ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, a shift and german defense policy, as the government announces direct shipments of anti aircraft tax to ukraine. it also comes as defense ministers from 40 countries meeting germany to discuss helping ukraine military spend off their russian invasion. also coming up russia intensifies its bombardment, aiming the targets further inland in easton ukraine. but ukraine's troops and civilians hold on to help cloth,

the hands off approach to social media content that sport. ellen musk is promising for twitter. the tesla c o has close to $44000000000.00 deal to take the social media platform private. he says he wants to protect free speech by quote, unleashing switches full potential. ah, i'm good. how about as well come to the program? united states is hosting a meeting at it's ramstein abbeys today to discuss issues around ukraine's longer term security needs. military leaders from about 40 countries attending the gathering led by us defense secretary lloyd austin. non nato members, are also in attendance at washington has stressed that the event taking place is not on official nato. yes,

he has some afford us defense secretary austin said at the start of the meeting, your brain when i gives run just a great and the buildup range of working long as you know, i came here after traveling with my friends secretary's day when we are all in candid and productive discussion with president allegedly about support that work for my my capabilities that ukraine, the ukraine's changing requirements. as the biologist, the law into those are the only underscore my sense of urgency and urgency. i know that we all hear from like the whole group today believe we're a common and transparent understanding of the pre near term security requirements

because we're working out so that we can apologies, therefore the poor audio quality that meeting is now on the way and close to the media, and for more i'm not joined by w. a political correspondent, nita, how's it, you know, you've listened to the full statement of the u. s. secretary of defense that earlier. what stood out for you? well, this statement was very strong by the u. s. defense minister and it was clearly very much influenced by his own impressions from his visit in cuba. yesterday he mentioned that in the snippet that we just heard. but it's also echoing what the u . s. have been saying for a couple of weeks now. so austin essentially applauded the ukrainians for their courage and their resolve and for that magnificent job, that's what he called it, that they're doing at said defending their own sovereignty. austin and also said that vladimir putin had underestimated just how the entire world would unite behind

ukraine. and i thought that was very interesting. so austin implied that this is not just about m bringing back peace to europe or defending ukraine's sovereignty. this is sending a signal to the entire world as well. and everybody needs to get involved now, said austin and ukraine's partners to do everything they can to help you crane defend itself and its sovereignty. so what will happen now is that they're going to try and establish some kind of framework ed to figure out just exactly what a ukraine needs you can deliver what and how to get it to ukraine. again, this is not the nature meeting. so lots of nato countries are present, of course, and at the general secretary and start baggage too. but austin has also dependent australia sitting around that table. and there of course, that because that worried that a potential victory by russia, ukraine could send the wrong signal to china, which like russia has territorial claims in its own region that the neighboring countries are very not ok. with austin said, addressing the ukrainians,

you believe you can win this war. and everybody here at this meeting does to now, before that meeting started germany at ubs to supply ukraine with anti aircraft tax . that's a bit of a surprise, isn't it? well, that's a slight of understatement if i may say, so go ahead. this is a massive announcement by germany today. the german defense minister announced this morning that germany yesterday approved the delivery of anti aircraft tanks of the get parts type to ukraine. it's a major shift in policy for weeks now, germany has been reluctant to send heavy weapons to ukraine directly. they came up with all sorts of different measures. they would supply all the sort of weapons they would do. ring exchanges with other countries, so not to get involved directly, and now they've changed that policy massively. so this is a clear indication that pressure had been growing on the german government,

and it is a clear indication as well that gemini didn't want to come to this important meeting today. empty handed, our political course on amino acid that thank you nina and ukraine itself. volunteers are working to evacuate thousands of civilians in the east living with daily and nightly russian artillery shelling. they live mostly in basements and shelters. many without electricity, gas, or water. this man is being evacuated from his home in ha keith, but will be trapped in his fled. it is a miracle he survived no on a new enormous. they've been bombarding us all day and all night. now sheila blew up in the beginning. it was quieter and light sparkling. the bombing only happened during the day all will over. but later they begun bombing at night too. oh, nice little girl born lavon also hit here in the yard, but really, eula,

who would war har. keith has endured a barrier of russian attacks. cons than shelling has reduced much of the city to ashes. now, some 50 residents have been evacuated from brun frontline neighbourhood. they have been taken to shelters where they hoped to be safe about 400 kilometer south safety is still a distant dream. russian forces continued to pummel there as of stell steel factory, the last pocket of resistance and merry a pole. the port city has been under siege for weeks now. most of it has been wiped out by russian bombardment. the dire fate of mary, a pole has been a warning to other ukrainian cities to protect them. ukraine's president vladimir zalinski has asked alice for more support for every one in the world. even

those who openly did not support us here now agrees that the fate of europe, the fate of global security and the fate of the democratic wisdom is being de, i did in ukraine with them. and it seems like his calls for greater diplomatic efforts. i being hurt with dozens of nations willing to support ukraine in a war that it simply cannot win on its own island, a separate development united nations secretary general antonio terrace is due to meet president vladimir putin in moscow to day. it's the highest profile piece mission since the war began. western countries have said they see little chance of a breakthrough, where there is hope that issues of humanitarian assistance for ukrainian civilians can be agreed upon. a little earlier i asked the ws russia correspondent, you re resettle what to expect from this meeting. balls the man declared goals.

