ah, ah ah ah, this is dw news life from berlin. germany insists it will be a reliable partner to ukraine after heavy criticism. berlin vows to deliver heavy weapons to the ukrainian military for the 1st time in defense minister existing lumps as more support is on the way. also coming up military leaders from some 40 countries meet in germany to try to help you cranes military fend off the russian invasion. the u. s. s. allies will quote,

keep moving heaven enough to supply keith. and the un secretary general tries mediating with moscow over you cried antonia good terrorist meets russia's foreign minister ahead of tools with vladimir putin plus very, very dangerous. that is how the head of the u. n. atomic energy watchdog has described russia's recent occupation of the channel nuclear sites, amid reports of abnormal radiation levels. ah, i manuscripts mckinnon. thanks so much for joining us. the german government has shifted its policy on ukraine and announced it will authorize the delivery of anti aircraft systems to the country. now the move follows criticism of berlin that it was dragging feet on,

providing ukraine with the weapons. it needs to defend itself from the russian invasion. is german defense minister christine lambaste. speaking a short while ago, we decided just to make it possible for unto tank anti aircraft tanks be delivered to ukraine. these kids secured on dod ukrainians can work that out of my it is very important for us to start giving assistance were ever ukraine finds it necessary. and of course, we coordinate with our partners within nato, the european union and beyond. and i will to very happy that this conference today is a starting point for us to take her long term action because we need security. got guarantees for ukraine and for that purpose they need well trained armed forces. that's a challenge for the future. we have to take care of that and it's very good start this conference today gives this signal to ukraine. and d,

w as chief political editor, mikaela. christina joins me now for more mckayla and give us a sense of what has brought about this really very significant change in policy. well, according to the government, it would be a recognition that now really is the time to give that kind of support. but clearly there was a lot of external pressure and internal pressure here in germany with 2 of the 3 coalition parties, really not being satisfied with how tacitus holds backed up his site and render his turnaround speech. that it was time for a new era. just 3 days after the invasion by russia into ukraine. and now this for the 1st time, an announcement that actual heavy weapons that the gay part tanks will be sent to ukraine not from the one to spare, the german army, but from german industry. which is basically brushing them up and getting them back on the road into the field. and that is quite

a paradigm shift actually in terms of how german politics works, what germany actually does internationally, how it engages actually handing over such weapons into a hot conflict zone. it's a 1st a but looking at it from the outside particular look, if you look at the eastern part, this is criticized germany heavily. the baltics, poland is something that was long overdue, and that's also how will be seen. does berlin believe that ukraine can actually win this war against russia? well, it certainly am not. so whether it's believed it from the outset quite clearly. there was a feeling here. first of all that this war could be avoided, that everybody was proved wrong. everybody except a few voices then once rest went inside, it was actually clear that moment in time that no way would germany would need to get drawn into this conflict. and this is still the policy right now. but what we

are seeing is more, more weapons being delivered as the recognition grew, that ukraine must not lose. and as germans households put it, rasa must not when i have not heard him say yet that ukraine must win this war. and i think that may be a next step, but clearly germany is very keen to act in line with its partners. it's been stressed, but what i say it's time and time again. that doesn't want to go it alone. there's a belief that ukraine, yes, must be able to stand up to russia. you mentioned the criticism that are just social. it says faced. just how damaging has this perceived foot dragging by chance there show it's been for him politically. i'm sorry, michelle, i'm just gonna have to stop you there. because the secretary, you a secretary of defense, lloyd austin, i believe is about to speak and were going to be crossing live to the fine air base in germany where he will be delivering these comments. so

let me again thank thank all of the minister's vis and your team joining us today, especially my good friend frames minister of affairs minister read delegate gracie, rolling away with transparent, shared understanding of the challenge that you bring in. and i know that we're all determined to help free with today or tomorrow we good together and record time has made a huge difference on the battlefield. president zaleski made that clear when we met sun sunday in teeth and countries all around the world had been stepping up to me, ukraine's urgent needs. and i wanted to especially welcome

a major decision by our german host. as a minister on breck announced just today that germany will san ukraine, some 50 cheetah and i aircraft systems. and yesterday of course the british government announced that it would provide ukraine with additional aircraft capabilities as well. and today, canada announced that it will san ukraine, 8 armored vehicles and so that's important progress. we're seeing more every day. and i applaud all the countries that have risen in our rising to meet this demand. but we don't have any time to waste the briefings. let today, laid out clearly why the coming weeks will be so crucial for ukraine. so we got to move at the speed of war. and i know that all the leaders leave to day

