♪ >> this is dw news live from berlin. keep calm and carry on. ukraine's president warns against panic amid standoff with russia. president zelensky says this is hurting his countr he is calling for diplomacy amid fears of an invasion. defiance in sudan. thousands have been braving bullets and tear gas to demand a

return to civilian rule after a military coup. we will get an update from e capital, khartoum. this footage helped police arrest a suspect in a german jewel heist. but where are the missing gems? and rafael nadal surges into the final of the australian open in style. ♪ >> a warm welcome to our viewers joining us on pbs and around the world. we start with the efforts to defuse growing tensions between russia and ukraine. ukraine's president is calling for calm after speaking with u.s. president biden. he says there has been no

further escalation with russia and is asking allies to dial down talk of war. earlier, putin, whose country has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the border of ukraine, accused nato -- security concerns. nato is prepared to put more troops in europe after washington warned ukraine to be on alert for an invasion. >> scanning the landscape on this ukrainian border city, troops try to gauge moscow's next move. one soldier believes in attack here is unlikely. >> our navy is not strong enough to withstand heavy attack. the coastline could be easily captured. that is my opinion. everybody thinks about an invasion here, but that is the wrong point of view. if they attacked, they will do it from the sea. >> in the black sea, russia's navy carries out drills on

friday. still, the kremlin says it wants a peaceful resolution. >> if it is up to us, the russian federation, there will be no war. we don't want war, we will not allow our interest to be violated or ignored, either. >> it is hoped that this will de-escalate tensions. talks with various players are giving hope that a war in eastern europe can be averted. for those in the middle, life is on hold. >> we just hope russia takes us for good, because it has to stop at some point. has been what, eight years of conflict? >> as diplomatic efforts advance, the u.s. is warning ukraine to prepare for a russian invasion.

for more on this story we speaking to someone who played a key role as he served as the polish foreign minister during the ukraine crisis into any 14. he is part of the conservative bloc in european parliament. good evening. if we look at what ukraine's president has been saying, he is saying the west and journalists in particular are playing up this panic. that it is time to dial down tensions. the u.s. says a russian attack is possible next month. what do you think moscow is planning? >> president zelenskyy needs to keep his economy andhe finances ofkraine stae so he needs to reassure people. we know from satellite imagery that over 100,000 troops amassed all around ukraine. it is surrounded on three sides by russia.

but this has been exercised before and russia is making demands. putin regards ukraine as a temporary artificial stage and has made it plain. i was at the nato summit in bucharest in 2008 here spoke about it openly. and he spoke last july about his intention for ukraine. this is serious. >> russia has denied any plans to invade ukraine, but why do you think we are seeing this troop buildup now? is it as some analysts have suggested, that vladimir putin is taking advantage of a tim where europe is instructed? --distracted? >> of course. they lied about wanting to take over crimea, the malaysian

airliner, so on. so yes. they are lying. nothing new about that. but why do they have 100,000 troops massed? ukraine is a member of the u.n. in good standing, a member of the osce. it has rsian security guarante, the budapest memorandum in 1994 where ukraine gave up what was then the third largest nuclear arsenal in return for these guarantees, which russia has already broken. >> i have to ask about what russia says here. it's as the u.s. and nato are the aggressors here, not russia itself. expanding its eastward presence, stationing troops and sending arms to eastern member states. what is your response to that? at the nato summit i have mentioned, germany vetoed giving ukine membership action plan

and nothing has happened about that since the except at russia has invaded georgia, it has taken ov crimea, rsia has invaded -- it has installed nuclear tipped missiles with a range to reach you in berli and they have shut down the malaysian airline with citizens ont. so it should be us that should be asking russia for security guarantees. >> you as we mentioned at the beginning worked hard to bring ukraine closer to the european union when you are polish foreign minister. how did you expectussia to respond to that? >> why should russia respond to it at all? hunters ve a right to choose which customs areashey belong to. we were negotiating aimilar arrangement with russia herself. it is an independent country. >> in the face of what you say

is clear aggression from russia, what do you think european union should be doing now. >> the decisions to supply defensive equipment areational decisis, thatf you are against war you should be helping ukraine event itself. that is what dets present putin. and we should be conducting our foreign policy as we pledged to do in the lisbon treaty. but som of the biggest member states are freelancing to not a very good attack. >> should germany be sending defensive weapons to ukraine? >> of course. a u. member in good standing is being threatened with dismemberment by an aggressive neighbor. remember, germany reached huge destruction to ukraine mainly in belarus, not russia, during the

cond worldar. you have a duty to reserve the peace in europe. >> a former polish foreign minister joining us on our program, thank you for sharing your insights with us today. >> my pleasure. >> and sudan, scores of protesters have been killed by security forces since the military coup last october. m and traders week in the capital to demand justice for the victims and two were shot dead. by the danger, more people are taking to the streets, increasing pressure on the regime. our correspondent reports from khartoum. >> a call for action from demonstrators in to don's capital -- sudan's capital. since the military coup in october, people have taken to the streets calling for democracy. >> i want the civilian government to return to power. the military turned back the clock because they do not want a

