[000:00:00;00] ah no ah, this is dw news lie from berlin is the bad of a bad mood. nearing an end, you came military intelligence sources, say ukrainian forces are under increasing pressure from russia in the fight for the front line city also coming up

a bilateral pledge of support for ukraine. washington announces an extra $400000000.00 and military aid for keith. as german chancellor, all of sholtes meet joe biden at the white house. ah a michael. ok welcome. we begin with signs that a key barrel in easton, ukraine could soon end in a rush, and victory. fighting continues to rage around the frontline city of buck moved. russia is determined to seize the now destroyed city as part of its wider aim of capturing the entire done, yet screeching british military intelligence reports se ukrainian forces are coming under increasingly strong pressure there. this city and its defenders have endured some of the most brutal fighting of the war,

but after 6 months under constant attack, ukraine's hold on buck mote appears to be slipping. for both sides, the cost in both lives and ammunition has been enormous. but now the commander of russia's mercenary wagner, group claims the city is almost completely surrounded. a wagner group units have effectively encircled buck mute. there is only one road left out. all the pins is a closing room, while most roads in and out of but most have been cut off, making it difficult for ukraine to resupply its forces. those that remain open are under constant file from russian artillery. as russia closes in their affairs, that ukraine's forces may become unable to retreat. throughout it all,

medics continued to ferry the wounded away from the besieged city. those injured on the front line in buck mote, a transferred to hospitals, in safer regions. in the western city of la viv president followed him as the lensky thanked both soldiers and doctors for their tireless efforts. yeah, john williams, i want to thank you for helping so many of our soldiers and heroes to get back on their feet. you know, the country sees your work and values a highly on that are very highly are wooden, was which in lieu few expected buck motor to hold on this long. it's capture would mock a symbolic victory for russia. one that costs a thousands of lives to achieve within here that when my for more on this, let's welcome domain till a saga masa senior lecturer in security and development at kings college in london . we're hearing that ukrainian forces are under severe pressure defending bad mood . that's according to british military intelligence. what more do we know about

ukraine's efforts to reinforce the area with a lead unit? one that what we know is that to the ukraine, as i'll send reinforcements to rob, mark morton, apparently we don't know. and we don't have a lot of detail or exactly what kind of reinforcements happening. saying that they have been images of, you know, of our vehicles to, you know, carry an infantry man. so it is possible. got additional troops have been sent to the, to the area on or so apparently rom, mechanize collision. i'm arranged horsemen's excuse me till that sort of north north western part of blackmore to maybe try to, to put pressure on, on sort of their russian forces. but also this could be or part of an effort to ensure the ease. there are 3rd sort of that they're withdrawn off of ukraine and so his from back won't actually make sure that to want not to mine. he lives i lost, are sitting there with strong oil,

would be that there is an effort to continue sort of cleaning down our russian forces there. ma'am, i am more of that week, but now probably gonna have the expertise to make sure that they force his, at our state of our inside of our more they, ukraine, and policies are able to withdraw without a major analysis and rachel casualties that often requires st. shannon great as you well know, the u. s. announced a new military aid package for ukraine. worse about $400000000.00, primarily comprise of ammunition, part of that package apparently includes tactical bridges. tell us how they're to meaningful ah, well, this award ammunition that really very important and a right if i'm to party that's going to be more towards all of her. he mars. so this is going to be very helpful for the ukrainians to shoot, you know, behind any lines to russians. my lines, ah, the sort of the, the, that bridge are to lose our are important because say hey, you know,

they will hang you clang and forces to cross re bus. i in a potential counter offensive which seems to be planned for the spring. so this is going to be, you know, i censure lanita indicates that ukraine young's ah, repairing way to american support and western support flora for a more effective counter offensive. and this is part of age to make sure that you know that their troops can cross ah, you know, honest rivers on, on and bonds more effectively. and so they say indicates that they're really thinking and planning for more effective counter offensives. and in a way, you know, the sort of, they, they are whole in florida around by moored was also intended to weaken, are russian forces and similar, similar sort of tactics where you was to our last summer when russians really, it was sort of pain down. now roundly see chung, i'm serious, he done yet scan. then they say loud for ukrainian struck vance in baltimore. oh excuse me, in a heartbeat for hockey?

