♪ >> this is "dw news" live from berlin. russia indicates it may shift its war aims in ukraine. a senior official says the first stage of its campaign is complete and that moscow will not august on eastern ukraine. this comes as ukrainian forces recaptured to -- recapture territory near kyiv. also coming up, the u.s.

president travels to poland coming off a trip to brussels where he announced an energy deal with the eu. the fighters for future movement takes to the street with protests across the globe. we look at the link between the climate crisis and the war in ukraine. fighting for ukraine by feeding those fleeing war in his country. but if i take a gun, i will be just like one of the worst soldiers in the world, but if i take a knife and go to the kitchen, i can be one of the best chefs in the world. >> one of ukraine's best chefs tells us how he is quite literally serving his country. welcome to the program. as russia says it has completed its first phase of this war, the ukrainian military is pushing

moscow's troops back and retaking territory around the capital. the united kingdom says ukraine has reclaim several towns near kyiv. still, more civilian deaths have been confirmed. local officials in mariupol say three people died in a russian attack last week. the russian word for children appeared outside the theater in the hopes of protecting the structure. >> mariupol in eastern ukraine has come to symbolize the devastation russian bombardment has wrought. most of the city has seen terrible disruption. people trapped here struggle to find food or water. ukrainian officials now believe some 300 people could have died in last week's strike on a theater. hundreds had been seeking shelter in the building when it was leveled by a russian bomb. new the black sea, a rocket hit

tatiana's building. her neighbors were killed. her home is now wrecked, but she is staying put. "we will stay in nickel live, and we will be here until the end. i willo back to work. my company is still operating. i hope to carry on working." but while russia keeps bombing from afar, its advance into ukraine's main cities has mostly stalled. ukrainian forces are pushing back. on the front line just outside the capital kyiv, ukrainian forces have repelled the russians with a series of counterattacks as this commander explains. >> the russians don't have the combat power. my men are hitting their supplies, and in kyiv, armed

citizens would be shooting from every window and door. >> ukraine's defenses are holding. vladimir putin's homes of a lightning-quick board -- -- of a lightning-quick war dashed. just hard to verify how many have killed in this war. in a crematorium in kyiv, dozens of urns remain unclaimed. dozens have fled and had to leave their loved ones' remains behind. >> we are joined by our correspondent in kyiv. what more can you tell us this hour about the situation in the capital? >> this has been a day of bomb alerts, air rated alerts, and some very loud bangs.

it does not mean the russians are getting closer. quite the opposite. it seems like they are changing tactics, basically accepting the fact that they are not going to make progress towards the center of the ukrainian government any time soon. seeing lots of antiaircraft systems knocking stuff out of the sky, but definitely pretty loud. in recent days, you had a sense that people were finding some sort of normality, coming up in greater numbers. that danger is pretty close here, even though for now, it has been a lot safer than it has been. that danger is ever present. >> russia now says the first phase of this war is mostly complete. what do they mean by that? >> i think they're putting a brave face on some pretty

disappointing military results. all the state media heading into this conflict was about basically forcing ukraine into capitulation. it seems like they thought they would be celebrating a victory parade here in kyiv, and that is not happening. east of kyiv, we have reports of ukrainian forces pushing back. in the west of kyiv, they are not making progress and could be surrounded in a couple more days, so i think this is an attempt to sell this as a success to the russian population, especially when increasing numbers of russians are losing their lives here. it is an attempt to put a brave face on what is a pretty unsuccessful campaign in a way they can reach some sort of goals.

>> western intelligence has also been saying that the russian offensive appears to have stalled with little gain toward kyiv. this operation, has -- as putin calls it, has not been going according to plan. >> definitely. i think there has been a lot of talk in russia at how well the ukrainian army has been able to respond. there's an expectation this would be a rerun of 2014 when russia was able to pick off crimea with very little resistance. since then, ukraine has had a lot of support from the west in the form of training and also weaponry, and also hundreds of thousands who have combat experience, and it is something very few eastern european countries have, so ukraine is well-placed in terms of manpower and experience to fight this war and that is something russia did not expect. >> talk about negotiations between russia and ukraine.

