towels halfway across the world. i can't help but wonder if anybody's thinking about the future of this country. with this address, the global war surprises unveiled stuffs, march 21st. on the w, the business day, the news line from berlin, europe team leaders prepared to meet for an emergency. sometimes the top of the agenda will be how the content i'm can build up. it's defense, as well as fledging, more practical support to ukraine. the countries president will be among those attend, also coming up the earliest welcome to the so you're agreeing. leaders are gathering for an emergency summit in brussels today with the aim of ramping up defense spending and showing up

support for ukraine. among those attending will be ukraine's beleaguered president will let him use the landscape. the meeting comes at a pivotal moment for europe as the united states of bands, it's close alliance with the continent and pauses all support for you. create a visit to not to dom cathedral. an invitation from king charles flattery, europeans hoped, would wait. or what donald trump, we already equipment you met up with a heated exchange, unlike television, between the american and the premium presidents, not only touching the us as a boss to your grade, but also turned into a moment of reckoning for europe. it's time to reorder said, you commission president or slough on the line as allies prepared to discuss a plan that could unlock around 800000000000 euros in defense investments over the next 4 years. we are in an era of we argument us and europe is ready to massively boost its defense spending bows to respond to the

short term urgency to act and to support ukraine. but also to address the long term need to take on more responsibility for our own european security. the funding for this would come from a shop increase in defense spending by member states. europeans will need to replace over the long term um, united states contributions to european securities that include, for example, control and combined equipment, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. but that could take a decade or more and terms conditions for the us has continued security umbrella, increased defense, expanded to 5 percent of national g. b's is deemed unrealistic. but most to europe in boston, us, the lead us would face sylvia political opposition at home. if they attempt to slash social welfare and direct that money towards defense, the european union is trying to take the initiative to bring the member states

together and find a way to fund the real moment. but as long as the risk of being seen is to involve extending its reach by members, states believe defense is the responsibility of national governments. and then there is victor or bonham, greece prime minister, who many here in brussel, c as a trojan horse doing rush as bidding inside the a you or ball has often tried to block aid for your grade, but often relented when the time came to exercise, as we do now as he tries to grace, she had himself with president drum. it could be hard for europe in leadership to get him to go along. or bond has gold on the e. you to follow trump's lead and discuss a ceasefire directly with russia. x. but say that you could still find a way to move forward, even in the face of hungary opposition, but forming a coalition of billing nations on certain decisions, such as sending a degrade, as well as on the proposal to send your being troops to police a few jump

b steel between your green and russia. that mean many instances also in the euro, crosses where europe. and so i've been able to go ahead in smaller groups rather than in the framework. so one way to look at it is to say that the use of binding it's consensus approach. and other way to look at it is to say that the u has always been fairly flexible. in the face of the us as new foreign policy, there is a sense of urgency in europe to ramp up its defense. but if some member states refused to participate, others outside the block can be brought in as partners. no, we and canada were present at the conference hosted by known e. you need to remember the u. k. y is hungry and slower. kabbage is also seen as being soft and russia left out for your up. it's a bio dime ship and it's going to be a massive undertaking. there are no illusions about that. after the show down in the white house last week, and the trump administration's announcement is cutting all aid for ukraine. how

important is the summit for you? can i ask you w correspondent marks on that earlier or right. i mean, we also remember what happened in the white house. so just a couple of days ago, i think memory still very freshman, especially here in the ukraine. the dispute that the conference that when, when, when off the rails is one thing the, the actions, the consequences that followed. and the last couple days, including yesterday were another, with the senior consequences for you creating on. we saw that you do us a us a stopping military, a deliveries to your train. we learned as the stopping of time halting of intelligence sharing uh for uh the train and military and provided by the west, which will make the life for um, soldiers are kind of on the battlefield. very difficult. um, now the europeans have been very important partners of the ukrainians ever since the beginning of the war they. they stepped up gradually. um they are the 2nd largest donor military aid. they are the largest donors of,

of 8. when you take everything into account them. cute, including humanitarian assistance, and europeans have been following. trump leading up his comments on the train leading up to the, you know, ration his comments on nato. him criticizing your piece, not doing enough. i'm not spending enough for neutral. and they have also been watching. uh, yeah, the washington, the, the, the situation, the relationship between kids and, and washington showers so that they are aware that more needs to be done. and ukraine is turning towards to them. exactly for the, at the moment. so this to somebody is an opportunity for you praying to um, yeah, get together with your opinions and hopefully find more concrete steps towards piece. although we already heard in the story just there that are all $27.00 leaders of the block will be present and not everybody is a very strong supporter of ukraine. as my son in keys speaking to me a short while ago. well, germany's leadership is also headed to brussels today,

and i asked the w political correspondent, matthew moore. what the german side, exactly. once from today's summit to nicole, the key words today about the summit this emergency summit is really about unity and european unity. since donald trump one election, the, the, the phrase that we've had so often in europe is europe united. and the, the aim of this summit today is to discuss, i think, defend spending across europe using rules on budgets. so that countries can, can do that. but really what we're going to see is we're going to see all our shots that representing jeremy at this meeting, the chance of germany. but really behind the scenes, we've also seen lots of unofficial meetings with features match the man who is somewhat the shuttle trans law. he won the elections just over a week ago and we've seen a very unusual sight. and that is human brussels. over the last few hours, meeting mock route to the head of mitchell. and it was

a fun the line at the defense head of, of the european commission and senior leaders really bump unofficially. i'm behind the scenes and, and his message and his, his whole election campaign was about really delivering gemini, a, to a leadership role in europe. and in the last few hours, he and letting you know, he and i'm from mazda of plans to, to lucian dead rooms here in germany, just really tight that rules to, to run pop music for spending what she'd been applauded for across europe. so we need to come back to the key questionnaire. the question that generally is we the evening to get out of this summit. and in the coming days and weeks is to, to unite jab near the united europe and really return germany to kind of leadership role on the continence. now that you mentioned in further humorous pulling the strings behind the scenes there in a way, at the french president even referenced him in his speech last night on expanding frances nuclear deterrence. listen to what do you have to say?

