by rail and road. did see some tanks the other day on

a train rail gotten going through the country, but they going through the civilian areas. michael, so obviously a target and nobody wants the russians to know where they're going. and rebecca, stay with us. so more questions for you in a moment, but 1st we'd like to give of yours a look at your report on ukraine as the nation. marx, orthodox easter day. you visited one village, north, east of keep that was under russian control until a few weeks ago that community came together to build a makeshift chapel after russian soldiers destroyed their church. oh, on recall and reflection the jesus who sacrificed all to die on the cross. it's the saddest day in the christian calendar for the worship is here in this village outside. keith there. good friday service in this night shift chattel has taken on an even deeper meaning this year. oh,

russian soldiers marching on keith. then there 19th century church to the ground. claudia pro with you. all the missile hit the altar of the church on the eastern side of the building for the damage spread inside. ignore the windows exploded out sydney. it was a direct hit me was land or go when the church was burning. i thought my soul was burning. the icon of the prophet elijah, the only thing to survive when i was with alyssa, it survived under the ruined his re, you know, under the ashes completely hellish. him. well, it's a phenomenon. i don't know how to explain it, but basically a miracle in the middle of war and lost, not all the water grammar people in the village said father, we cannot be without you prima. we need the services, the item that i told them you. let's build a tent so we can celebrate easter from moore's noble and postal written on boston. we started to build this chapel. you're not sure when you imagine what the creature

sawing of the thought the severe ukraine is. a deeply religious country in villages like this one, the church plays a central role in the community. these people tell me that while russians may have destroyed their church, they will never destroy their spirits. right? the churches themselves found, we grew up here, eco, when the church was burning right before our eyes, we were very scared. the scariest thing of all was that we couldn't do any things and then because we were under fire and thought that the thing in some way all my childhood was spent here. i grew up 3 houses down the road. so how should i feel like it's like something is gone from your life? wish low even they, val, they'll rebuild their beloved church in all its former glory once they're certain, the russians won't return. well, if they do, the priest has a message straight from the bible or sports causes. jesus said, love one another as i have loved you, i was remove but he also said something else. ensure that he who fights by the

sword shall die by the sword. why did i, as the service ends, they pray for christ. we born on easter sunday, the church rebuilt, and doubtless for a homeland free once again. oh, the live yes. i beckoned today as ukraine endures. now the 3rd month of the russian invasion, how are people expanding this rather extraordinary orthodox easter? i'd certainly is an easter like no other miko we've been here. i'm standing on the full court. in fact of saint michael's church, it's one of the biggest cathedrals here in cave had there been a lot of people here today streaming in. and now we've been speaking to some of them, asking them whether they're afraid this year because of the height and security. the height and threats of a potential attack. many people saying that they are concerned, understandably, of course, but that they are happy to be able to come out and celebrate their faith as they do every year. we have notice of course, that the service is different. this year,

normally there is a midnight mass the night before that would have been last night, but that was cancelled because of martial law and the curfew in the city are all over the country. so they've changed it so that their services all throughout the day to be able to disperse the crowds. they were warned to stay at home and try and celebrate their. but as you can imagine, many people wanting to come out and, and celebrate their faith, which they doing. and so far it has been safe. dw correspondent, rebecca, readers in keith. some sports now for you, and by in munich, extend their reign as bonus league or champions. they've sealed a record, tend to german title, with victory over dormant. robert levin dorski was among the goals. scores against his former club is fired. ran out 31 winner. so it's a 1st bonus league or title for their coach, eulley and na guzman at just 34 years old. you watching

d w. c. as a reminder of our top story opinion polls suggested french president manuel mccaul is on course for a 2nd 5 year term. but his far right opponent, renal upin, has mounted a strong challenge and sundays electron running up next shift looks at harnessing technology to tackle the climate crisis. and there's plenty more of course on our website the w dot com a michael. ok, thanks for watching her. i'm scared that i work, that's hard and in the end this, i mean, you are not allowed to see you anymore. we will send you back. are you familiar with this? with the smugglers with lions b. what's your story with. ready

women especially victims of violence in a lot.