has there been any progress at all? >> we have that news from turkey today from sources close to president erdogan saying some consensus had been reached. that was very soon knocked down by the ukrainian foreign minister saying there was not any progress, that ukraine was not willing to give up on its aspiration to join nato, and there are lots of huge differences in positions here. ukraine seemingly in no position or willingness to accept russian control over crimea or to accept the independence of those claims from republics in the east. as far as the optics, neither side can be seen to be open to negotiation, but ukraine needs to show that willingness to make sure it gets at in europe -- ukraine needs to show that willingness to make sure it gets

to europe. it is clear russians are trying to push home to their advantage in terms of manpower and supplies on ukraine. they do not want to accept this is not going anywhere. is that russia is trying to regroup and win time with these talks and with talk focusing on donbass, similarly ukraine thinks it can hold out for long enough until the price of western sanctions and western pression -- western pressure is so hot that they will be forced to offer terms that are acceptable to most ukrainians. >> thank you. the u.s. and eu have announced a plan to reduce european countries' dependent on russian gas. at a joint news conference with the european commission chief, president biden said the u.s. would work to secure another 15 billion cubic meters of gas for europe this year. he also said the current crisis is an opportunity to seek out

renewable energy sources sooner. >> on his first trip to europe since russia's invasion of ukraine, u.s. fight -- u.s. president biden is stepping up efforts to support european allies. >> we are going to work to ensure an additional 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas for europe this year , and as the eu works to discontinue buying russian gas well before 2030, it will also work to ensure you market -- to ensure additional eu market demand for 15 cubic meters by 2030. >> the european commission president says it sends a clear message that europe will not help fuel russia's war.

>> this war will be a strategic failure for putin, so we want to diversify away from russia towards suppliers that we trust that are friends and that are reliable. >> on thursday, western powers gathered in brussels for back-to-back meetings of nato, the eq, and the g7. topping the agenda -- nato's chief reaffirm support for ukraine and a responsive russia deploys a nuclear or biological attack. >> our top military commander has activated nato's chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense elements. our allies are deploying additional chemical, biological, and nuclear defenses to reinforce our existing and new backing groups. >> moscow promised more

punishment and isolation, including new sanctions against hundreds of individuals and entities. g7 leaders announced they will restrict the russian central bank's use of gold. major we users canada and the u.s. said they would increase exports to combat the growing food security crisis caused by russia's invasion ofkraine, but ukraine's present appealed for more military support and called out the bloc for not taking action against russia fast enough. >> you have applied sanctions and we are grateful. these are powerful steps, but it was a little late because if the war was prevented, russia would not have gone to war. no one knows for sure, but at least there was a chance. >> with nearly 4 million ukrainians having fled the war, biden announced plans to welcome

refugees before leaving for poland to address the humanitarian situation on the border with ukraine. while the west offers assurances by piling more pressure on russia and pivoting away from its energy supply, the fighting rages on into its second month. the urgency to find peace and stability has never been more pressing. >> german chancellor olaf scholz spoke a short while ago at a european union press conference. for more, let's bring in correspondent simon young. what are your main takeaways from the summit? >> well, the discussion this evening seems to have then dominated i an argument about what to do about high energy prices across europe, a problem in many european countries, and it was even before the war, so you've got different countries, for example, many are -- mediterranean countries like

spain cheaply, saying there should be interventions at european level, caps on the prices of oil and gas. other countries like germany disagree. there was not agreement on that this evening, but the european commission is going to go away and look at the way reforming energy prices are calculated and report back by may. more widely, of course, this was a summit intended to reaffirm europe's commitment to support ukraine and showing unity in the face of russian aggression. >> aside from showing that unity, the u.s. and eu announcing this energy deal. how much will this agreement help countries that are dependent on russian gas, particularly germany? >> you heard president joe biden announcing 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas to come to the eu this year, but it is with saying that is just 1/10 of what the eu gets from russia.