civilian and democratic government. they raped women, they killed revolutionaries. with our protests, we will make sure the democratic system comes back. >> for them, the fight against the military regime is personal, on the banner is a picture of her son, a doctor shot dead while trying to help protesters. recently, sudan had been moving toward the coming of democracy, the latest military takeover has crushed hopes. the general is now in charge and protesters want him out, but they are facing a stiff pushback from the security forces. this has been the reality here for weeks. and a lot of people are getting injured during the protests. the security forces are responding with violence for the demonstrators. more than 70 demonstrators were killed since the coup in october

and thousands were injured. >> neighborhood unity is locking access to the streets, fearing attacks by securing forces. it is a grassroots movement. professor not being organized by political parties. the people want a civilian government and no copper rises with the military, but the military has lots to you--lose, says this activists. after the coup, he was offered the position in the military to appease protesters but refused. he does not believe they want to reform. >> and discussion i said i know you are scared -- your climb to face charges. >> justice is also what she wants. i her house, she has reminded every day of her son. >> he would be happy seeing us

continuing what he started. and what he believed in. and it would make an even happier if we succeed in getting democracy. the truth is that people are still dying and that is tragic. but we will succeed in this will make them very happy. -- him very happy. >> she says she will continue to join protesters in their goal of democratic change sudan. she says she owes that to the many people who have paid the ultimate price. >> to other stories making the headlines, the west african block has suspended burkina faso after the military coup last week. the region's head condemned the

takeover and called for the release of someone detained in the coup. they say constitutional order will be restored when conditions are right. a group of canadian truck drivers have staged a protest with their vehicles against the vaccine mandate for cross-border drivers. they will arrive in the capital, ottawa on friday. 90% of drivers commuting between canada and the united states are already vaccinated. a bridge in pittsburgh, pennsylvania has collapsed hours before president biden was due to give a visit to the city to give a speech about rebuilding the country's infrastructure. 10 people suffered minor injuries and the collapse triggered a major gas leak. biden later visited the site. with huge challenges facing afghanistan since the taliban takeover, few are oak us the tourism industry. but prior to the taliban coming to power, tourism did boost local economies and help sustain communities.

afghans traveling to different parts of the country provided employment for tour guides, boat operators and professionals. since last year, all of that has dried up, leaving industry workers struggling. >> the deep blue lakes, a pristine mountain landscape 3000 meters above sea level, afghanistan's first and only national park. the area attracts thousands of visitors a year. that changed with the taliban takeover. now in his unit. the busy kiosks are now empty and padlocked. >> it used to be very good. therwere skiing programs and competitions in the winter. there used to be so many tourists. since the taliban came in the last four months we have not seen any tourists. >> today, visitors are greeted by armed taliban soldiers and vehicle inspections. afghans once flocked here,

looking for a break from decades of conflict. the region prospered, now it has taken a double hit from the pandemic and the economic crisis following the taliban victory. >> 70 to 80 families are living in the village and their livelihos depend on tourism. if there are tourists, then come is good. if not, they have nothing. >> without tourists, unity of the mountains remains, but the people who live here are facing a winter of hardship. >> you are watching dw. still to come, unsolved questions linger as the suspects in germany's green bolt jewel heist go on trial today. we will bring you that story in a moment, but first the cochair of germany's far right afd is leaving the party.

he has been coleader since 2018. he says he was upset with the extreme right wing, accusing them of rejecting democratic principles. >> he was cohead of the afd for longer than anyone before him. today he is not only resigning, but leaving the afd. he confirmed this in an interview with germans state broadcasters. >> the heart of the party needs far to the right and at a high frequency which is not healthy. i see echoes of totalitarianism. will these right-wing extremists soon be in charge of your party? >> already have more influence than they should. >> he says affections of the party do not believe in the basic tenets of a free democracy, and that is one reason he thinks the afd has no future other than as a regional eastern german party.

some accuse him of not having opposed the extremists firmly enough. first he made those on the right wing extremist side seem acceptable and led them to the center. he was a fig leaf for right wing extremists and his rebellion came too late. he was just trying to save his own reputation. >> he wants to keep his mandate but he wants -- he has to deal with the trouble caused by his illegal acceptance of party donations. the u.n. will lift his immunity, clearing the way for prosecution. >> six men have gone on trial in germany over their alleged role in the green vault museum jewel theft. the robbery took eight minutes. the suspects made off with loot worth 113 million euros, though the cultural value is priceless. the gems are still missing.