so to this is only 3 of our nuclear deterrent protects us, it is complete solver in fully french on since 1964. it has always been explicitly played a role in the preservation of peace and security in the early the on off, but answering to the historian call or the future german chancellor. i decided to open, you know, strategic and debate on the protection through our deterrent of our allies on the european continent. so not yet the chancellor and already have only influencing the european agenda. matthew, where does the free mission math stand on this issue is this idea of france or the united kingdom sharing its nuclear umbrella with the rest of europe is actually not a new idea macro, and has mentioned it numerous times over the years. but whenever he's mentioned, it often being dismissed by a political leader, so all of shots are dismissed it. and the reason the short for dismiss,

if you'd say we shouldn't, don't, america, united states has commitment to natal. however, the fact that this discussion has been raised again, nicole just shows you that there are serious thoughts about that commitment immediately after the election features match to to set you up and willing, we took this issue up and said, we need to discuss it. there are lots of complex questions that arise and you said, you know, among them who holds the suitcase, who decides when there should be a minute, a nuclear response to it's not just something that can be done casually. and so there are many, lots of issues and complex questions arise from that. and the very fact it predict mounts hasn't dismissed a right. and hasn't noticed that there should be a discussion of it, which marks a big see change in, in the, in the tone. and the kind of in the attitudes here in europe about what is necessary going forward. i think said that there it's very early days. but the fact that michael mentioned again last night on the fact that you just met someone who's likely to be the next chance of gemini, has said that he's willing to have this conversation to shows you how far europe

has come. the abilities matthew moore, thanks so much, matthew. i had a quick look now and some of the other stories making news around the world today. the german postal service, georgia post says it will cost a $1000.00 jobs by the end of the year. the costs will come from the 187000 employees and the domestic letter in par cell division. social cost is high costs and a significant drop and advertising mail and reduced letter volumes of lead to the cuts. south korea's military says that pilot error was what caused one of his fighter jets to accidentally dropped a bombs on a civilian era. during training, a people were injured and several buildings damage. when the key of 16 jets released the bonds onto a city close to the border with north korea, who was president, donald trump has issued what he calls his quotes last warning to hamas leaders threatening further, destruction, gaza. if all remaining hostages are not immediately released. the issue,

the ultimate them onto social, his social media platform. a president also told gardens that a quote, beautiful future of the awaits. but if they hold on to hostages, they are dead. the reuters news agencies reporting that her loss as trumps threats are aimed at supporting israel and it's attempting to back out of the shaking gauze of ceasefire. earlier in the us president met with 3 captives in the white house where he loves to return those still being held. on wednesday, the united states confirmed that its envoy had held direct talks with him off despite its designation as a terror group by the us and multiple other countries. journalist products with dina tel aviv told us more about the us ending it's decades long policy of not negotiating with terrorist yes will uh to uh my understanding uh this is the, the special invoice for uh, hostages out in boulder to admit the with the come off as officials in the to the

us uh us books version of the white house, blue squares, excuse me, said that he has the permission to do that. uh because uh, that's his mission to actually bring it back. americans that home detox were held in the doha, but 2 weeks ago, a seizure almost a piece of the i guess today's be can do a guitar and who's paper said that they, they were focused on the bed. it was for american the hostages. and that has uh, these latest citizenship, but as well, we know that there are fine american hostages, but they said that they at least the floor and the mouse and the location was the one that raised the issue of a comprehensive deal that would lead to the disease of those hostages, but it would also lead to the end of the war and that, so what we understand regarding the thought that there were not actually a leading anywhere to uh, the extent to but, and my understanding this is only just a talking between the 2 sides nowadays,

right inside the business from the permit is office yesterday, said that they have expressed the opinion to those talks. didn't say what that opinion is. in other words, they are not approve a go this um and talk say that were direct between an bullard and they'd be how much does that integration add them before that the just the yesterday evening and the name there is a, the senior official which is usually a code name for happens of enough time you or someone in his circle set. that is what i was informed of these thoughts and was not then tuesday as think about them . in other words, they don't approve of them again. and by the way, the time is a bit hostages as well. basically, the statement saying that this categorization of hostages is not the thing that we want. we want the comprehensive, the and the will bring back all the, the gentleman, not only some of them and according to their nationality or something else. so they also did express the consent of phonics levine and to levine. and with that,

you're all up to date. we have a documentary now working on the e, you border agency front techs and whether it can clean up. it's after reports of human rights violations. searching for that's and we'll have more of the probably the next hour. the can you see what old cars tires have to do with the production? here's a hands on the real media watch now on youtube. the february 19th 2024.