ah, it's often said that you will be judged by the company you keep to day, the head of the european union paid a visit to the president of ukraine. the message was clear, we have a future together. now, earlier this year, the president of russia and china celebrated their country's new relationship, one with no limits, but that was before russia became a political pariah waging war sh. today, as the 2 leaders met again, another saying came to mind that maybe it's better to be alone than in bad company . i'm burnt off in berlin. this is the day. ah, you have your european friends by your side as long as it takes. what i would like

to say is that anyone who make with, with flooding me potent remind him of the obligation that international leaders had to uphold the international rules of law. giovanni and china is willing to make efforts to work with russia as great powers. we highly appreciate the balanced position of our chinese friends in connection with the ukrainian crisis. we have friends for ever. thanks you for having yet to to thank you so much. ah. also coming up in london, the queues are 456 miles long, thousands of people waiting in line to say good bye to the queen. but just going in there and, and just seeing her just luckily i just it's,

she's that piece now. um yeah, it's very, i just feel i've, i've done something which i think is right to pay my respects. ah, was who are reviewers watching on p. b as in the united states and to all of you around the world. welcome. we begin the day with the impact of war on relationships . today, the world's 2 most powerful authoritarian leaders, the president of russia and china, came together on the sidelines of a business summit. it was their 1st face to face meeting between she's in pain and vladimir putin since the russian invasion of ukraine began back in february. and while the chinese leader said nothing about the war publicly, russian president vladimir putin made cryptic comment suggesting that beijing and moscow may not see eye to eye. and this is important because at the start of the year, russia and china declared a new bilateral relationship without limits, it seen as an attempt to build a boar,

work against the us and western influence. now contrast these 2 leaders to the leaders of the european union and ukraine, who came together to day in cave, the optics and the messaging. here they were crystal clear, rushes invasion has brought brussels and keep closer together. we have more now with this report wanting like a meeting between old friends on a 3rd visit to ukraine since the war began. also a funding line received a warm welcome from president fuller, demure zalinski, and an award for her commitment to e. you ukraine relations. among the talking points, the 8000000 plus people who fled to your country since the war began in february. we want of course, to have to give our ukrainian friends when they need help as much support as possible. but we also know that they are longing to go home again. we

even ask fund lines, night train made its way to keep rushing. rock had struck a resume, war dumb entreaty, re an industrial center and presidency. lensky hometown, the resulting flood, inundate had several roads, and houses, and the local drinking water supply was cut. only. roger, though the drains aren't working and we can't flush the toilet and was everything's flooded and there's been no one from the disaster protection agency here since yesterday evening. i'm just microsoft in hotel, a blue map. woo. president zalinski said the russian strikes on the city so close to his roots had no military value. and zalinski said that fact shows russia is intent on attacking ukrainian civilians. what he, w. c. connelly, he has more now from the eastern ukrainian city of har. keith were, as you can probably see behind me, there is very little of her gift to be seen at pretty early evening hour because

lots of people i've often feels and sent like the majority have left and the ones who are remaining arc sticking tool. the recommendations keeping their curtains firmly shut and basically keeping off the streets critic, storage density of more than a 1000000 a half and occasionally only to see some cars passing a distance. a few very rare pedestrians, but it's a real contrast to the times before this war. started, i was here in mid february when the u. s. government said that the war was imminent and people who just couldn't get there had run it. they couldn't believe that this was on the cards. and this was a thriving city with also tens of thousands of foreign students coming here from around the world who also took their cue from the locals and commenced. that being 40 comes away from russia. didn't necessarily mean that they were in danger. now since this ukrainian assaults, comprehensive in the east northeast of the country has done so well, we've seen some russian retaliation effects. we've seen attacks on the energy infrastructure on the power system or the heating system rather, and extraordinarily, it's proved pretty flexible and resilient and able to restore those systems. the

most pop power is back, the metro is operating. and even though, you know, as i mentioned so many people have left, those many are keeping the show on the road. but the question looking now to what's next you months is even if russian forces are no longer in this part of the country, they are still only as you much they're 40 comes away on their own territory. so the risk of attacks of missile attacks of logs the through that is still there much there. yesterday evening we heard a big explosion in the downtown, off of my hotel. and the rates are ins, only came on us, but 34 minutes after it's often it's so difficult to really tell when these things are coming and they're coming from such short distance that distance. he just can't really give anyone a feeling of safety or the at the real chance to get to a position where they can, you know, be protected from damage. so it is a very edgy situation. a city that doesn't really quite know yet whether to believe that the situation is genuinely safer and whether it's kind of time to go back sometime normality. there was no connelly reporting there from ukraine. when you

