ah ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin. ukraine says its forces are still holding on in the eastern city of sierra jeanette's. the region is the focus of heavy russian shelling and intense street fight. marching to stop the killing. thousands joined

protests across the united states, demanding tighter gun control and an end to mass shootings. president joe biden, burgess the protesters to keep marching. plus, china's defense minister warns that any move to bring about taiwanese independence will trigger a fight to the end. and the shares it's up to washington to improve us china relations. ah, i'm michael ok welcome. ukraine says it remains in control of a crucial chemical plant in the eastern city of see ever do nets where hundreds of civilians are sheltering. the lu hans regional governor rejected claims by pro russian separatists that ukrainian troops had been blockaded there. he says ukrainian forces continue to hold an industrial zone in the city. the area has seen

consistent bitter st battles and heavy russian showing she ever dynette has become the after center of the battle in eastern ukraine. d. w corresponding rebecca readers is in chief. she told us more about the situation in several minutes and that chemical plant, which is reportedly the last place in the city, still under ukrainian control. that's right, michael, as you rightly mentioned several, annette has been at the center of the battle. and so far the battle at the moment in the dawn bass for some weeks now and in russia has been gradually pushing forward. but it's been a very slow and gradual push forward ukraine. managing to hold back her at least a fast advance. but as you say now, only this as a chemical industrial side is under ukrainian control. and russia now does control the rest of the city where, you know, it's, it's a little bit of reminiscent of what we saw in matter. you, paul,

and the as of style plant, we, the civilians, both workers from the, from the industrial plant and civilians trapped they're hiding under ground with about 3 or $400.00 a ukrainian soldiers as well. trying to maintain their obviously trying to not the resist. russian control, i don't want to give out that area and have russia pushed through to the says the city on the other side of the river, which is less a chance as both sides. we understand exchange fire. many civilians are still trying to get out with their lives. what can you tell us about their situation or the situation. of course, as you can imagine remains dire in that city, it's being continuously bombarded. people are living under ground, as we said, there are $800.00 is expected $800.00 civilians living on the ground of this a this plot. but there are other people in the city. this believed to be between 10 and 15000 people fill in separately. then it's getting out of that city is almost

impossible. any kind of official evacuations are long over. so anybody who is my managers to get out will be doing so really at their own risk. it is a dire situation and who continues to be. so as long as assigning continues that rebecca, as you know, european union chief herself on the line was in keys yesterday promising some movement this upcoming week on ukraine's bid to become an e. u member. now ukraine's the president does. zalinski talked about that in his latest video address. we hear some of what he had to say, and then get your reaction. just because we're all doing, i am sure that we will soon receive an answer on the candidate status for ukraine. so i am convinced that this decision can strengthen, not only our country yours, but the entire european union. she'll milestones what else needs to happen in europe to make it clear to skeptics that the very fact of keeping ukraine outside

the european union works against europe. or to quote evil rebecca, the ukrainian president, sounding a very determined there. but some e. u. leaders like french president emmanuel mccall, say it will take years, decades even for ukraine to join the european union. so why is this membership bid so important to zalinski right now? was a lindsey his argument is that ukraine is perkins 1st stop really. and that the whole european project could be at risk of collapse eve potent is allowed to continue. the lensky looking for security assurance is from the a you are being for being and being a part of the a you, as it were. i mean, the you, crime has, or large factions of ukraine have long wanted to become a part of the, a you. but obviously the situation here at the security situation has obviously hastened the desire to then have the security assurances from the year. but you know, as you just rightly stated, the president macro on france saying that this can take decades. and that is true.

i mean, we've seen most embeds for the a you take around about 10 years. so there is no legal framework for fast tracking as it were. so even if the candidacy is loud next week, as, as is expected, it's still a very long road ahead. full president zalinski, he said the not necessarily looking for a fast track, but this is definitely in his mind a step in the right direction. d w. 's rebecca readers in keith many thanks rebecca . his a look at some other developments in the war. german media reporting that chancellor, all of schultz is planning to visit ukraine's capital key before the end of june. the build newspaper says the chancellor will visit with french president emanuel michael and italian prime minister. mario dragging. the german government has so far declined to comment on the report. russian forces occupying southern ukraine have begun handing out passports. 23 locals, including the new moscow installed governor of hassling,

have accepted russian passwords. russia has also opened an office in mela, topple in a region still partly held by ukraine. tens of thousands of people have rallied across the united states and renewed push for tougher gun control measures. in the aftermath of last month, school massacre in texas. protesters shay, it's time for action and not more prayers. while lawmakers have drafted new legislation, the reforms are unlikely to overcome congressional hurdles and become law. the brooklyn bridge in new york, just one of more than 400 rallies held across the us on saturday. the marches were organized after a spite of deadly shootings across the country. buffalo, new york, and you, val detects us were 2 of them, carried out by attackers with high powered firearms. weapons the demonstrate is here would like to see under strict regulation. if you look at it,