then again, biden says the amount delivered could go up to 50 billion liters a year in the long term. this is all part of a shift away from dependence on russian energy sources. we have seen the german economy minister going to the gulf to sign deals with countries there on energy supply, and he is also saying, by the way, that reliance on russian coal will come down by half in the next few weeks, and he expects a reliance on russian energy -- russian oil, excuse me, from germany to be virtually ended by the middle of 2024. he's sending all these positive signals -- you are seeing all these positive signals of people saying we can do without russian gas if we need to. >> you mentioned this phasing out by 2024 in germany, but that's not fast enough for many

countries. can you talk to us about the divisions within the bloc when it comes to an embargo on russia? >> i think there is a discrepancy between the baltic countries and poland on the one hand, who, of course, are if you like front-line states in this war. they say the gas in particular that is being bought from russia is effectively paying for the russian war effort. other countries like germany, like italy say we cannot turn the supply off overnight. that would be too much of a blow for our industry and our economy and what actually make -- would actually make our overall strategic situation worse paradoxically. they say you've got to do it step-by-step. as i suggested, they say they are getting on with it fast. >> thanks for your time, simon.

just hours after agreeing on that new energy deal with the eu, u.s. president joe biden traveled to poland. he is now in the capital, warsaw, after spending some time near the border with a crane. there, he met with the polish president in the southeast city where the u.s. troops served alongside polish troops. speaking at a briefing, biden was clear about what he thinks is the way forward. >> the single most important thing that we can do from the outset is keep the democracies united and our opposition and our effort to curtail the devastation that is occurring at the hands of pan-man who, -- the

hands of a man who, quite frankly, is a war criminal, and i think would meet the legal definition of that as well. >> the message is absolutely clear. he has, particularly by traveled to -- traveling to the border region with ukraine, sent a message to president putin that the nato alliance is ready to defend every foot of their territory. that was something that nato leaders reiterated when they met in brussels on thursday, and that is the main message of president biden. he says around 10,000 u.s. soldiers are stationed in poland . he sat down with them over a slice of pizza, as american presidents tend to do when they visit their troops, and he said,

"are very grateful for your service, and it is very important to defend the borders here and defend the nato alliance and show moscow that they cannot advance any further ." that is the strategic aim of this visit here. >> the friday's for future climate movement is taking to the streets around the world as young activists protest. the conflict in ukraine has given the demonstrations added urgency. >> the war in ukraine was at the heart of the climate strikes. 10,000 people took to the streets in berlin to demonstrate for a rapid fossil fuel phaseout for climate justice and above all, for peace. for that, they demanded an import ban on russian oil, gas, and cold. >> i'm ashamed at the moment that we do not have the heart to end this war by stopping their oil imports.

>> war causes enormous damage to the climate. cities are destroyed, human lives are destroyed. it causes considerable damage to the climate. that is why it is incredibly important to think about crises together. all of these crises have to be considered and salt together. >> the protest in berlin was the largest of around three in germany. worldwide, demonstrations took place in more than 1000 places from taiwan to nigeria and australia. demonstrators gathered in front of the prime minister's office to demand better climate protection in the face of more frequent natural disasters. >> we are seeing climate disaster after climate disaster with bushfires and floods. mega bushfires and mega floods that are absolutely damaging our communities. we know it is fossil fuels that are exacerbating these floods

and climate crises. >> climate activists in australia and berlin hope the war will end soon, but they are hopeful climate justice will continue for a very long time. >> female foreign ministers from around the world have urged the taliban to reverse their decision on closing schools for girls. their decision has left many wondering about their place in taliban-ruled afghanistan. >> dreams for the future crushed once again. the taliban's sudden reversal means girls above the six grade cannot go to school until further notice. "they threw our dreams in the dirt. we are girls, and we want to become doctors or engineers, but they don't want us to study at

all pure, [sobbing] is it a sin that we are girls? is it a sin we want to study?" the taliban broke its promise, a decision the united nations has called a major setback afghan girls. rex the secretary-general says a denial of education not only violates the equal rights of women and girls to education, it also jeopardizes the country's future in view of the tremendous contributions by afghan women and girls. >> the taliban education ministry has offered little in the way of explanation, saying in afghanistan, especially in the villages, the mindsets are not ready. we have some cultural restrictions. still, schoolgirls came by the

thousands for opening day, a sign that many families do believe their daughters deserve an education. the islamic emirates says we must live according to islamic laws, so they need to please open the schools because it is in the koran that both men and women are allowed to continue their education and study. no matter what these girls want for their future, they must wait for the men in power to decide if it is possible. now to some of the other -- >> now to some of the other stories we are following this hour -- saudi arabia is blaming yemen's iran-backed meant for an explosion at an oil facility. smoke billowed throughout the day and could be seen and smelled during practice runs for the race.

