5 years often we remember when the world still stops much 8th on dw the this is the w news live from the land. germany's likely next leader says he will drastically increase defense spending. the conservative squid away from out says he'll change budget rules to re um, gemini, made concerns about america's commitment to its allies. the winter of sunday's election says he'll have a new government in place within weeks. also coming up the use foreign policy chief pets to washington as a risk grow is the ukraine tie a call us will tell the trump administration the can be no peace without keys at the negotiating table. taiwan takes measures to protect its telecommunications infrastructure. suspects. seeing

a chinese crude ship of intentionally suffering on the sea tables, the money keeps mckinnon. welcome to the program for the mounts who is set to become germany's next. johnson says, talks are on the way to form a coalition government with the sense of left social democrats. he's pledging to have a government in place by east to nonce. has conservatives once a massive boost in defense spending to help strengthen europe and security? the nice mount set time is of the essence because of the challenges facing the country. and he outlined his power sees for germany and the goals and serial things need clarification. firstly to foreign policy and security. international affairs are changing dramatically every day because i know that demands a german government capable of taking action because that's what secondly,

migration quick decision making is needed here too. and so it is the economy. we're already coming up to the end of the 1st quarter of 2025 and the economy. isn't it precarious situation? a critical one. we need to make decisions extremely quickly to ensure the economy improves in the course of this year. i also chief political edison, mckayla kirsten a web amounts has made any progress in forming his new government as well. there's no results here that he can speak about, but he certainly didn't waste any time. and he spoke to the clean bio, who is the next generation of leadership and following when i sold. so still the current concept of the social democrats, s p d policy. we didn't to details about those talks. he met with current still tom. so what i've sold today, and we know that the issue number one is a force forming a government. but the even more pressing issue is defense spending and actually taking a stand,

speaking with one voice as you are so much under pressure by the trump administration. and that will require issued financial commitments that, that will need to be found. this number 200000000000, which uh, solution that's what i asked them about and would neither confirm nor deny and which could be a potential extra spending package. the problem is these of actions may have for polls that propelled him to the top, he won the selections with his conservatives. but the policies of the center who are in favor of more spending no longer make up of 2 such majority in the future apartments. so we may see the old parliament called upon one more time at to make that transition possible to decide on a potential shoes spending package. and that's at the moment what we understand both sides are speaking about thing before they get to the missing garcia. are forming a governing coalition. okay. the ones this coalition has been full and you just

mentioned defense. they're obviously a huge piracy. but what are the of the most pressing policy challenges that his new government will have to tackle as well. the interesting thing is that now there might be consensus that defense spending is the number one issue, but that really wasn't what wrote his lunch most about during the election campaign that the economy and migration on top of the list. that order changed. interesting enough, one from the base mounts. it spoke about the top down just that he had security at the very top. and he to, he will need to seek a compromise which could prove very difficult for these math, announced that on day one, he would make so that the migraines, trying to enter many, wanting to claim asylum, coming from a safe country would be sent back from the border, well, that's something the source of democrats, s p d who wants to go into a coalition with simply want stanfull cuz they say it's illegal under european know

. so that's just illustrating one of the big divides, the 2 sides will have to bridge. and what else was announced talking about during the press conference that he gave earlier? well, he wants to see or focus on the voting and know here legislation here in germany, which changed caps, the number of employees to just above $600.00 and, but he's not being successful in changing the attention to that because it's also the economy of course, because it is an issue that will require a huge investment. his argument is money invested will re, for rewards, it will allow for the next governments to actually take it even more in taxes and that will cost. but um, pushed on how he will finance all of this. he says he has to look into the books. it's too early for him, todd. so do you see philos? glad to send me a look at us now. sure. and then we'll have to leave it that,

but thank you so much i let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. and germany central bank has reported a law. so the 1st time in 45 years, the bonus bang said it's because of had been the places by rocca changes in europe zone interest rate policy. in the past 3 years, the european central bank quickly raised rates to slice inflation from this banks last amounts to move in 19000000000 euros impeachment hearings for the south korean suspended president have closed with a defiant statement from union slip hill. he defended his shock decision to declare marshall last year saying the country was facing an existential crisis. constitutional court judges must now decide whether to uphold humans impeachment, or to reinstate his powers. all persons prime minister says the u. k. will raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of g d p. over the next 2 years kissed on the told