more resolve than ever to support ukraine in his fight against russian aggression. and atrocities, and i know that we're all determined to do even more to better coordinate our efforts. so i was especially glad to hear general walters encourage us all to make more determined use of you comes coordination mechanism. now that to ensure that we continue to build on our progress, we're going to extend this forum beyond today. i'm proud to announce that today's gathering will become a monthly contact group on ukraine's self defense. and a contact group will be a vehicle for nations of good will to intensify our efforts and coordinate our assistance and focus on winning today's fight and the struggles to come. the

monthly meetings may be in person, virtual or mixed. and they all extend the transparency, the integration, and the dialogue that we saw today. and let me underscore another key point. we held an important session today on the long term support for ukraine's defenses, including what that will take from our defense industrial basis. and that means dealing with the tremendous demand that we're facing for munitions and weapons platforms and giving our staunch support to ukraine. well, also meeting our own requirements and those of our allies and partners. but it also means redoubling our common efforts to strengthen ukraine's military for the long haul. and i look forward to, to our discussions and the contact group and elsewhere about how to get that done

right. let me gang thank all of the countries who came together to day they've done crucial work and they sent a powerful signal. we're going to build on today's progress and continue to reach out to nations of good will to help ukraine defend itself. and will continue working transparently and urgently with our allies and partners and will continue pushing to support and strengthen the ukrainian military for the battles ahead. so we leave tonight, strengthen and so does ukraine. thank you, and i'll be glad to take your questions. thank you. the secretary, our 1st question to you will come from sylvia went home a fee, microphone. thank you and mr. tucker, sorry, actually i have a double question for you. i am more dover is, is that being

a bit security measures her after series of explosions, disabilities to region of just yesterday? or do you think there is a risk of spillover of the conflict to more dover? and then my 2nd question is after these big meeting about army, ukraine, are you, aren't you concerned that was put in may become a restless and threaten again. oh, the issue of spill over to mo, moldova, because of what we seen here, a reporting of a recent, a violence, we're still looking to the cause of that still, you know, still doing an analysis here, so not really sure what, what that's all about. but we'll get something that will stay focused on. and certainly we don't want to see any skull over and,

and again. so it's important to make sure that we do everything that we can to ensure that ukraine is successful. and that's the best way to, to address that. and your 2nd part of the questionnaires will be, was oh, you know, you, you heard a say a number of times that, that, that kind of rhetoric is very dangerous and unhelpful. nobody wants to see a nuclear war happen happen. it's a war that you know, or all sides lose, and so are rattling of saber sabers. and, and, you know, dangerous rhetoric is clearly unhelpful and something that we won't engaging. our next question goes to susan. gail hard from the df

secretary, what military aid you know, expect from the german government and do you think the delivery of jeopardy tanks is sufficient in your opinion? you mean cheetos, which is what that? yeah. so let me just say that, and i think you probably heard me say this before. as i visited germany, i consider germany to be a great friend and an ally. and, you know, we've served a, i've served in germany as a, as an officer and in work with german forces and, and i, it's, it's always been a real pleasure to, to work alongside our, our german partner, sir. now i think it's, it's significant that you know, germany announced that it was gonna provide 50 t t assistance. i think that those systems will provide real capability to for ukraine. and in terms of what else germany will do going forward. again, that's

a sovereign decision. one that you're that, that the german leadership will make and i don't want to speculate on that. i just believe that just based upon everything that i've seen in my interaction with the minister of defense and how intently she's been focused on making sure that she can do everything that she can to help and work alongside her partners and allies. that she'll continue to look for ways to be to be relevant and provide good capability till ukrainians as they continue to, to prosecute this fight. the next question goes to john, is me new york times this your secretary? yesterday you mentioned that one of the united states is goals in ukraine. now, wish to see russia weekend. can you explain more fully what that means? and specifically, what do you want to weaken and how you would measure success in that regard?

yeah, john, so i think we've been pretty clear from, from the outset, but we do wanna make it harder for russia to threaten his neighbors and, and leave them less able to do that. now, if you look at what's transpired here in this 62 days or so that, that, that ukraine and russia, i've been, i've been involved in this struggle here. russia has, in terms of its land forces or land forces have been a trade it in a very significant way. casualties are, are, are pretty substantial. it, they've lost a lot of a lot of equipment and they've used a lot of precision guided munitions. and they've lost a major surface combatant. and so they are in fact in terms of military capability, weaker than when a start. and, you know, john, it'll be harder from the, for them to replace some others capability as we go forward. because of the