pope francis has led a ceremony at the vatican to consecrate both russia and ukraine to the immaculate heart of the virgin mary. the prayer ritual is a deep spiritual importance to many catholics. the service was francis' latest effort for peace. the pope has yet to publicly condemn russia's war. the russian onslaught has sent millions of ukrainians searching for shelter. many left their homes in a hurry, taking only what they could carry. for many of those arriving in lviv, there has been a pleasant surprise provided by one of ukraine's top chefs. >> if you need a free meal in levine, just ask for menu number two. the masterchef is crafting a daily meal for refugees, and just because it is free does not mean it is not gourmet. >> today is going to be kamala, buescher mel sauce and some wild

mushrooms. quick certainly one of the most well-known chefs in ukraine, he won reality show masterchef ukraine in 2015 and had a restaurant in kyiv which he left behind the very day russia invaded. as a man of fighting age, he cannot leave the country and would have to enlist if the military called. he says he would do anything to help ukraine but as a soldier, he would not be much help. >> my world is, like, a big world. i'm thinking if i take the gun, i will be, like, just one of the worst soldiers in the world, but if i take a knife and go to the kitchen, i can be one of the best chefs in the world. >> today, his first customers show up around 11:00 a.m. this couple arrived from a central ukrainian city around a

week ago. >> we heard about him from our smartphone, from facebook. he is doing a good thing. we are very grateful to him. in such difficult times, he has made an menu for us, for the rest geez. we are very grateful. >> free menu number two is paid for by profits from menu number one, paid for by those hoping to profit from the cause and rub shoulders with a celebrity chef. >> my wife heard about him on tv . she told me about it, and we decided to come and see if there was really a free menu for refugees. we wanted to support the restaurant. >> for now, the bistro is called others, but that name could change. nothing right now in livy eve

could be set in stone. -- nothing right now in levine -- in lviv could be set in stone. >> russia says it is reducing its military ambitions in ukraine. a senior army officer since the first stage of its military campaign has been largely completed and that moscow increasingly focused efforts in eastern ukraine. this is dw news. we will be back after the break with "the day," so stay tuned if you can.

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>> back to france 24. by from paris, the headlines. moscow signals it is turning down ambitions in ukraine and will focus on territory claimed by russian-backed separatists. the mayor says a no-fly zone is needed as russian missile strikes are the main problem. a two day eu summit comes to end. european leaders agreeing brussels will make joint gas purchases for the block. and u.s. president biden trals to poland to reassure the nato

member that its territory will be protected. ♪ >> it has been over one month since russia's invasion of ukraine began. russian forces have been met with stiff resistance and they have but to take control of any major city. moscow signaled it was turning down ambitions in ukraine and will focus on territory claimed by russian-backed separatists. it comes as ukrainian forces push back the russian army furthered from the capital. give announcing a russian strike targeted a no terry command center in central ukraine. we go to our reporter standing by in kyiv. what is the latest from capital?

>> well, tonight the capital is quiet. the front lines, there have been no big change. there have been some counterattacks, for instance ukraine enforces -- ukrainian forces managed to push back russian forces from a town 68 kilometers away. however, the city is not fully under ukrainian control according to a local source. in the closest place to the capital, no big changes. they still hold to the district. around key have, we see that russian troops are more and more in a defensive position. -- around key has, we see that russian troops are more and more in a defensive position.

they're also aware the situation here is quite static and that strikes on kyiv remain constant. >> moscow signaled they were focusing on territory claimed by russian-backed separatists instead. two people leave anything russians have to say right now? >> actually, we discussed earlier today the statement with several members of ukrainian forces. for them, it was no surprise and they told us about it does not mean that moscow is completely giving up or attacking cities later. it is just that moscow realized it is not possible to conquer big cities such as kharkiv,

kyiv, odessa, all of these members of ukrainian unity statement, there were not surprised. moscow state focus on this first objective, which is to gain as much ground as possible in the eastern region within the administrative boundaries of donbas and the coastal region where it is located the city of are you bold -- mario pole -- mariupol. at the same time, ukraine is almost completely cut off from access to the sea because russian troops are controlling more than half of the port up to chris on -- curse on -- kherson. the access is denied because the russian fleet is in the black