mister quoterush is to negotiate to cease fire and move the 2 warring factions to lay down their arms. but experts agree this outcome is highly unlikely and both moscow and key if want to keep fighting until victory, both countries won't military success. on the other hand, we need to remember this as to the visit of the world's highest diplomat and a. so of course, this meeting also has a symbolic meaning. our 1st and foremost, quoterush could use his high office to put pressure on to put them to tell him what role the you and could play in possible piece. and you say it is further down the road. oh yeah. but how much influence he will have on president putin is more than questionable. ah, looking back to a similar event in history, remember the surprise visit or for then secretary general bank. you more to put it in 2014. after the next ation of crimea ban spoke of very constructive talks, which as we know now are war of no use at all. now it's harris asked to to him

for this meeting or booting will now welcome him in moscow. does that mean putin might be open for concessions? i believe that not only good terrace once this conversation, but that it also in the interest of the russian president on for letting me put in today's meeting could be a kind of for, let's say, breach to a face saving exit strategy. up until now, russia has had almost nothing but failure of all on all fronts, militarily, because of the obvious goal of capturing keith in a 3 day blitzkrieg wasn't a chief achieved diplomatically because rush us already better to image has been completely destroyed. and to this time that only the western world at geopolitical because put his goal, if not making their to even bigger, has backfired. and also domestically what the kremlin calls, especially special military operations, also unsuccessful. so far,

russian soldiers will apparently not march through key if on may 9th, which is victor again rush. so ultimately what to put in may need is an exit strategy. and that's where the visit of the secretary general could perhaps help allowing put him to make concessions and declare them a gesture of goodwill. for example, what unitarian corridors supplies for civilians and a are up to a cease fire. and we will of course, update our views about the results of this meeting. as soon as they become clear, thank you very much, the ws you it rachelle or in riga. let's take a look at some of the other stories making headlines today. fuel shortages of course, long shoes and forced some gas stations to shut down in haiti. the caribbean nation was already facing an energy crisis due to a powerful earthquake last year with some homes and hospitals still relying on gasoline generators. airport authorities, also one shortages, could cause flight cancellations. for you,

as president donald trump has been held in contempt, of course, in the state of new york, trump must pay a fine of $10000.00 per day until he turns over documents to a prob, into his, into whether his company lied about the value of his assets in financial state, date a space, ex dragon, the caps you will have returned to earth from the international space station, carrying the 1st crew on a fully private space flight on board with 3 businessman from u. s. canada and israel as well as a retired nasa astronaut dragon, ill mosque as promising a more lenient touch to policing content on twit up after the social media company accepted his $44000000000.00 takeover bit mosque is best known as the ceo of tessa electric cars. but describes himself as a defender of free speech. he has pledged a largely hands off approach to controlling content on twitter at a time of growing concern about the role social media place and spreading fake news

and disinformation ah, last month. elan, most was clearly in a celebratory mood as he opened a car factory near berlin. now the world's richest man is no doubt celebrating again. after reaching a $44000000000.00 agreement to buy twitter and take it private. while it's far from the largest or most profitable social media platform, twitter is highly influential. company management initially tried to fend off mosques take over, but shareholders warmed to the deal after he secured funding. the tesla c e o. scene here and file footage says he wants to use the platform to uphold free speech and reached out to opponents with a tweet, saying, i hope that even my worst critics remain on twitter because this is what free speech means. most stance on freedom of expression has led some to speculate that he might offer a way back to the service for former president donald trump,

who was kicked off the platform and 2021. following the riots at the u. s. capital with the house republicans official twitter account going as far as urging mosque to quote free trump. on monday, the white house declined to comment on trump's potential return, but press secretary gen sock, he told reporters, president biden was concerned about social media as power. or that this new agreement might, well, i'm not going to comment on a specific transaction of what i can tell you as a general matter, no matter who owns or runs at twitter, the president has long been concerned about the power of large social media platforms. what they had, the power they have over our everyday lives has long argued the tech platforms must be held accountable for the harms they caused. but for those worried about trump re emerging on twitter, there was also some good news on monday. trump himself told fox news that he would not return to twitter, saying he would be sticking with his own new platform instead. and that's it. from

me add the new steam for now. don't go away though. up next our program close up. we take a look at this se shells, archipelago of paradise at risk, and he called foolish will have a world news update for you. at the top off. beyond got office in berlin from me in the new seem here. thanks for watching. i imagine how many portion of lunch are thrown out in the world climate change of income stores? this is my blessing way from just one week. how much wealth can really get we still have time to act. i'm going with what with.