sanctions and trade restrictions that have been placed on m and. and so we would like to make sure again, that they don't have the same type of capability to bully their neighbors. that we, that we saw the outside of this, of this conflict. next question goes to each spangenberg or from a r div question. oh hello. how can we guarantee a safe and secure claim in the future? is it possible that to ukraine becomes mental health natural? again, that'll be a sovereign decision. i think that a nato will always stand by his principles of maintaining an open door. so i want to speculate on what, what could come i do believe that, you know, in the future, if the possibility exist,

i think ukraine will seek to that once again, a apply to become a member of nato. but, but again that's, that's probably a bit down the road. and speculation at this point is not very helpful. i think the 1st step is to, is to, in this conflict. and i think that the what needs to happen to cause a conflict to come to an end is mr. poot needs to make a decision to in this conflict. and he's the person that started it. it was unjustified. and of course, it will be his decision to deescalate and then go back to the negotiating table. and we really all would like to see that happen. again, last question is a mindful of our time. it goes to the address in from tv to denmark. thanks is the security, the russian foreign minister has warned that there's

a danger of, of a 3rd world war and as real danger of, of nuclear weapons being used in the present situation. i am not afraid that the conflict will somehow spin out of control and with the headless euclid confrontation. well, we certainly will do everything within our power and within the ukraine. ukraine will tell the same approach to everything within their power to make sure it doesn't spin. out of control, international communities focus on that as well. again, i think this any bluster about the use of nuclear possibility of use of nuclear weapons is very dangerous and unhelpful. nobody wants to see a nuclear war, nobody can wind. and as we do things, and as we are, you know, take actions, we're always mindful of making sure that we have the right balance and we're taking the right approach. so there's always a possibility to

a number of things can happen. but, you know, again, i think it's, it's unhelpful and dangerous for the rental sabers and speculate or about the use of nuclear weapons banks. thank you. all. that's all the time we have for today's press conference. we really appreciate you all come and thank you . all right, and that was the us defense secretary lloyd austin, who was talking at ramstein at bass in germany. and we're going to cross now to d. w political correspondent, benjamin alvarez gruber, who is in come stein at the air base and where that press conference was held. benjamin, we just heard lloyd austin appraising this major decision, as he called it by germany to send a ukraine anti aircraft systems stressing, there is no time to waste now the ukraine. ah, what was it that stood out for you and what the u. s. secretary of defense was

saying that that's right. he said we have no time to lose. and you also said we have to move at the speed of war. so he announced this monthly meeting that will continue either impersonal virtually for allies to continue to see what the report support could look like. he praised, as you just mentioned, germany's a decision when it comes to the delivery of these anti aircraft weapons. he said germany is a great friend and an ally, calling this im exposed, significant and saying that it's up to the german leadership to see it which direction it will. continuous of course is a sovereign decision. you praised it, saying that's important to continue to show this unity and of course, to maintain an intensive 5 year fords of the us and its allies, to support ukraine against this war with russia. earlier we heard russia's foreign minister accusing germany, france in the us, of putting aside the principles of the united nation. so really quite critical what

we just heard from austin. that was this a great unity between friendly nations, as he called them, to stand against russia to stand against president putin. do you think that this restrict from russia pushed this very strong sense of unity at the, at the meeting today and from what and what we just heard that from, from austin. totally, i don't think that that's the only statement that leaders who are gathering here with the meeting is just over. we just heard the press conference are talking about what they can do to counter the russian aggression. it's not just that. i mean, we heard the russian foreign minister saying that there is fear that the might it be a 3rd world war that we should not minimize the fear that that could happen attacking france, attacking germany, but also accusing all of nature of being already involved in this proxy will by supplying weapons it ukraine's of course the lead us here closely falling in of

closely followed the meeting at the russian foreign minister held with antonia, go cherish in moscow. of course, it's a sign of unity and it's now quince, not a coincidence that german defense minister christina lambert, announced today that germany would finally supply this heavy weapon assistant that many have been pushing for the government to do for a long time. pressure not only by the position but also within the government with that free a business after p party and the greens will have been calling for the delivery of heavy weapons. something that is german chancellor, olaf shawls, and the social democrats have been broader. reluctant to do, but it's interesting to see how this will unfold, and if germany, wolf sent other have you weapons for ukraine. all right, benjamin alvarez for that and how much time. thanks so much. i'm joined now by date of his chief political editor, mckayla kutner for more on what we just heard. mikayla and austin was annoyed.