seed. for the people here in kyiv, especially the military unit, moscow remains focused on its primary goal, objective, and it is not a region for -- a reason for ukrainian forces to let their guard down. >> thank you for that update. reporting from kyiv. the mayor of nicolai of -- a mayor in ukraine spoke to us and said ukraine needs a no-fly zone as russian missile strikes on the main problem. >> the message is simple, give us weapons to keep civilian people from death and injury. these are our problems, airstrikes and missile strikes. >> last week, a theater from russian mariupol was--a theater

in variable -- mariupol was struck. fighters claim to have taken over the city, acclaim gradient officials deny. >> outside of this building in ma pole -- mariupol, -- but the building they stood in front of his 10 commoners west at the prosecutor's office. officials insist russian forces have not controlle but officials like this video of troops fighting on the ground. the center of the city has been destroyed by the war. russia's presence has been a near impossible for officials to count how many people have been killed. 10 days after the russian attack where hundreds have taken shelter, the first video has

emerged on social media. the same day officials were able to put an estimate on the number of people killed. >> there is information based on eyewitness is that about 300 people died in the theater in variable -- mariupol. >> many of the ukrainian cities -- many of the former in evidence of the city remain without food and water. >> eu leaders wrapped up a summit in brussels tonight. they struggled to find compromises on how to limit the impact of soaring energy prices for consumers, but agreed officials in brussels will make joint gas purchases for the block. listen to the french president earlier. >> concerning our response to the russian aggression against ukraine, our exchange is to --

unwavering support for ukraine across all fronts and keeping channels of communication open to find a peaceful solution as soon as possible. >> here is our reporter from brussels. >> a major step. two significant things they agreed on, one big thing, the eu is going to have pool purchases for gas. they are going to do joint purchases like they did for the covid vaccine. the european commission will negotiate prices on behalf of all of the eu member states and commission president urszula votto line -- urszula vonda line -- commission president says this is important. all of the eu countries will get the best price because they are negotiating as a large block and a big problem until now has been gas companies, particularly from russia, playing different countries off each other and being able to drive up the price

in that way. that is an enormous change. it was on the most contentious thing, though some countries were resisting this since several southern european countries were calling for this month ago vestments ago, as soon as the war broke out the mood changed and we knew that this was going to go through today. but the more contentious thing was what the spanish prime minister was asking for with support of the italian prime minister, portugal, greece. it was to decouple electricity prices from gas. there's been frustration particularly in spain that renewables have to have electricity price of gas is that is the way the eu gas market works, it is pegged to the highest price of fuel in that is gas, gas prices are going crazy. so spain wanted the ability to decouple that. i have not seen the conclusions they have adopted, but what i've been told is that in these conclusions, it allows the

iberian peninsula, spain and portugal, to temporarily decouple prices because there is a specific situation. they have hybrid nobles rates and few interconnections with the rest of europe. they will be able to temporarily do that, but i'm told the language and the conclusion says as long as it does not disturb the rest of the market and that was an insistence of netherlands and germany, which have been pushing against this all day. once the conclusions come out we will see what the details are. but this does look like something the prime minister can walk out here happy with. this is what he has been asking for for months and hitting a brick wall. it does look like he has made progress on that today, even if it is temporary and is subject to this commission analysis about whether it disturbs the market. this is a win for spain. >> europe and the united states have announced the creation of the joint task force in essay will reduce the locks dependence

on russian energy. the united states as it will supply europe with an extra 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas this year. germany says it would half its russian oil imports by june. >> a lifeline for europe as the u.s. announces it will boost its liquefied natural gas exports to the eu. pres. biden: we are coming together to reduce your dependence on russian energy. this initiative focused on two core issues. one, helping europe reduce its dependency on russian gas as quickly as possible. and secondly, reding europe's demand for gas overall. >> of the u.s. says it will divide europe with an additional 15 billion cubic meters of elegy this year -- lng this year. with the goal of upgrading until 2030. as part of a major push to wean