parliament that europe isn't a new era of in security. this comes 2 days before he's due in washington to try to persuade donald trump to continue support for ukraine on nato from nuclear technology of the use foreign policy cheese kind of callous is traveling to the united states to discuss the prospective and the war in ukraine. with the us secretary of state small co rubio. pub is it comes off to the french president and menu, or my call met from on monday relations between the us and europe. the grown increasingly strange is most go and washington grow closer. speaking to john list as the head of head trip call, us insisted that you're a new crane must be involved in forging peace with russia. you can discuss whatever you want. so with the with good thing, but the, if it comes to europe or ukraine and then ukraine and europe also have to agree to the 1st that has to be peace and so far of routine advice that does not want this

house to me. correspondent terry schultz is in brussels to tell us more about what we can expect from the kind of callous visit to the us. well, your foreign policy chief kind of call us is not one to remain silent. if she disagrees with what's being said, she's a former student in prime minister, add an extraordinarily strong supporter of ukraine. you saw her there wearing yellow and blue yesterday at the anniversary of the start of the war. so i would expect that she herself is stealing her nerves for these meetings, because if secretary of state marco rubio repeats, things that president trump has said like ukraine started this war or that it doesn't believe russia needs to give up anything. and any eventful piece talks or zalinski is a dictator. i mean, she actually addressed that yesterday and said she thought president trump got confused between zelinski and pollutants when he made those remarks. so we could be in for another engagement like we saw yesterday with president mccord when he

corrected president trump, that the you does not expect to be repaid for all is a to ukraine. so i think we'll all be watching this very carefully and expecting, call us to make a very strong case. the europe and ukraine must be involved in any negotiations at the same time saying it's too early to talk about such things when putting is still bombing ukraine. and even increasing rates, i was seeing a number of the european leaders heading to washington a way off to kaya kyle us with what the u. k. prime minister kissed alma is due to meet donald trump on friday. what do you think he's going to bring to the table? terry? what he would like president trump to focus on is that the u. k. was the 1st country to say it would contribute troops to any eventual reassurance force or peace keeping force. should president trump be able to broker a ceasefire between presidents, zalinski and put in? but what i think he's going to be in for is president from criticizing the

relatively low level of defense spending by the u. k. a stormer came out today and said that he wants to raise that level to 2.5 percent. by the year 2027. that's far below what trump is expecting of nato allies. he's going to dom at 5 percent defense spending and much more quickly. the u. k is going to be able to do that in fact, storm or said that he hoped to get up to 3 percent of g d p by the year 2035. so i am sure that he's concerned that he's going to hear something about the defense spending, even as he wants to focus on the u. k. being out in front with a potential to put boots on the ground as president, trump has requested them. european allies, dw correspondent terry schultz in brussels. terry, thank you. or other sweet knocks. 3 years since russia launched its full scale invasion of ukraine. the bottle of boot happened in the very early stages of the invasion of the month, the fizz 5 seats facing ukraine. it took the town back from russia,

and in doing so, uncovered evidence of russian war crimes. the war has destroyed countless lives and tool and families upon the rushes. aggression has not broken the result of the training and people to defend the country. they call themselves the witches of boucher an unofficial monica knowns to a mystic sisterhood. lucia because we are working in the boot chomsky districts, which is because old women which is these women a part of nearly all female volunteer defense unit trying to shoot down russian drones in the suburbs with a live suburbs of boucher and r. p on the outskirts of keys. these areas were unknown to most outside ukraine before the war, but anal, synonymous with some of the worst atrocities committed by russian troops in the days of the invasion. the women of this unit lives through it and suffice.

uh, but it was injured should during the occupation of buffalo city. so that's as i saw, all these terrible events, some we all we to show us. and so i decided that i had to be useful to booth or do something, don't worry about us. and so i joined the boot to unit have a google hide to face. husband is still in russian captivity because now each of us here has experience something in our lives that she was number of something that the war took from us. something that cannot be forgiven. and that's why this united so. so let's see. we're also training ground. tatiana walter, through those terrifying days in 2022 russian soldiers stormed into opinion like february on their way to take keys to put your knowledge system. this is way the