austin was very welcoming about germany's decision and praising this major decision as he called it. bess hm. do you think that this is seen as enough from germany? should it be more and is more expected? well, that's for this way. and now germany is again at pace of the western alliance that came to the united states is forging here. i think it's quite a striking announcement to hear from lloyd austin, that there will now be a monthly contact group of what he calls helpful states who want to bolster ukraine's ability to defend itself. so what we've learned that is that he's in it for the long haul. the united states is expecting this to go on for at least months. we have now arrived in new reality. now germany got a special mention from us secretary of defense austin, that i think that was important to back up a germany as an ally, but also as a supporter of ukraine. because in terms of funding,

in terms of money of the past years in 2014, germany was solely the biggest provider of support and assets. and this is this debate here in germany particular within the party of all sorts german chancellor that really slow down the process at arriving at this point. now we're germany is now willing to cross that line of providing heavy weapons, cheated tanks or tanks, as they're known here in germany. again, not from u. s. military, german, military supplies, but from german industry, which will receive a license by the german government to provide these quite clearly and was asked about this whether it's enough. and he was very diplomatic in saying that he expects more quite clearly because he is said that he perceived in ms lamb place the german defense minister as a was very helpful and trying to see what else they can do. so, the quickly, there is an expectation for germany to do more. and as far as germany is concerned

from the outside view, it is now finally arrived at the point where a lot of other countries were ready. internally, this is a paradigm shift and it completely changed the way the government, the old military looks at its own equipment. now that this line has been crossed of providing tags to ukraine to ask themselves what to send next. she believes chief las gladys and michelle christner, thank you very much. the united nations secretary general attorney yoga parish has proposed setting up a you and lead humanitarian contact group in ukraine to protect civilians. the. busy goal would be to set up safe corridor was the civilians with the help of russia and ukraine. guitarist was speaking in moscow following talks with russian foreign minister, such a lover of the un chief, has faced criticism for failing to take a lead and peace talks. earlier in the conflict. ukraine's president also

criticized good parish for visiting moscow for keith, saying it's and with the wrong signal. good terrorist used his visit to put pressure on moscow over war crimes allegations. but he emphasized that the most important task is to put an end to the war. rushes invasion of ukraine is a violation of his very thought of the integrity and against the char thought of united nations. but it is my deep conviction that the sooner we end this war, the better for the people of ukraine, for the people of the russian federation. and those far beyond united motions as repeatedly called so, says fires to protect civilians and to facilitate the political dialogue to reach a solution. so far that has not been possible. the russian foreign minister sang, i love ross said moscow was open to ending the conflict. but he accused ukraine of

undermining negotiations by bypassing the you ends, conflict resolution procedures. release your stool harsh hooker to accept the truth as it is little either. we should agree on having a solution server we've taken only within our own group of followers taking decisions or how the world should should level or we should talk to each other. nobody amone's warm young to 3 weeks, but we always just giving arguments and her mother. yo us. it is also necessary to call these to responsibly that you are violates the charter of the united nation. he w as moscow pure a chief, you're a shadow, joins me now. he's currently based in riga because d, w is banned in russia. uri you followed the lover of good harish meeting closely. tell us what were your main takeaways from what was said was

a meeting between love roth and good tourist was of course a meeting between 2 diplomats and that was very clear, especially with antonio good terrace, who was very polite, that group joined press conference, left off of the other hand to was more direct and used to the opportunity to use the same tricks as so often when meeting with the best and colleagues, the most concrete thing with that came out of the joint press conference was the terrorists proposal to set up a contact group consisting of the year in ukraine and trash was that could coordinate to the home get terry and corridors for civilians in ukraine, especially for the people in the occupied city of murray parish actually said that he was travelling in the capacity of a messenger, a piece, i mean, you said that there were concrete possibility of disgust, but do you think this has actually achieved anything? well believe the most important diplomatic goal has been achieved. gutierrez was

hurt. i want to point the to the fact that he spoke out very clearly about the war during the press conference of ot that no russian or foreign person is in russia allowed to see. of course, we don't know what else of the to ultimately said. i sat behind closed doors, but i think that the russia is gone. see, conceding, at least partially by setting up a joint contact group under the leadership of the an for the, of a creation of the population. this can also be interpreted as a positive sign because it offers to the russians a kind of exit strategy from the they are dishonest and ukraine, which is a military domestic and do political disaster. russian state propaganda can present this as a generous gesture of goodwill by vladimir putin. but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if the grammar uses is compromised for its own purposes, or if its ultimately leads to the saving of human lives. ah, and this is exactly what good terrorist wanted to achieve as a peacemaker. all right, well, happy leave it there. you're

a shadow in riga. many thanks. now in ukraine itself, volunteers are working to evacuate thousands of civilians in the east who are living with daily and nightly russian artillery shelling. they're hiding out in basements and shallow shelters, many without electricity, gas, or water. this man is being evacuated from his home and hockey trapped in his flood. it is a miracle he survived no on noon in louis. 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 happen during the day or will.