think of more heroes, you probably think of soldiers, generals medics in the worn ukraine. heroes also include postal workers who are providing a lifeline to people who live near the front lines. many of them elderly residence ukraine's mil service continues to deliver vital supplies. in spite of all the dangers t w's. beckett a sugar followed one letter carrier near har, keith luba, hot car heads out when the air at alarm stop. she works in the north east of ukraine, delivering mail and cache pensions to people living close to the front lines. they never know when russian artillery might hit by cuba swallow, sophia, who jaquenn, what can i say? the pension is no, me and they wait to me. when i was off work for a man call some even call it and asked when i be back with him prior to water. so, it's not just about delivering pensions,

she tells us many of the older people living here are completely on their own. like tatiana carver, her children and grandchildren have fled abroad. she's so scared of a text that she barely leaves the house in a yeah, you best visit is the highlight of her month. or what she's very, very helpful like is she cares about us, brings us our pensions and news and explains things oh, i'm going to cry. the post service delivers pensions and cash to more than $3000000.00 ukrainians. but they also taking medication 1st aid kits protective. di and even food. and that's crucial for people living near the front lines who often can't get supplies for themselves. the post headquarters in keith is wet, organized, eagles, me, lansky is in charge. we're responsible for 65000 employees who deliver all across

ukraine, being the producer rewards. it's a huge logistical challenge. she says, and a dangerous one. and once the village of the cities for love and 2 or 3 days after certainly mining is done, become only convers pensions for gun was for food because products on bud and to war. and you have to be told to for your listing. so things can happen in the war. 15 postal workers have already been killed at 14, injured, to reduce the risk they changed delivery routes every day. after doing what they can to find out where is safe enough to send their staff in the morning heritage and can folks progress her thought it is security service for so abrasions are armed forces are to give new information word safe on, on, safe to go to day in lube as delivery district things have been getting worse recently. she says that as strikes almost every day,

one had this home on the west road. she tries to comfort the couple who lives there . the pension she delivers is about $100.00 you romance. it's enough to survive. it says alexander cove, i ankle, but they won't be able to rebuild their houses. i believe we've done what we can chef. but these monsters have destroyed our lives on the stores of uh, how will we survived the winter? i just don't know zimmer, with our doctor. those are wash cautious. it's hard to take a less and to realize that this is our life now over the me that will stay strong and will heat working. but i to lot newbury retained a year until then she continues to serve her people, pinging pensioners, them money and offering them the bit of company her work. she says has never been

more important or yeah, yeah. ah, go from the ties that bind to ties that are being tested today. russian president vladimir putin and his chinese counterpart she had pink, held their 1st face to face, talked since moscow's invasion of ukraine began earlier this year. of speaking on the sidelines of the summit in whose becca stand potent, thank china for what he called it's balanced. position towards ukraine, but who did also acknowledged concerns which some c as a cryptic confirmation that beijing may be indifferent. perhaps even unhappy with putin's war blood in me, a putin is in some account to strengthen ties with the few allies. he can count on the shanghai co operation organisation of eurasian nations, has grown in significance for russia since it's invasion of ukraine,

lead western states to impose sanctions on moscow. by far, the most important meeting for putin is with his chinese counterpart sheeting pink . it's the chinese presidents, 1st foreign trip since the start of the corona virus pandemic. china has remained tight lipped over russia's invasion of ukraine. putin was clearly thankful for the tacit support because we highly value the balance to position of our chinese friends when it comes to the ukraine crisis. russia and china are presenting a united front when relations with western states are going from bad to worse. the shanghai cooperation organisation includes many of the former soviet republics in central asia, as well as india and pakistan. iran has expressed interest in joining turkey who's president is attending the summer. can summit is a full dialogue partner put in an add on are set to meet on friday, due to western sanctions. chinese products have replaced western ones in russia. well, china is russia's biggest oil, customer shipping,

ping cease the global role of the 2 countries as much more than just trade cooperation. when they shoes, yaeger b, a china, together with russia, is ready to accept the part of great power even going over the van to play a leading role in being of force for stability and positive energy in a world shaken by social unrest. georgia, the sure did sure rule when being she latanaya as the lead, as talking was becky, stan, china and russia are carrying out joint military exercises near the pacific coast. but my 1st gifts tonight is ali. while i'm a senior analyst with eurasia groups, macro geo politics practice, his focus is on us china relations and competition between world powers. he's also the author of america's great power opportunity, revitalized u. s. foreign policy to meet the challenges of strategic competition in the alley,