yes. so we can really think that you're not lot of vehicle that was pulled around by more. this was intended to weaken our russian forces so that then ukrainians could carry out more effective counter offensive. so i think this is all a sort of part of a strategy to help ukraine with the necessary equipment on support so that they can carry out an effective counting fancier. later on, i, you know, when i sort of that month, seeds are nice is over in a way which is sort of coming now soon. they're going into that period. well, we will have when we will add to ended there that it said that so security expert domain till a saga most so from king's college london. many, many, many thanks. the u. s. and german leaders have met in washington and in a display of unity over the war in ukraine. it was all of shots 1st visit to the white house in russia's invasion. he and joe biden focus their talks on support for keith. and concerns said,

china is planning to provide russia with military assistance. the u. s. has also announced a new $400000000.00 package of military aid for keith shaw says germany is committed to back in ukraine for as long as it takes really important with that we can give you credit during this time. i think it's very important that we give the message that we will continue to do so as long as it takes longer for more on the visit, the chances are short paid to bite in washington. our political correspondent, emily gordon, joins me now. emily, this was a very short visit. there were no journalists there. unusually accompanying the chancellor and no press conference afterwards. do we know what the 2 leaders actually discussed? no, i mean like you said,

there was no official press statement um, no press was invited to come with shultz, which is normally what happens. this was a meeting behind closed doors and it was kept very low profile. but with extremely serious topics on the agenda, right. i mean, we know from, you know, government spokespeople here in berlin lat continued support for ukraine was obviously talking points. yeah. very important. talking point. the main talking point really and how this and how support can continue. we've just had that some and the us has as announced another 8 packet, another, another financial support package, a $400000000.00 us dollars. but we also have just seen the reports from the who it and how difficult situation in ukraine. and so i think this is also reflect the sense of urgency that needs to be done and it needs to be done now. and i think, and that's what the 2 leaders discussed yesterday. any more details and hell,

washington in berlin plan on stopping china from sending weapons to russia. yeah, i mean i also from your sources that i'm a response to such possible deliveries was on, on the agenda as well when they spoke yesterday. but the thing is, the u. s. and i and germany have a very different approach when it comes to china. the u. s. biden has taken on a much tougher stance implementing economic sanctions. whereas on the german side, chancellor sholtes has been more cautious. and that obviously also has to do with the economic dependencies that do exist when it comes to trade ties with china. and of course, you know, now will be the question is, of course, that if china does decide to send weapons to russia and it will be in the u. s, it is currently trying to find out who will who will sort of play along with functions towards china. and i think that's a difficult question that germany has to answer. of course,

the war here in europe took center stage in washington. but i imagine that for each leader, there were some political benefit domestically. yeah, i mean, for chancellor schultz and, i mean, let's go back a week ago in berlin, hannah city, we had 13000 people who took to the streets, protesting against weapons deliveries. so um that being said, if you look at the public look at polls, yeah. that was, that were published on thursday. there is a fairly big support for what flash health is doing that thing with, you know, there is a concern in a way that these weapons deliveries will lead to escalation. and i think by all of cells traveling to the us, having this working meeting with president joe biden, and still a certain degree of confidence. we're not doing this alone. we're doing this in close coordination with our partners in america. and i think all assholes knows that that is good, signalling towards german, sort of them, it is. our political corresponded to emily gord, dean. many,

many thanks. as always. the sick look now at some the other news headlines from around the world at this hour. china's annual parliament has kicked off in beijing with the largely ceremonial political advisory session. the meeting comes on the eve of the national people's congress, which starts on sunday. the parliament rubber stamps decisions already made behind closed doors by leadership ping and the communist party leadership. at least 4 people have been killed and over 40000 residents displaced. after flooding in the southern malaysian state of war, the reigns have continued unabated hampering release efforts. authorities have set up more than 200 relief centers for people displaced by the floods. authorities in the us state of california say it could take another week to reach some people

stranded by heavy snowfall in mountain areas. many homes and businesses were buried by a rare blizzard with local communities lacking enough snow clearing equipment. the mountain snow is clearly visible from downtown los angeles. at least 15 people have been killed and dozens injured after a fire broke out overnight or fuel storage depot in jakarta. the fuel depot is owned by indonesia, as national energy company per camino indonesian officials have called for an investigation into the company growing panic as a fire at a fuel storage facility in jakarta builds with the explosion can be heard. and the blaze seen across the indonesian capital. oh no,

no salary bank are scarce gonna use arctic cuz we're running away with a few injured victims who are half burned when it calls people to panic. that either number monitor the deadly fire broke out at the dep. poa state energy company, pat amena, but it quickly spread, forcing many living nearby to leave their homes. oh, it started with a very strong smell. it was so strong that we could hardly breathe than we were leaving this area when we suddenly heard a very loud explosion ah, in the light of day, the devastation at the plum pang facility is plain to see. officials are calling for a full investigation. they also want an old age of old fuel facilities across the country. following several other fires. the death toll here is

expected to rise, which given this depos proximity to a densely populated neighborhood, it could have been so much worse than and we will and it there, coming up next behind the mystique. the workings of the most sod in dark film is more in our website at d, w dot com. you can also check out our social media channels. the handle you need there is act w news on michael o, coo in berlin. wherever you're watching have a great interest in the global economy,