the eu off of russian energy. moscow supplies 40% of the natural gas needs for heating and electricity. it also supplies more than a quarter of its oil imports. >> this amount is replacing one third of the russian gas going to europe today. so we are right on track now to diversify away from russian gas and toward our friends and partners, reliable and trustworthy suppliers. >> the blog has vowed to cut energy use by two thirds this year. still, europe faces an uphill struggle to substitute its russian gas supplies. last year, moscow exported 150 billion cubic meters to the eu. even with an increase in lng from the u.s., europe will need to seek other suppliers like algeria, egypt and qatar to make

up the difference. -- >> biden also met in poland as part of the nato production for the eastern blank. pres. biden: it is much more whether you can alleviate the pain-and-suffering of people of ukraine. we are in a new phase. we are in an inflection point. every four or five generations there are fundamental changes that take place. the world is not going to be the same, not because of ukraine, but they are not going to be the same 10 or 15 years ago -- from now in terms of structure. the question is who is going to prevail, democracy and the values we share or autocracy. >> we can bring in a senior fellow for statecraft and

influence networks at the international institute for strategic studies. thank you for joining us on fred's 24 tonight. earlier today, moscow signaled it was trolling down its ambitions in ukraine. what does that mean to you? what do you make of it? it looks like we are having technical difficulties and our guest is frozen on the screen. we will try and reestablish the connection once again. in other news, report 7 million people have fled ukraine since russia's invasion began. many have made their way to neighboring poland. the country continues to welcome thousand blank the war every day. hundreds of volunteers have turned up to help. the team on the ground filed this report. >> jonathan is from belgium. he has driven more than 1500 kilometers to get here. his truck is loaded with food,

toys and nappies. like many volunteers, he has come here on his own initiative. >> ione had the idea of doing something, maybe not to come all at once, but to participate actively. it was obvious. as i have three children, it was especially for the children that we did the convoy. >> before leaving home, he visited several local businesses and they have donated lots of products for him to fill out his truck. >> chocolate maker in the town where i live prepared this in almost two nights. these small balls of chocolate are specifically for the children. he popped with his wife. >> jonathan did not know anyone in poland before he set off. he stumbled into jeremy and nicola from another region. they arrived hours earlier with 400 blankets and medical supplies. >> look at the solidarity here. we have done a franco belgian

thing. we have a mix of flags displayed. it is really brilliant. >> kristof, from knees, -- nice, took apart. website wrote a play in ukrainian. there are cruel people in the world and we have to balance the scales a little bit. they're almost embarrassed by all of the stuff we bring them. they're very courteous and frankly it is nice to see a few smiles. >> this wave of solidarity does not show any signs of stopping. each day dozens of volunteers are arriving by their own steam, hoping to help in some small way. >> in other news, iran backed rebels have claimed an attack on an oil facility. part of a wave of drone and missile assaults. a huge cloud of smoke was seen either formula one venue in the city.

recently, saudi arabia said it bore no response ability for shortages in oil supply course by attacks. north korea launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile. it is seen by kim jong-un as a way of demonstrate in his force to the united states. it's the largest launched by any country from a mobile launcher. >> from the ground, from the sky , and on board. these images of an intercontinental illicit missile were leased by north korea. the montage akin to a film was oadcast on national television. it showed kim jong-un overseeing the launch, which was north korea's first full missile test since 2017. with international attention focused on ukraine, it was meant to demonstrate the terry might

of the regime as a nuclear force. >> implications is not so much the range. because we know they can range the united states with things previously tested. but the size of this means it can fit more inside it. so we are looking at a missile that can carry more than one warhead. it could strike multiple targets with a single missile. >> data shows the missile flew higher, 6000 kilometers, and longer for over 1000 kilometers, than any other the regime has tested. the massive launch was swiftly condemned by the international community. >> the launch of the missile risks as significant escalation of tensions in the region. secretary-general urges them to desist from taking any further action. >> the united states imposes new

sanctions on north korea along with more for russia. they are discussing what many call a monster of a missile launch. >> time for the business news. good to see you. europe is going to tackle rising energy prices as it tries to reduce its dependence on russia. >> eu leaders have agreed for the first time to give the european commission mandate to make joint purchases of gas. that is according to the french president who explained that it would be done much the same way they you procure vaccines during the covid crisis. he also rejected the demand that energy payments made in rubles, saying it is contractually permitted. >> today in the european union, 75% of the gas we buy is supplied through pipelines. if we come together, we will have more power to set prices. we buy less natural gas at 20%