joins me to night from washington d. c. ali. it's good to have you on the show. let me ask you about what we heard or maybe what we didn't hear today. volunteer. bruton said that he understands that she's in being has questions and concerns about the situation in ukraine. what did you read between the lines there? well, thank you so much for having the on, on the program. so even if the, we often hear a distinction between the notes of music and the writing of the music. and that is to say, even though the relationship between china and russia is deepening a detainer of their conversations, the tenor of their, of their public front is different than it was. you remember shortly before russian b, ukraine, china and russia famously declared that their friendship had no limits. but evidently, their relationship doesn't have some limits. and i would just offer a few observations. i think hooton's statement is an acknowledgment of china's concerns, not to say that china hasn't harbor those concerns,

but that those concerns are growing. my hypothesis is that china probably thought then russia was indeed going to launch either just a special military operation, or that if it did launch a full fledged invasion of ukraine, that ukraine capitulate right away. it would be a very bloodless and quick affair. the war hasn't turned out that way, it's much more, more protracted. it's proven to be grinding. and the longer the war go on to suffer. so i think it's current about the trajectory of the war rust. please hardly the, even if they publicly maintain or fronting. i think the china, once russia to make renewed push to an hostilities, would you say that china is, is, is worried, or is becoming more worried about the long term fall out from russia's invasion of ukraine. i mean, is that what does that play here? absolutely. as i said, is committed to go, you know, my sense is that china probably expected that ukraine would capitulate very quickly

. ukraine with a western support has proven to be a formidable competitor, and of course brushes military as well heads as under performed. so i think the china is very concerned. first of all, it's concerned by the same extra analogies of the war that many other countries are concerned about. it's concerned about disruptions to global energy market. it's concerned about disruptions to global food markets. so it's concerned about those extra analogies which will only worsen as a war continues, but it is also concerned about, as i mentioned, it's transatlantic ties. and although you're china and russia, they will strengthen their embrace to often growing pressure from advanced industrial democracies, particularly in the west. china recognizes it for its own long term strategic outlook. stable relations with the west are going to be far more consequential than stable relations with russia. china has a very difficult balancing act, and evan maderos has famously referred to this as china and russia policy try. lemme china spinal tediously, once

a demonstrated remains committed to upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity, it wants to maintain its relationship with russia, and it also wants to maintain its relationships and with that's a very difficult balancing act. and the longer the war goes, the heart of that balancing act is going to come from aging. and beijing and she's in ping, is watching everything that's happening in ukraine. he sees the economic sanctions . he also sees unity within nato. and, and i'm wondering, is that influencing his calculus when it comes to the future of taiwan? it's a very important question, i think, and there are many, there are many lessons that one can draw. you know, my sense is that china recognizes now given the difficulty to the rush, one given the military difficulties in russia has had invading a territory the contiguous neighbor imagine how much harder it would be for china to state him to be a landing staging and mtv landing is orders of magnitude more difficult in the military packing order. number one, number 2, for all of trying to much volunteer military modernization. it's important.

remember that the people's liberation army hasn't fought in major combat since 1979 . number 2, number 3. china is also recognizing with the sanctions that the west has imposed on russia than russia, so called fortress economy, is not impregnable as moscow might imagine. so china recognizes that if it were to contemplate any aggression against taiwan, it would have to do a lot more work in advance to build up a taken amik sulfur lines to build up instead of logical rule reliance. i sell for lunch, it's nowhere near there. so i think that it's not to say that if i'm in china had been intimidating. taiwan, increasing the pressure against taiwan. well before russia lost its vision of ukraine. so it's not as a china is. it's not who rushes behavior in ukraine in going with stablish or determine which china does. we're trying to learning lessons. and i think the chinese, recognizing that the military cost that it would incur the economic costs, it would, it would incur from aggression against $1.00 would be very severe. that it has a lot more work to do to build up. it's military and economic strength all the way

with the eraser group, all the it's good talking with you. excellent analysis. we appreciate your time and your insights tonight. thank you. thank you so much for having me. ah. well, it said that the british people are experts in the art of queuing, thousands have been doing what they do best standing in line for hours, even sleeping in line during the night to say a final good bye to queen elizabeth britton's longest serving monarch is lying in state, in london's westminster hall for the next 4 days. the cue to see her coffin stretches out the door for nearly 10 kilometers along the river thames. you see a growing fear, it's so long that there is a website. now that shows you where the end of the line is, there's already in line we're told are issued wristbands so that they can leave if they have to maybe sit down or go to the bathroom or get something to eat. officials expect 750000 people to file past before the queen's funeral,

