brent: this is "dw news," live from berlin. tonight, the u.s. issuing an ultimatum to russia over nuclear weapons. respspect a landmamark missile treaty within 60 days, or we are out. nato members are backing the ultimatum, accusing russia of violating a key nuclear missile treaty from the cold war. also coming up, france's prime

minister backing down on a controversial fuel tax increase. he says no tax is worth sacrificing the unity of the nation. but so far his move has not convinced protesters. and jewish people around the world are celebrating hanukkah, the festival of lights. here in berlin, holocaust survivors mark the day by sounding a warning about the rise in anti-semitism. ♪ brent: i'm brent goff. it's good to have you with us. tonight, the united states has given russia a deadline. comply with a treaty on limiting nuclear weapons within two months, or the united states will call it quits. the u.s. and its nato allies are accusing russia of violating the landmark 1987 intermediate range nuclear forces treaty, also known as the inf treaty.

today, u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo was at nato headquarters where he spoke about the wider implications of these alleged violations by russia. >> while russia is responsible for the demise of the treaty, many other states including china, north korea, and iran, are not parties to the inf treaty. this leaves them free to build all the intermediate range missiles that they would like. there's no reason the united states should continue to see this crucial military advantage to revisionist powers like china, in particular when these weapons are being used to threaten and coerce the united states and its allies in asia. brent: pompeo and other nato foreign ministers are in brussels discussing how to save the inf treaty. nato says that a new russian cruise missile violates that treaty, which has guaranteed europe's security for more than 30 years. the kremlin denies that it has

breached the treaty. the inf bans nuclear armed missiles with a range of 5500 kilometers. as our next report shows, the tension between russia and the west has reignited fears of a new arms race. reporter: this is what the drama is about. medium-range nuclear ballistic missiles that have been on a self-imposed ban by the u.s. and russia by the end of the 1980's. that might be about to change. u.s. authorities believe russia may have developed weapons systems like these in breach of the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty. >> we are not going to let them violate a nuclear agreement and go out and d do weapons and we e not allowed toto. we are the ones that have e stad in the agreement and we have honored the agreement. but russia has not, unfortunatelely, honored the agreement. so we are going to terminate the agreement. we're going to pull out. reporter: the kremlin has denied trump's allegations, saying it

has not produced any missiles that are prohibited byby the inf treaty. the inf treaty was seen as a major breakthrough in nuclear security when it was ratified by former soviet president mikael gorbachev and u.s. president ronald reagan in 1987. it came after a tense period of confrontation in the heart of europe. with very short flight times, nuclear annihilation of european capitals was only five to 15 minutes away. trump has said the u.s. will start developing these capabilities again if china a ad russia do not agree to stop. >> we will have to develop those weapons. unless russia comes to us and china comes to us and they all come to us and say let's really get smart and let's none of us develop those weapons. reporter: china is not a signatory of the pact and has been investing heavily in land-based missiles. now some observers fear it could be joined d by russia and the u. in a new arms race. brent: i'm joined at the big

table by christian molling, an expert on nato security policies right here in berlin. good to have you on the program. we have nato standing together with the u.s. accusing russia of breaching the treaty. is that an important step, or is that a dangerous step? christian: i think most of all it is an important step because it really unites the alliance. behind the idea that russia is breaching the treaty. there has been lananguage on tht in several nato documents. now it has been a very clear articulation of that.t. some weeks ago the u.s. president said he basically wants to bail out of the treaty. now he has the support of all the allies which is a very important signal to russia that nato stands united. brent: how important is this inf treaty? it is from the cold war. is it still important for today's security challenges? christiaian: if the treaty would

be o obeyed by all parties it would still be important. because we're talking about weapons that can still kill loads of people and can still stir up insecurity and uncertainty. if it would ststill be obeyed tt -- then it would be perfectly fine. it isn't. we don't have 100% proof, but there is a lot of information gathering that indicates that russians are breaching the treaty. brent: how important is it that china has not signed this treaty? if you don't have everyone limiting themselves, then aren't you at a disadvantage? christian: you may be. for the americans that is an important issue. for the europeans and the european theater, it of course makes a difference if you have more insecurity in europe. that is basically what happens if you breach the treaty. at the end of the day of course what could happen in asia of course affects the europeans as