1st bass will began to be support. this is after they brought the column or something shopping seemed to look like this. you can see it clearly here, here to do that. so i don't know how to check on this building has been a face of deep russians. 50 on his brother, a police officer helped bring in supplies for the husband, alexander, enlisted as part of the local territorial defense and the zip and these, the residents of the city of f and 2 chairs going forward. and the reason it's not military you, but these of volunteers who took up on the 1st day of the full scale invasion and stood up to defend keith and ukraine. and general fitz yana and her children hate in a nearby bomb shelter with thousands of their neighbors. as the fighting raged above ground, also there's nothing to do with the yellow gashes, which will be, it was my husband's train. he helped the fields, special schools. he was one of the 1st guys who made the russians on the approach

of to move in a week of fighting on exam the made it back to the bomb shelter to beg them to leave. because he said, john, yet please let us take the children away. oh, i see that i don't want to, i won't go without you. he replied, you and i have different task. your task is the same as the children and protect them. my job is to protect the city. those were his last words to include which i've never paid so much in my life. of the pres went to an onset, though tatiana made it out of the country with her children. her husband was killed defending that hon. it's almost level to me. that's where my house stood. you can look to avoid see 3 years later she still carries reminders of that last the 6. 11 is always what this is all i have left,

but let the salt trip military badges and the very fragments that killed him. like this with the, you know, it somehow gives me strength in their moments when you give up and things that said, i can't do it anymore. and then i look at this fragment and i think who no, i can still do. and instead of grieving alone, tatiana has chosen active resistance more and more time we oil change. we're trying to adapt to the realities of life and the realities out that we have a war. that's why we take our pounds to move tiana and others, and who unit survival has managed, adapting to the reality. one where they've had to take on roles. they never imagined about us of nicole just so now i'm among people who understand me to whom i understand who have the same motivation as megawatts, a young man that's of the customer. let's say you store in the sky like it. but in this, that's why we have which is we flying we, we still buy moment,

but we protect and was shy of protecting not only the country but also each other. yeah, i've brought this, i have lost my entire family and i have no win lifting ukraine glee up was when i came here, i found my family. for me, this is really very important because the person cannot exist alone. what the chief prosecute for as the international criminal court. korean khan has arrived in the democratic republic of the congo. what violence between government forces and revel groups is escalating, come is set to meet the presidency. they just acadia and all the government officials, while he is in the country. the m. 23 rebels who oppose the come the lease. me say they are fighting for the rights of the ethnic tootsie and other minority groups in the d. c. around 7000 people are estimated to have died in the violence since

january. richard mon crease is a project directive, so the great lakes region of africa is with the international crisis group. and we often how likely it is. but this could blow off into a big original conflicts. well, i think that risk is already back. you mentioned wrong does not suddenly box the rebels them to the 3 that will 2nd point, thousands of their own troops into eastern congress. and one of the sets of competence that they're fighting is the burgundy, and i'll be burned is a small country to the south of rwanda, which is robust holidays with the day i'll come go with this issue. i burned in troops and been at the front lines, fighting grinders on kimberly's territory. so we already see some of the makings of how young of a regional and i'm afraid that in the last few weeks that's been growing because having taken go. but as you mentioned, and you'll click that, the i'm 23, i'm everyone done. i'm allies to push further south and have recently taken the time to go comfortable,

which is the come from the south keeping part of the sites but not really have kind of affect his control of 2 very heavily populated and very rich sense of mirrors. and so i'm not very rich pharmacies of eastern b o. c was richard moncrief. from the international crisis group speaking to dw that lydia. now taiwan coast guard has detained a chinese cruise called a 5th of us, but suspicions it made him 7 and on the sea telecommunications cable. the ship, which is registered in togo, was intercepted between taiwan main island, the outlying pengo islands. when these authorities have detained 8 crew members, and then now investigating whether a nearby on the see cable was intentionally costs. taiwan has reported 5 cases of i'm to see cable malfunctions so far this year and type pay has was raised concerns . china could damage it's communications cables in a bid to blockade or sees the island which beijing claims as its own are

bringing delta elizabeth friends, laura's fellow at the atlantic councils in the pacific security initiative. elizabeth, welcome. c w. thank you so much for your time. can i start by asking you how likely it is that this incident is trying to sabotage to so there's a saying that if it, you know, walk. so i could quite select a doctor who does a dock. so yeah, i, i believe it's quite likely we have seen a china do this kind of thing in other areas. chinese ships have um, you know, cut cables up in the baltic and they've done this before, you know, around timeline and, and not by, on the japanese disputed islands as well. and so, you know, it appears that this is certainly a calculated move. china increasingly is putting more and more pressure on taiwan, you know, before speaker nancy pelosi run over to taiwan in the summer of $22.00

