♪ >> this is dw news, live from berlin erie of ukraine tries to get its fighters out of the steel plant. work continues on a plan that would see seriously injured ukrainian defenders evacuated for russian prisoners. and a palestinian-american al jazeera

reporter killed while reporting in the occupied west bank. the veteran reporter was targeted by israeli forces. israelis military chief maintains it's unclear who killed her. plus, the abortion battle in the united states heats up. we meet one woman who has a personal stake in the issue ahead of a likely supreme court ruling to rollback pro-choice rights. and sing a song for ukraine at this year's eurovision song contest. [singing] >> ukraine's orchestra has qualified for the grand finale inter and and is one of the favorites to win the top prize. ♪

hello, everyone. i'm leila roccoas. good to be with you. kiva is proposing a prisoner swap as it tries to resolve a lety standoff at the steel plant in mariupol. the plant -- plan would see forces at the steel plant swap for russian prisoners of war. meanwhile, ukrainian forces say they have successfully pushed back against russian troops in the east of the country, but they remain under attack in the south of the country, inuding in the strategic boards city of odessa. >> more destruction in the city of odessa and war casualties. initial indications suggest russia used hypersonic missiles in these attacks, but they were not confirmed. >> we analyzed the type of

rocket use and came to conclusion that it was a rocket dating back to soviet times. >> the steel plant in mariupol again under fire. ukrainian soldiers remain hold up in underground bunkers there. the wives of two soldiers of the regiment that have been defending mariupol for weeks have asked pope francis to intercede for them. >> our soldiers are ready to be evacuated. they are ready to lay down their arms in case of evacuation to another country. >> these drone images allegedly show a russian tank being destroyed by ukrainian fire, close to the russian border. the ukrainian armed forces claim to have recaptured villages close to ukraine's second-largest city. >> ukrainian forces have good news from the region. they are slowly forcing the

occupiers back. >> ukraine says it's counteroffensive has been successful and the army has advanced to within 10 kilometers of the russian border. it also says mine removal operations are underway, with up to 100 mines and unexploded shells diffused every day. leila: our correspondent is in the ukrainian capital, kyiv, where people are waiting on the proposed swap. >> that's basically all we know so far. there has been this proposal and it has not been accepted so far by the russians, but the ukrainians said talks are going on. this is something that is very emotional here in ukraine. the whole country has followed this battle around the steel plant and the occupation of the

civilians. ukrainians wish for these fighters to get out of there, for the soldiers to get out of the steel plant. they are seen by many as heroes who have defended the city with almost nothing in their hands, or positions in the end when they were not in the city anymore. most of the city had been occupied by the russians. it's something very emotional and something that would be welcomed. on the other hand, we also know russia is often taking revenge on those they see as servicemen or as military personnel, or people who have been in any way surveying, the men who have been serving in the ukrainian army. we know that at checkpoints, when civilians get out of the city, they are checked for clues that might associate them with ukrainian nationalism or any signs that they have been serving, like a gun belt leaving

its traces here, so it's a tricky thing to do, to evacuate. leila: in a separate development, we understand that ukraine has halted the flow of some russian gas to europe. were we able to learn more about this? what were the details? >> this is an separatist territory. ukraine is accusing separatists of siphoning off gas from there, why they rerouted it through other points. it seems like the overall gas flow is lower now that gas is arriving. it's the first time that gas transits have come, at any point, that the war has influenced gas transits since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. leila: matthias erlanger

reporting from ukraine, thank you for your continued coverage. nearly 100 ukrainian soldiers have arrived in germany to begin training on german belt howitzers that will be used to fight russian troops in ukraine. howitzers are highly precise, long-range artillery. the canons, mounted on track vehicles, can hit targets 40 kilometers away. seven of them will be sent from germany to ukraine. the shipment and training of ukrainian soldiers marks a significant change of course for the german government, which had previously been reluctant to supply arms to ukraine. the pro-business ftp as part of chancellor olaf scholz's government coalition. i asked what the difference seven howitzers will make to the ukrainian war effort? >> it something ukraine asked

for the most, was the highest priority they had. when ukrainians come to us, to the government and say they need weapons, the howitzers are priority number one. if ukraine says we need them urgently, they have really high priority for tactical operations. leila: as you know, german instructors will train ukrainian soldiers on german territory. is there a potential risk that russia might see this as direct involvement by germany in the war in ukraine? >> legally and formally, there is no risk. the international law is clear. we are not part of this war and we are not taking part of this war by taking this action of training ukrainians in germany.

it does not make us part of the war. legally, that is clear. but as you know, vladimir putin does not look for international law. he makes his own decisions, and if he wants to declare war on anybody, he will. leila: i understand germany has made a consequential u-turn on s original reluctance to provide ukraine with heavy weaponry. what prompted this significant policy change? >> this is a goo question, because you are asking a liberal politian, and we did not change our minds. there are some members of parliament, some members of the government who were reluctant to deliver heavy weaponry for several reasons. but they see how important our weapons are to provide ukraine the chance to defend themselves.