well. so there is a triangular affect. so there will be an interest to kind of, if the inf treaty is gone, to find something new that could possibly get the chinese on board. whether they are willing to do this, of course, is another question. brent: is the inf dead? what is your feeling? do you see russia falling back into line and complying with the treaty, as washington is the demanding? christian: i cannot imagine, maybe because i am just a simple person. bubut i don't haveve the kind of imagination that russians will say we just will get rid of the armed forces and nuclear weapons without getting something out of it. russians have been very clear about this over the past year. brent: what happens, then? let's say the time runs out and the inf is basically dead. are we in a new arms race? christian: not so fast. not so fast. because if we're talking about an armrms race, are we talking

about having new nuclear weapons developed by the u.s.? that would take some years, or even more. so the question is, will they start repositioning u.s. nuclear forces towards europe, which would close a security gap. for the moment, we're kind of on our own when it comes to a nuclear theater. not talking about war, but in planning calculations it would be possible for russians to divide european security from u.s. security. and that's an important point that weakens or threatens the western alliance. brent: that is true. that is what a lot of people say is the ultimate goal of putin's russia at the moment. christian molling, we appreciate you eing on the show tonight. thank you. here are some of the other stories now that in making headlines around the world. a delegation from yemen's houthi rebels is on its way to sweden for u.n.-brokered peace talks. they are traveling with a special envoy who was seen here

earlier today. there are also reports that yemen's saudi-backed government and the houthi have agreed to swap hundreds of prisoners of war ahead of the negotiations. leading u.s. senators say a cia briefing has left them with no doubt that saudi arabia's crown prince was involved in the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. senator bob corker said a jury would find him guilty in about 30 minutes if it had had the chance. mourners are paying their respects to former u.s. president george h.w. bush. members of the public, officials who served under bush, and even his service dog, sully, filed past the coffin in the -- there you see sully, right there -- in the rotunda of the u.s. capitol. bush died last week at the age of 94. a state funeral is set for tomorrow. in britain, parliamentarians voted to find prime minister theresa may's government today in contempt for refusing to

release a legal report about brexit. this unprecedented rebuke came as parliament met to begin five days of debate on may's brexit treaty deal. may offered a staunch defense of the agreement that will take the u.k. out of the european union in march of next year, but she fafaces an uphill battle to win parliamentary support. a vote is scheduled next week, december 11. may opened the debate with a stark warning about the choices before lawmakers. let's take a listen. >> the eu 27 member states have made it clear that this is the best deal available and there is neither the time nor inclination to reopen negotiations and ensure we leave in good order on the 29th of march next year. the choice before parliament is clear. this deal, no deal, or the risk of no brexit. in investing parliamentary time in seeking to create an alternative to the choices will

only endanger our ability to deliver brexit at all. brent: prime minister theresa may laying out the choices. let's bring in david charter. he is the u.s. editor for the british newspaper "the times" and he is the author of several books on brexit. good to see you. so, here we are again, right before this brexit deal debate even starts. what do you see when you look at the british government right now? is it a government that is in power, or a government that is just in office? david: well, brent, theresa may is the only leader that we have got at the moment and she is desperately clinging on. she is fighting to keep her job and to keep her deal with the eu to leave the bloc. and i have to say, whatever the daily and hourly dramas now that we are getting on brexit, we have to keep our eye on the big

picture, the big vote next tuesday on whether the deal will go through. if it does, theresa may keeps her job and britain will leave the eu in march in a fairly orderly fashion. if she loses, i think she will lose her job and britain will be plunged into an unprecedented political and economic period of complete turmoil. brent: david, how do you explain of what we saw today, holding a the government in contempt. lawmakers were upset they were not shown the entire legal report about brexit. why would the government not disclose that report? because on the outside it looks like the government is trying to hide something. david: it's a terrible look. i think it has now turned out to be a terrible mistake, that may tipped the balance even further against theresa may. as you know, the numbers in parliament are very much against her. she is working as hard as she can to try and get mp's to support her in the vote using every means possible. it is a bad look and it can only

mean that when it emerges tomorrow, this legal advice will probably reveal some pretty damning evidence and views about the position of the government and the final deal that is supposed to be voted on. it was a big mistake. brent: a big mistake. another interesting point i want to ask you about today coming from the european court of justice, the court's top legal adviser went on record today saying britain can still cancel brexit without asking the other eu members for permission. does that make a difference right now? david: in a word, no, it makes no difference i think, because in my view, the european union would always have accepted britain back with open arms had it made a decision to stop the brexit process. so i think this just confirms what we probably knew already. the real question is how would that possibly happen.