china kind of limited itself to some circum navigation and patrols by its, um, yes, of its jobs. well now it's a regular terrorist chinese just regularly cross the informal but media in line in the taiwan straits. they are increasingly sending ships out to and circle taiwan. and beyond that, they're carrying out more and more naval exercises, which you really are rehearsals for. it's not invasion for a complete embargo of taiwan as a matter of fact, in october when taiwan was selling the republic of china, national de china and carried out to complete the practice of a blockade and circling taiwan. so these are part of china is a great zone activities which are aggressive maneuvers that just fall short of pulling out more. so you talked about china,

one thing to put pressure on taiwan, but you also use the wood invasion. so we, are you saying that's the reason trying or is doing this is because of it's long term goal of invading taiwan. and the absolutely is not invade. it certainly has plans to blockade carry out a blockade. and to not only make the taiwan economy collapse, but to affect public opinion and morale. if the people on timeline see that their government cannot defend them and make them secure the faith. and the government will collapse ands. and that obviously would be a very bad, you know, scenario for the government. i wanted to do the 2 counts or any type of chinese maneuvers that taiwan has reported 5 cases of on the c cable malfunctions this year alone. if china is responsible, is this assign,

would you say that china has roch's hang up these kind of activities and might be planning something was in the near future? it's absolutely absolutely us navy arrows are of the belief that these so called exercises. these a, these is actually regression. they are her soul of, you know, in warfare, almost always genetic, pre stages, genetic, right? so the, the non, the non kinetic procedures can i, so the non genetic would be cutting cables, cutting communications of black out of infrastructure. and before you know, the bombs and the missiles start flying. and so what they are doing is they are practicing they are rehearsing. there are trying to effect the taiwan governments. there is a significant but very small, but significantly vocal um, part of the population that is saying, you know, we just really do need to join,

you know, china. but also, i believe that this is sending a signal to president trump in his 2nd administration to see what his policies might be regarding taiwan. he has sent mixed signal. however, most recently, he did announce that they will be in an arms package for taiwan of highmark, ms. highmore missiles. and also he exempted try one other filipinos from the freeze of usaid funds. and so there, there, there might be like, another dimension here. that is perhaps the problem i do want to mention us state department under secretary state rubio just deleted from its taiwan fact page that the taiwan does not support that the united states does not support taiwan independence and they no longer refer to taiwan as the republic

of china is just taiwan. china is just a china not republic of china either, but it's interesting these subtle changes to the taiwan fact page. so turn is most friend, laura, thank you so much for your analysis and for your time today. as you're welcome. now the leader of syria is and from government says the state should have control of all lessons in the country as it works to recover from nearly 40 years of civil war and from president of middle shore. i made the comments that a national dialogue conference in damascus, opposition figures acts of his religious leaders and office are attending as they try to try out a new pos, the syria for a chance to help shape serious future. it's new real lives invited 600 representatives to damascus for a 2 day event. the conference was laid by the islamist phone, the riddle group, hyatt, terrier alshaun, or

h to use which spear heated former president busha l assets, ousting in december into room president asked me to elisha ross, spoke of the importance of the rule of law and see the states needs to have control over the countries weapons. and the unity of arms under monopoly by the state is not a luxury, but a duty under no obligation. syria is indivisible added strings, lights, and it to you is a serious new lead is wanting to bring fullness actions into a single me. but the groups windows invited to the conference, at least the kurdish lead syrian democratic forces out all the organizes, see the kurdish community would be presented with it's not clear how many minority groups showed up with many, i'm convinced about the governments promise of an inclusive future besides tackling a ruined economy in war ravaged, infrastructure, the meeting will discuss

a new constitution. glad to have me. and it's important that the constitution is consistent with our dreams about a new syria, a syria without exclusion. outside the meeting, some had more immediate concerns, can use all those things. one thing and the reality on the ground is another. why should we care about the conference when the most important things like security and safety? unfortunately, remain on the dress as well as food. bread is going up, transport price is to we have limited earnings and even those have store how people meant to live. and those gifts by while the damascus conference, max and new states and serious rebuild, there's still a long road to recovery, asked me to elisha raw, had said it could take around 5 years to organize elections and 3 years to rewrite the constitution or without you're up to date that stay with us coming up next eco

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