i think this is a process that took some weeks, and i am glad other members of parliament and government aligned with our liberal stance to deliver and help ukraine. i have said generally already, we should not say we will never deliver weapons. in our liberal party, the process is [inaudible] leila: germany's ambassador says he is disappointed with the progress of german weapons to ukraine. he is calling for an "war summit of german arms manufacturers and government officials" to discuss more heavy weapons exports. would you support that? >>h, no.

it is always in this mood, and it is ok for him, but i have very much trust in the german government, in our ministry of defense. we really considered thoroughly what we can do, what we can deliver, and this is done with highly professionalism in our ministry of defense, and i trust them. leila: sir, thank you very much for your time. >> thank you for having me. leila: we want to tell you about the other stories in the headlines. britain has agreed to come to the defense of both sweden and finland in the event of an attack. prime minister boris johnson traveled to stockholm and helsinki to sign the agreements. the two countries are considering joining nato amid russia's war against ukraine,

but are seeking security guarantees until they become members. i european union negotiator has held talks into ron in an effort to salvage the iran new year deal. the agreement gave tehran sanctions relief, but donald trump -- former u.s. president donald trump scrapped it four years ago. french authorities are investigating torture allegations against interpol 's president. the case has been filed against the top united arab emirates official by a pair of british nationals. to the united states now, where democratic lawmakers are scrambling to secure federal

abortion rights before the supreme court strikes them down. a senate vote is underway to enshrine abortion rights in federal law, but the measure is largely symbolic, as it is all but certain to be blocked by republicans. the supreme court is expected to overturn roe v. wade this summer, and 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. and abortion rights will be a crucial issue on the campaign trail ahead of midterm elections this fall. activists fighting to safeguard the right to choose. >> days after the supreme court document leak, leslie templeton sees her mission more clearly than ever. the reproductive rights activist is getting ready to speak at a rally in front of the supreme court. >> what i'm hoping to achieve, people realize that abortion is lifesaving health care. are all impacted by it.

lives will be lost if roe is overturned. >> for the 25-year-old, the right to abortion is personal. she is part of a quarter of u.s. women who live with a disability . her condition makes life-threatening pregnancy complications more likely. >> i felt scared for a woman like me, who has kidney disease -- you don't know what tomorrow holds. again, it's life or death. for that reality, to die, for so many people, that's terrifying. we just want to live. >> the people, united, will never be divided. >> leslie's weapon of choice is protest. she also wants represent those who cannot physically attend. together, with activists from around the country, she is taking the fight to the steps of the supreme court.

>> no one should be able to force me or anyone else to put their life at risk for a fetus. my disabled body isn't anybody's incubator. my life is important to me, my friends, and to my family. >> with midterm elections approaching this november, abortion rights will be at the center of this heated debate. leslie wants to make sure disabled people's voices won't fade. leila: we can take you not to washington, to our correspondent there, who joins us right now. can you bring us up to speed with what lawmakers have been debating today? >> yeah. the bill they have been debating voting on would codify roe v. wade international law. roe v. wade is a ruling from

1973 on the supreme court that legalized abortion across the u.s. with the news we heard earlier this month that roe v. wade is very likely going to be overturned in the supreme court, democrats have been trying to get abortion rights into federal law, to make sure it is on the books. but as mentioned, they do not have the numbers to push through such legislation in the senate. they would need 60 votes but only have about 50, but they knew that going in and have still pushed this forward. for one, they are under a lot of pressure from abortion rights advocates to find some pathway to make sure the right to an abortion is protected. they have been accused of having forgotten this topic and failed to put it on the agenda, and they also argue that they have the public on their side. a majority of americans, if you look at polls, believe abortion should be illegal in at least some cases. with this vote today, democrats can point the finger directly at the senate democrats who

did not vote for this and say, these are the reasons women do not have a right to an abortion. that's what we are seeing in the senate. leila: the supreme court is currently reconsidering its position on the roe v. wade abortion ruling. we already know which way the court is leaning. remind us what happened this month? >> it's really been a whirlwind of a month when it comes to abortion rights. in the first week of may, there was this draft majority opinion leaked from the supreme court that show the majority of justices on the court will vote to overturn roe v. wade. the fact that this information leaked in the first place is a bombshell that is very rare, but on top of that, roe v. wade has protected abortion rights for 50 years in this country. conservative republicans have been fighting for precisely this, to overturn it on religious grounds. they have a lot of support from evangelical christians.