>> security was high as the trial of six men got underway dresden. they are accused of masterminding the enterprise that took treasures from the green vault. >> it is a complicated case. with huge media interest. people are fascinated by this case. >> the crime took place november 15, 2019. shortly before 5:00 a.m.. an electricity trance an electricity box near the volt burst into flames and streetlights went out. they climbed ithrough a window screen that was tampered with and used in acts to smash the security glass and pocketed priceless diamonds and precious jewels. the first arrests were made one year later. the prosecution based its case on traces of dna found at the crime scene, videos and witness

accounts. the jewels have yet to be found. but the museum has not given up hope that they can still be recovered. >> it is very helpful that this case is getting international publicity once again. it increases our chances of finding the precious jewels. >> the heist prompted criticism over their security. it is being upgraded to keep the remaining treasures safe. >> from dw culture, karen is covering this. tell us about the suspects behind this robbery among they are behind another big-name museum robbery as well. >> it is amazing, two of them were already convicted last year of the theft of that 100 kilogram gold coin known as the big maple leafs from the berlin museum. that was a daring and spectacular heist in 2017. they are just one of several

arab origin claims in germany, they are well-known to blaze. they came from southeastern turkey originally. first lebanon, then germany in the 1980's where they started small. they have grown to be about teen families with between 500 to 1000 family members. the criminal arm of this family, which i am quite sure is a minority, they have no use for german laws. they have been linked to many types of organized crime, drug dealing, money laundering, arms dealing, violent assault. there mainstay is drugs and break-ins, bank robberies and heists. so the suspects in dresden are all related and not saying anything which is to be expected because they do not let anyone out. >> the gems are still missing. tell us about their cultural significance. >> it is amazing because this is one of the oldest museums of the world. it was founded in 1723, only the

vatican has older showrooms. augustine's the second to show off his treasures collected from his family to the public and he built a special series of treasure chambers and had amassed about 1000 objects. this collection is considered to be one of europe's latest cultural treasures, usually significant on a historical and cultural perspective and valuable in that sense, but not salable on the open market. if you take those pieces apart and try to sell the individual diamonds and rubies, they have lost value so it is a huge loss. >> heists in berlin in dresden, what does that tell us about museum security in germany? >> there has been a lot of criticism after these events and we saw just last year an act of vandalism in the noise museum, and the coin theft was a bit of an inside job because the thievedid have a guy in serity staff at the museum.

this puts museums in a tricky position. the extra security and the vetting that is needed because a lot of extra money, the sources are different depending on where the institutions are. security in gerny is generally good, this shows that there are always going tbe gaps and staff has to be on the alert. >> karen from dw culture, thank you. >> pleasure. >> to sports, spanish tennis star raphael the doll has powered into the final of the australian open. he beat italy's matteo bear teeny dust matteo bear teeny -- matteo. he will play on sunday. >> on the brink of history, he needs just one more triumph to be the worst man 221 grand slam singles titles. he faced an italian tennis player in the semifinal, taking

the first set. he has only won the australian open once in 2009 but he edged closer as he took the lead. his opponent claimed the third set in melbourne and threatened a comeback, but nadal would not be denied. he has been level with 20 titles with novak djokovic and roger federer, but rafael nadal now has the most successful dust the chance to be the most successful men's grand slam tennis player of all time in the final on sunday. >> let's talk about the australian open with tom from dw sports. rafael nadal is on the break of something amazing and this looked unlikely a few months ago. >> it did. that has been a long and bumpy road to the australian open for nadal.

he missed the last half of the season in 2021. he was not at the u.s. open, the atp finals due to a foot injury he has had for a long time. he also came through a covid infection in december. he was speaking to journalists after the match against his opponent and he said there were moments during the six months he spent out nursing and recovering from this injury last year, in which he wondered whether it was time to say goodbye altogether. that is a mark of how far he has had to come to get back to the australian open the top form we are seeing him in at the moment. and here he is now in the final at the tournament without no the djokovic or roger federer. he is just five sets away from another title. >> does that mean he is a shoo-in to win? >> there is a sense of fate about this final and how it is set up, this is a huge chance for him to be the first man to

win his 21st grand slam singles title ahead of federer and djokovic who are on 20 with him. he has only won the australian open once in 2009, and federer and djokovic are the kings of the hard core. so the fact that they are not there adds to the sense of fate about this possibly being his time. it looks like an open goal, but you have to also say there are no foregone conclusions in this sport and the u.s. open champion -- when he won the competition last year, he beat novak djokovic, preventing him from being the first man to have 21 grand slam titles. if anyone is capable of ruining the dolls time -- day tomorrow, it is him.

>> the women's title is also coming and we could see an australian win for the first time in 40 years. >> of course. tomorrow could be the ashley party if she comes through against danielle collins of the usa. she goes into this number one, she has steamrolled to number one at the australian open and not dropped a single set on her path to this climax. she took 62 nights to come to her semifinal, so a lot of signs are pointing to her as the first australian champion of the home tournament since 1978. but with the men's tournament, there are no foregone conclusions and we will have to see. >> thank you so much. an exciting week. let us get a recap of our top story. ukraine's black in your zelensky

-- -- ukraine's president says there is no worries about russia and he is urging the west to avoid panic, calling for diplomacy. we will have more up-to-date on the day coming up next and more in-depth news. you can get the latest information on our website, dw.com or you can follow us on twitter @dwnews. thank you for watching. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪ó

>> join us in germany on europe now as we explore those and other big issues for the country and years to come. >> hello and welcome back to live from paris on france 24, i'm kate, our top stories is our, rusa nowas the military capability to invade ukraine, but will boot and do so? u.s. defense secretary saying there is still time to diffuse tensions even as troops continue to amass along the border. days after a military coup burkina faso has been suspended. it is a third such takeover of member states in such months.