all of the recent murders have been done by 18 year olds, and yet they can't smoke because they can't buy cigarettes. they can't buy liquor because they're not mature enough to handle those things. and yet they mature enough to handle an 8 or 15. that's ridiculous. and the biggest rally was in washington d. c. way senators, a said to vote on gun reform lighted this week. the us house of representatives has passed bills, which would, in principle, raised the age limit on buying semi automatic weapons and established federal red flag laws. but the bills are not likely to become law because of united republican opposition and the senate. something activists here cannot understand if our government can't do anything to stop 19 yes, from being killed and slaughtered in their own school and de capitated. it's

time to say, oh, they got it from the very top of the us government president joe biden urged demonstrators not to give up. martin with the protesters are not giving up yet, and they're demanding action from the law makers. w sima summers gandhi was at the rally in washington and has more on the change protesters one they want just any sort of change. i mean, we saw so many signs imploring lawmakers to do something to make of schools, churches supermarket safer. we have seen the spade of mass shootings in buffalo, new york, and you've all the texas, tulsa, oklahoma and the anger and the frustration was really palpable among protesters.

specifically the much for allies movement. this was founded after a mass shooting in florida 4 years ago, and they have a list of policy proposals. they want to see address. that includes a national licensing and registry system, a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines. that's essentially how many bullets a gun can fire off policies to disarm gun owners who pose a risk also a national gun buyback program, while the majority of americans do clearly in survey after survey say they want some sort of restrictions on guns and becomes tricky when you talk about the how, because we did speak to gun control, advocates this past week, who say there shouldn't be a ban on assault weapons or that there shouldn't be a national registry. and what they can't agree on is that something needs to be changed. america has witness more mass shootings than days in the year. so all of that is contributed to this fresh momentum, really and the push for gun safety legislation. but we have to remind viewers that nothing has actually changed in terms of legislation. and a lot of protesters we saw it spoke to carried signs expressing their fury with

lawmakers who have blocked any progress on meaningful reform. assembling block is and has been a gridlock in the senate. so the house of representatives where the democrats have a majority and they were able to pass a packet of measures this week that include things that they call common sense gun laws. like removing guns from the homes of people who are considered a risk. raising the age to purchase a semi automatic firearm from 18 to 21. but that is all but doomed in the senate, the democrats don't have the numbers, they would need 10 republicans to vote with them on this package. there is not much chance that they will get that majority. they are still negotiating. there's some optimism, but most observers here believe that congress will come up short again on legislation on gun control. a brief look now at some of the other news around the world. police in the western us state of idaho have arrested 31 men, suspected of plotting to stage a riot near an l. g b t q. pride event. police say the suspects are members of

a white nationalist group. authorities were tipped off by a call from a local resident who reported seeing what looked like quote, a little army. polls have opened in france is parliamentary elections. they could be critical to the success of president dom annual max on 2nd term agenda. the centrist president's absolute majority is at stake with poles predicting a strong challenge from a left wing alliance opposed to many of mccullin's policies. 9 men have been arrested in china after a video showing the beating of 2 women provoked outrage security cameras at a restaurant in the northern city of tongue. shun. show the men dragging. the women by the hair and punching and kicking. china's defense minister waving her has warned that any attempt to bring about tie one's independence will trigger a fight to the end. he spoke in a regional security form in singapore general way accused of the united states of

pursuing an indo pacific strategy. bound to lead to confrontation, he said china's relationship with the u. s. was at a critical juncture and that it was up to the washington to improve ties at each as most important security summit in singapore, a threat of war. we would want to know if anyone dares to split taiwan from china, lulu, the chinese military, will fight at all, costs a smash, any secessionist attempt to see and will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity with our to try coding to, under that warning, followed a meeting between supa defense ministers, china's waving co and light austin, of the u. s. tensions between beijing and washington over the self governing island of piven have soared in decent months. frequent incursions by the chinese air force into ty wants,

and offense zone have angered the by an administration. we were witnessed a steady increase in provocative and d, stabilizing military activity in taiwan. and we remain focused on maintaining peace stability and the status quo. a quart across the tri one street, but the p. r. c's moves, threatened to undermine security of stability and prosperity in the endo pacific are you will last month all president joe biden announced that washington would defend ty von should china attack provoking and angry rebuke from beijing by the white house has since walked back. those statements thought of a deliberate policy of weakness on by one, no one a strategic ambiguity. for the small island living in the shadow of it's increasingly a sort of neighbor that ambiguity provides little comfort. before we go,

here's a quick look at our top story. this, our ukraine says it forces are still holding alec in part of the eastern city of the several denounced where hundreds of civilians had found, sheltered the city and surrounding area or witnessing consistent intense street fighting and heavy russian sheylan. this is the w news ally from berlin up. next is world stories with a special focus on reports from ukraine. a, michael oak, who for me and the rest of the team here. thanks so much for watching. well go to the dark side where intelligence agencies are pulling the strings. there was a before 911 and an after 911. he says after $911.00, the clubs came off.