and the only way it could happen is with a second referendum. at the moment there's still no clear path to a second referendum, even if theresa may's deal is voted down next week. it would be an unprecedented decision, which theresa may has argued all along would perpetuate the divisions and the rancor over the european question. so, we're heading into a period of immense turmoil. do not be surprised if we see the pound fluctuate wildly as people try to figure out how this will turn out in the end. we don't know, especially if theresa may loses, as seems likely as we speak, it seems likely that she is going to lose. brent: we will definitely be checking in with you again, especially next week as we move closer to that december 11 vote. david charter joining us tonight from washington. david, thank you. david: thank you.

brent: now to france, where that government has climbed down from a controversial increase in fuel taxes. it comes after three weeks of heavy protests from the so-called yellow vest demonstrators, named after those high visibility yellow jackets that have become their symbol and uniform. earlier today the french prime minister announced the plan to tax hikes will be suspended until next summer. but his move seems to have done little to appease the protesters. reporter: a french school going up in flames. these images were filmed in toulouse, but other images spread on social media showed similar scenes elsewhere. high school students on strike for the second day. the students say they want to voice their r opposition to education reforms, and show support for the yellow vest prototests. meanwhile on national tv, the french prime minister announced the government was suspending planned increases to fuel taxes for six months in response to the nationwide protest.

>> this anger r has deep roots. it has been brewing for a long time. it often stayed quiet out of discretion or pride. today, it is being expressed with force and a collective way. one has to be deaf or blind not to see or hear it. reporter: but there was also a clear wawarning. the government would not tolerate further violence from the yellow vests. >> if another day of protest is organized on saturday, it must be authorized and must take place peacefully. the interior minister will use all necessary means to enforce law and order. reporter: sparked by an announced fuel tax hike, the yellow vest protests have now comeme to reflect more wididespd anger atat the government. they've hit major cities, causing damage and disruption

over the last three months. the government move is an attempt to quell this unrest, but yellow vest t supporters say it is too little, too late. >> it is not a sign of appeasement. it is just a stalling tactic. there is nothing there. it is empty. there is no specific explanation. >> i don't think that is going to be enough to put this genie back into its bottle, because now it is out and people are waiting for something else as an answer. reporter: the climb down is yet another setback for president emmanuel macron. his approval ratings have slipped sharply in recent months and it is doubtful this policy u-turn will appease the protesters. brent: jewish people around the world are celebrating hanukkah, and as part of the festival of lights, a jewish organization which handles claims for those who suffered under the nazis is hosting an international holocaust survivors night.

menorah lighting ceremonies are being held in four cities. jerusalem, moscow, new york, and here in berlin. around 300 survivors were at that event. b himut amid the joy, concern -- but amid the joy, concern about a troubling rise in anti-semitism. reporter: assia gorban lights the fourth candle on the menorah, the hanukkah candelabra. the 85-year-old was still a child when she was imprisoned with her parents in a concentration camp in ukraine. children love the jewish festival of lights, but there, it was unimaginable. >> in the concentration camp we did not talk about hanukkah. you did not know if you would be alive tomorrow, tonight, because every day, every hour, you expected to be shot. reporter: nearly 300 holocaust survivors came to the hanukkah festival at the jewish community

center in berlin. but the feelings of joy at having survived and being able to celebrate together are mixed with concerns. >> even though this light burns brightly today, we still don't feel safe. the anti-semititism that once swept away the fabric c of civilization is on the rise again today, as we experience more and more frequently how jews and jewish institutions are attacked. physically and verbally, faface-to-face, or o on the internetet. reporter: assia gorban, a former teacher from moscow, now goes into schools to talk about her experience under national socialism. it is important to her. and as long as her health allows, she will continue to tell young people about the holocaust. >> we are dying. we are 85, 90, 92. only a few of us will live to be 100.