which is scheduled for this coming monday. all right, let's find out a little more about what's motivating these huge crowds standing in line to view the queen's casket. i want to bring in royal commentator richard fitz williams, he joins me to night from london. mister fitz williams is good to have you with us . the pictures that the world is seeing right now. the fact that people have been prepared and are prepared to wait up to 30 hours outside. it's september. and we know what london weather is like to view the queen lying in state. what does it tell us? it tells us that the queen was a truly remarkable individual who had, i think the best way of describing had relationship with her subjects, i think is love. i'm reminded of her distinguished predecessor from the 16th

century. elizabeth passed, who in her little speech said that god hath raised me high. i counsellor dory, of my throne that i have reigned with yo love and i think the better. so act in this particular case, because the longest i have a greening mark and someone who was part and parcel so much of british life, as you say, the cues at the moment stretching all these amazing hours cause hundreds of thousands. when the queen mother died in 2002 and also of course for the funeral of gun metal george the 6 a father burton time. so it was like, this is something like which leading on to monday, whether it's a bank holiday and of course the funeral and well leaders will descend. it's unlike anything i think will ever seen possibly excepting. so winston churchill funeral in

1965. it has been such a somber week in the u. k. we were seeing these, these long queues of people, and there has been almost no eruptions, no one misbehaving, no one protesting me. they say it, there's just signs of reverence and respect all along these cues along the river thames at the moment. how has the passing of the queen tapped into what seems to be a deep root of dignity in the public? his you're quite right using that word dignity because i think it's important. i mean it's him. you can't really do other than completely contrast what we're seeing now with the queen dying, 96 with for example, the princess of wales, 36 by suddenly the flood gates opened, but it came to a motion and the british and decided themselves we've never seen before. as this,

people are responding individually in different ways. for example, quite a large number of shedding tears. quite a large number of cutting a very large numbers of but the age of social media are taking. so thieves and using i phone some people think it's hunting to find some people think. well this is the way they want to remember the occasion. i it's, it's certainly a very, very quiet procession. and the feeling is that this isn't unique counsel, then we're looking back into caves to come. and no one will forget where they were when they heard of the queen's passing. and also this moment, the lucky few who be able to get in as you say, will be several 100000 i into westminster, holy oldest part of the house and come on. that's right. in fact, it's earliest since william the 2nd, the roof was rich of the 2nd. it survived the $184540.00 paul and parliament and

also the brits and churches. coffee also lay misery before we run our time. i just want to ask you, i mean it regarding the funeral and the challenge, this must be on a diplomatic level. i mean, who's coming in and who has been, who has not been invited to. we know and we do most certainly know the 10 world heads of state have been invited, but the exceptions are russia, belarus, and my and mom and apparently also i as well. and sylvia, and apparently there are few countries, i think, including most korea, i'm who will be asked to send them back, will be invited to send ambassador. so what, in reality, this will mean is that, that will be one of the largest ever gallery was outside the united nation, say, well leaders as though it's important because of course,

queen elizabeth the queen of the commonwealth. and the way she did was herself a citizen of the world, in the sense that she was able, with profile to reach out to people unique to missile this with suffolk, under the pandemic. and she was able to quote some water or times we talked a bit of lynn, so brilliantly. she was better known than any other head of state. this will pay to how amazing life royal commentator richard fitz williams. mister fitz williams, we appreciate your time, your valuable insights into what is an incredibly historic time in the u. k. thank you. thank for the day's almost done. the conversation continues online, go find us on twitter, either a d w news, you can call them me on twitter. it's rick golf t v. and remember whatever happens between now and then, tomorrow is another day. we'll see that

with a to the point. strong opinions, clear positions, international perspective. it's nothing short of a route. ukraine's to cross counter offensive his expelled russian troops from a large suite of territory in the northeast of ukraine at lightning speed,

ukraine's battlefield gates put in under pressure. to the point. on d, w. 14 the landscape, a reflection of a turbulent history. the cities, the mosaic of different people and languages. the ron's mountains reveal unparalleled beauty. ah, a special look at a special country. iran from above. in 45 minutes on d w. o. ah . hello guys. this is the 77 percent the platform for africa. you beat issues and share ideas

you know, or this channel. we are not afraid to happen. delicate topic africans population is growing and young people clearly have the solution. the future loans for you is 77 percent. every weekend on d w it's nothing short of a route. ukraine's 2 pronged counter offensive has expelled russian troops from a large wave of territory in the northeastern part of the country at lightning speed. in under a week, the ukrainian forces regained more territory than russia captured in over 5 months . blindsided.