but a lot through pipelines and therefore group purchases which give us the ability to agree long contracts are the best instruments to lower our gas prices. >> earlier friday, germany said it would be able to wean itself off russian gas by the summer of 2024. that is at a faster pace that a previously pledged. as for oil -- it came after the european union struck a deal that would see the united states work toward supplying 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas and increase the volume to 50 billion. details. >> a lifeline for europe u.s. -- as the u.s. announces it will boost natural gas export studio.

>> we are coming to reduce your dependence on russian energy. this focuses on two core issues, helping europe reduce its dependency on russian gas as quickly as possible and secondly reducing europe's demand for gas overall. >> the u.s. says it will provide rope with an additional 15 billion cubic meters of lng this year. with the alternate goal of ramping up to 50 billion cubic meters in annual exports to the block until 2030. it is part of a push to wean the eu off of russian energy. moscow supplies 40% of the natural gas needs for heating and electricity there. and also supplies more than a quarter of itsil imports. >> this is replacing one third already of the russian gas going to europe today. so we are right on track now to

diversify away from russian gas and toward our friends and partners, reliable and trustworthy suppliers. >> the block has vowed to cut russian energy used by two thirds -- used by two thirds this year. europe faces a struggle to substitute its russian gas supplies. scout exported around 150 billion cubic meters to the eu last year. even with an increase in lng from the u.s. am a europe will need to seek out other suppliers , like algeria, egypt and qatar, to make up the difference. european gas futures, which surged in the wake of the invasion of ukraine, dropped 11% this friday. the april contract suddenly below 100 euros per megawatt hour, less than half the peak this month. oil prices rose on news that rebels launched an attack on an

oil distribution facility in saudi arabia. brent crude below $120 a barrel. the eu and the u.s. have struck a per limit area deal to allow data about europeans to be stored in the united states. the transatlantic data transfers have been facing a risk of major disruptions since the -- in 20, annulling the previous regular close. it's at the u.s. did not provide eu citizens enough legal means surveillance.government the new deal would offer more protections for data privacy and other companies, including facebook's metta and googles alphabet facing hurdles. a final deal is expected to take months. look at the day's trading action now and on wall street, u.s. shares mixed this friday. the dow and the s&p and egg

slightly higher and the nasdaq shedding some earlier gains. the s&p and the nasdaq made gains in the dow was on the slot this week. as part of an unprecedented support package european had -- european union offered, a fast-track residency and work arrangements for ukrainian refugees arriving in the block. initiatives have sprung up to help them in their job search. for countries facing labor shortages, the inflow of refugees is a welcome windfall. our correspondents to germany said this. >> they barely got here and they are already attacking the paperwork. in front of this administration building in berlin, ukrainians lineup to get health insurance and soon a job. >> i hope it will be easy and i think that one or two months and i will get a job because i am

good in i.t., logistics, marketing, sales. >> her prospects are good, germany has a labor shortage. this company, a european leader in mobile payment terminals, has 400 jobs to fill it is actively recruiting ukrainians. >> we would be really happy to receive their application and we can also help them with visas and relocation. cooks doesn't ukrainians already in the process of being recruited. >> it is not cynical to say we want to give refugees a chance to work in their sector, but we also benefit as a company. it's also important for companies that are recruiting now to be ready to invest in ukraine when all of this is over. >> in germany, and number of specialized websites is up and running. this one created by some ukrainian on spinners in berlin received 8000 job offers in three weeks. >> this is the most sustainable

step to integrate into the society, which should happen because we really hope this ends soon, but some people are going to stay here. >> there are more than a million and a half jobs up for grabs in germany. craniums who have come here or to other eu countries get access to the job market as soon as they get their residency papers. >> that is all from the business desk. >> stay with us, it is france 24. ♪ ♪

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03/25/22 03/25/22 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! pres. biden: we are also announcing new sanctions of more than 400 individuals and entities aligned -- within alignment of the european union. more than 300 members of the oligarchs and russian defense companies that fueled the russian war machine. amy: president biden announces new sanctions on russia