ever since the news broke, we have seen protests nationwide, pro-choice, pro-life protesters taking to the streets. as abortion rights very high up on the political agenda in an election year. leila: and the stakes could not be higher . >> we are talking about millions of women set to lose the right to an abortion. there are 26 states that are certain or at least likely to ban abortion as soon roe v. wade is overturned. we are expecting to see that in june. that means women who need abortions will have to travel sometimes hundreds of miles to access one. this also means that people who do not have resources will not be able to get one, meaning a lot more black and brown women will feel the impact of not

being able to get an abortion. as a final example, louisiana will be debating a bill this week that would charge women who have an abortion with homicide. the stakes and locations of what we are seeing in the u.s. will have a lasting effect for years to come. leila: very consequential times in the u.s.. sumi, thank you. the u.s. state department is demanding accountability over the death of veteran al jazeera journalist --. the palestinian-american was fatally shot while covering a raid in a refugee camp in the occupied west bank. al jazeera says israeli troops fired the bullet that killed her, but an israeli military chief maintains it is unclear who pulled the trigger.

> a crush of mourners surround her body as it is carried through the streets. the 51-year-old lestinian-american was a well-known and highly respected journalist for al jazeera's arabic channel. >> she was a great journalist. she was known in the whole arab world, so i am so very sad. >> it is a loss for all the palestinian, arab, and american journalists. >> shareen was shot and killed during a raid conducted by israeli forces on a refugee camp in the occupied west bank. the israeli defense forces chief regrets her death, but says it is too early to determine which side caused it. another al jazeera journalist was shot several times in the back during the raid.

he is in stable condition. he and the broadcast association blamed israel for shareen posey death. >> to have journalists targeted who are doing coverage -- >> her loved ones are demanding justice for the reporter, who dedicated her career to giving voice to the voiceless. >> she sent an email, saying they are moving now. i am going there. they said ok, we are waiting for you to be on-air at the top of the hour, but she never showed up. >> an independent investigation is being called for. leila: it's quirky, it's camp,

and it's the world's biggest music contest. the eurovision song contest is back, with qualifying rounds underway in turin, italt. y. this is ukraine's band, who has been outspoken since the conflict began. the concert is supposed to be all about the music, but political overtones are not unusual at the eurovision song contest. joining me now from the eurovision venue in turin is susanna adams, with all things eurovision song context. the audio was a bit shaky before, we hope you have that resolved right now. this is so much morehan a musical competition is in --

musical competition, isn't it? >> most americans don't realize, this is the original american idol. it came together in the years following world war ii to unite europe. from my perspective, it's all about the travel, the quality time i get to spend with my brother, i get a little culture and history every time i am here. i learned about the different countries, the different music, and it is so fun. leila: it is a lot of fun. it is supposed to be a still photo contest, but with all eyes on ukraine, understandably, will ukraine when eurovision this

year? >> if they win, i think it will be based on their performance, not what's going on in ukraine. they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. if they win, people will say, it's because of what's going on. if they don't, because they weren't good enough. but that is not true. leila: this is the epitome of euro pop-kitsch, and i mean that in the best way. what is behind its enduring appeal? >> outside of the fact that it brings soany people together, we are one big family. there are always these omg moments, moments that are touching and jaw-dropping moments. when my brother first brought me into the eurovision world, he

showed me a polish sans ---- song. these girls churning butter with their bosoms hanging out. of course, 2016, lazaro of and his amazing biceps. it's these omg moments that keep people coming back. it's a lifestyle, it's an experience. leila: it is, and you started out explaining to our american viewers the significance of the eurovision song contest. how would you elaborate on that to our u.s. viewers, the phenomenon that is eurovision? >> you can actually watch the eurovision movie and you will see a bit of what eurovision is all about. while it is not completely accurate, it does depict eurovision. you had each country competing

and there is a lot of competition and a lot of support. the f base, you have super fans who come year ter year after year, and it is coming together, so many different cultures and people. music unites us all and brings us together. leila: it does indeed. you and your team are diehard fans yourself, and i can see rehearsals taking place behind you as you speak. what's it like? >> this year, it's a little more somber. last year, it was a lot more somber due to the ongoing pandemic. in years past, there has not been just --, what we have, but

it is so much fun to mingle with the super fans. a lot of that mingling is not taking place this year so it is still quieter, but it is a lot of fun. we can sobo back and chat with everyone. leila: it sounds like a lot of fun. i wish you so much more fun as you are there in person to watch the eurovision song context. -- contest. susanna adams, thank you for talking with us. >> thank you, and don't forget to vote. leila: we have come to the end of this edition of dw news. i will be back at the top of the hour. ♪

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>> welcome back and you are watching live from paris. i mark gordon -- i'm mark owen. president zelenskyy says the desire to negotiate with putin dies with each atrocity that comes to light. ukraine confirms that it shut down transit of russian gas across the dundas because russian separatists were siphoning off the product. abortion rights in the u.s., republicans have blocked a vote on making a federal law to protect a woman's right to termination of a pregnancy. the supreme