and i wanted something good to remain in the memories and in the hearts of children so they know what happened before, and that it should never happen again. reporter: and assia gorban is an optimistic person. she is sure she will be back for next year's festival of lights. brent: the governing body of board athletics has decided to extend the ban on russia competing on international track and field. the suspension was imposed three years ago after allegations of a state-run doping program in russian athletics. the iaaf has prevented russia from coming back into the fold after it failed to fulfill necessary requirements. the president made the announcement after a meeting of the body's governing council.rue

clean by testers have been allowed to compete under the intervening years, but under a neutral flag. helena: german car giant volkswagen has announced it is teaming up with the u.s. carmaker ford to build what it calls a global automotive alliance. the vw chief added that his group was also considering building a second car plant in the united states. the announcement came after a meeting between german car executives and president donald trump in washington. vw, bmw, and daimler, all seeking to persuade the president not to make good on his threats to raise tariffs against european carmakekers. reporter: the u.s. market is exceedingly important for german carmakers bmw, mercedes, and vw. although the market as a whole is shrinking, the german share of it is growing. that meansns jobs.

in their three u.s. plants, the companies employ a total of over 49,000 workers in production and supply industries. they make a total of 1.3 million cars a year. the u.s. side in the talks will certainly be interested in the company's investment plans. interestingly, the largest vw plant in the world is in spartanburg, south carolina, where the company has already invested $9 billion and a further $800 million planned by 2021. those investments could be reduced if import tariffs s are imposed d on bmw aos.. brussels is determined not to allow talks between german compmpanies in t the u.s. govert to undermine the u.s., eu trade negotiations. >> this is not about some kind of trade issue. questions of trade are dealt with by the european commission on behalf of the unanimous member states. but the german carmakers are also major employers in the united states.

as such, there's good reason for them to o be discussing things with the american administration, like which investments and what kind of future german carmakers see for themselves as american employers. reporter: however, they are also unlikely to stand idly by while the trump administration betters -- batters their profit margins. after all, they export cars and components to the u.s. with a total of almost $30 billion. helena: earlier i spoke to our washington correspondent stefan simons and asked him whether the re are difficulties for u.s. --- spelled difficulties for european carmakers. stefan: as you said, he is a hawk when it comes to tariffs and he is definitely not advising president trump on taking that arrow out of possible weapons against the eu. during the trade negotiations with the eu commission. as you mentioned, the

commissioner said earlier he expects tariffs on cars to hit the eu before christmas. german carmakers and the bosses of mercedes-benz, bmw, and volkswagen, they meet here in the background in solo meetings. they are not in a group meeting with ross wilber, the commerce secretary, mr. kudlow. and with robert lighthizer. so i did not think there is any chance that robert lighthizer will come out, it is all happy time now and there will not be any tariffs coming towards europe or exports to the united states. helena: that said, is there any possibility they could be going in one by one and making the case that the u.s. might be hit by those tariffs on european carmakers? it could hit u.s. jobs.

would that be received? stefan: that's possible, but keep in mind the u.s. is interested in a balance sheet here. the president wants a balance sheet which looks slightly different than what he has right now. so he and lighthizer will make this argument. he will talk to german car czars and will say, look, bring production here. bring full production. build your engines here and your parts. do not export them from europe here. bring more jobs, invest in the plants you already have here, and do production and supply, the whole chain. do this here. this will be good for america and then we can probably leave tariffs aside. you can still export cars to the united states. but we want you to increase the margin of fully produced cars, engines, here in the united states. that i think is the argument the u.s. will put before the germans here. helena: so at the end of the

day, all about the balance sheet. washington correspondent stefan simons, good to talk to you. thank you. after a decade of stagnation, south africa's economy may finally be turning around. according to new government numbers, the nation has finally shaken off recession after its economy beat expectations last quarter. reporter: farms like these help south africa turn its ailing economy around. the agricultural sector expanded by over 6% last quarter. and the country's manufacturing sector was also in the black, as it grew by 7.5%. it is welcome news for cyril ramaphosa. he promised to lead his country out of recession when he assumed office in 2017. under the rule of his predecessor jacob zuma, south africa's economy headed downhill.

gdp dropping from 3% to just over 1% in 2017 before entering recession earlier this year. but things bounced back in the third quarter, with 2.2% growth, despite a weak showing from the country's critical miningg industry. analysts expect the turnaround to continue into next year. growth could still be hampered by the state run energy provider. tuesday saw it cut power to entire regions of the country for the 6th day running. the power provider blamed the cuts on breakdowns in local power plants. the country's power infrastructure has long been in bad shape, and the cuts have had negative impacts on national productivity in the past. helena: you're watching "dw news" from berlin. i'm helena humphrey. brent goff will be with you shortly to take you through "the day." bye-bye. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]