from berlin. as the fighting in ukraine nears the one-year mark, the narratives of two presidents, worlds apart. >> kyiv stands strong. kyiv stands proud, it stands tall. and most importantly, it stands free. brent: u.s. president biden told cheering crowds in poland today

that western support for ukraine will not waver. just hours earlier, russian president putin doubled down on the lie, accusing the west of starting the war, and he also suspended in nuclear weapons treaty with the u.s. ♪ i'm brent goff. to our viewers watching on pbs in the united states and to all of you around the world, welcome. this week, the russian invasion of ukraine hits the one-year mark. today, two presidents, russia's vladimir putin and america's joe biden presented orchards -- presented portraits of that war that could not be more different. addressing cheering crowds in warsaw, poland, biden said the u.s. and the west do not want to destroy russia, a claim that putin has repeatedly made. biden also said that the war in ukraine has hardened western resolve to defend democracy. and he insisted that nato today

is stronger than ever. >> one year into this war, putin no longer doubts the strength of our coalition. but he still doubts our conviction. he doubts our staying power. he doubts our continued support for ukraine. he doubts whether nato can remain unified. but there should be no doubt. our support for ukraine will not waver. nato will not be divided. and we will not tire. brent: that was u.s. president biden there speaking in warsaw, poland. just hours earlier, russian president putin delivered his state of the nation address, and in that address he announced that russia is suspending its last major nuclear disarmament agreement with the united states. the new start treaty commits russia and the u.s. to limiting their stockpile of nuclear warheads. now, that deal is already scheduled to expire in the year 2026. in an address to the nation,

vladimir putin also said that the west had started the war in ukraine. reporter: a grand entry for a defiant vladimir putin, to address both his domestic audience and the west. once again he blamed the west for the war in ukraine. >> responsibility for fomenting the ukraine conflict, for its escalation, and for the increasing number of victims, lies entirely with western elites, and of course with the current regime in kyiv, to which the ukrainian people are strangers. reporter: again, he pushed the narrative that the people of eastern ukraine actually want to be russian. one of his justifications for the war one year ago was his claim that ukraine has always been part of russia. >> ukraine is not just a neighboring country. it's an inalienable part of our own history, culture, and spiritual space. reporter: to loud applause from russian politicians and military

representatives who have fought in ukraine, putin insisted russia would emerge victorious. >> the west aims to end russia once and for all, but they have to realize it is impossible to defeat russia on the battlefield. reporter: ignoring the strength of ukraine's resistance and the lack of russian progress on the ground, the kremlin leader said the special military operation, as moscow calls it, would achieve its goals. he announced that russia's army would be modernized, saying his country has the necessary financial resources to safeguard its security and development. despite the west's economic sanctions. then, putin raised the stakes in his standoff with the west, throwing down the gauntlet to u.s. president joe biden. he announced russia is suspending its participation in the new start treaty which limits both country's nuclear arsenals.

>> russia is not withdrawing from the treaty, no. it is suspending its participation. reporter: once again, vladimir putin is stoking fears of a nuclear confrontation. brent: we have team coverage of today's two presidents, two speeches. our brussels bureau chief alexandra von nahmen is in warsaw where u.s. president biden gave his speech earlier, and dw's ines pohl is covering it from washington, d.c. i began by asking alexandra if president biden's speech resolved any doubt for u.s. support for ukraine. alexandra: yes, i would say so. and i think this was biden's main message here, a message that went down well with his polish audience and with europeans in general, i would say. the u.s. president emphasized here that knowing what you stand for is important but knowing who you are standing with makes all the difference.

and he spoke about nato and the u.s. commitment to nato's article five, an article that states clearly that an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all allies. and that was, of course, what his polish audience wanted to hear. and many people there at the castle told me that they were waiting for these words. brent: ines, let me ask you, how you see it from the other side of the atlantic. what would you say was the biggest takeaway from biden's speech today? ines: i agree with alexandra here. biden definitely wanted to send a clear message to the polish people and to europe overall, but also to his fellow americans. brent, i found it quite strong how you could actually feel the pressure for him within his own kind of american group here. why? because as more and more of his

fellow americans are starting to ask why the u.s. is spending so much money in this faraway country. and therefore, we heard these really strong words, like for example, i am quoting here, there's nothing less than freedom at stake. so, this was a strong message also for home from abroad. brent: and the u.s. president today, he also had some words, a message for the people of russia. i want you to take a listen to part of what he said today. >> so tonight, i speak once more to the people of russia. the united states and the nations of europe do not seek to control or destroy russia. the west was not plotting to attack russia, as putin said today. and millions of russian citizens who only want to live in peace with their neighbors are not the enemy. this war is never a necessity. it's a tragedy.

president putin chose this war. every day the war continues is his choice. he could end the war with a word. it's simple. if russia stopped invading ukraine, it would end the war. if ukraine stopped defending itself against russia, it would be the end of ukraine. brent: alexandra, let me ask you. we know what the u.s. president is saying there, we hear his message. do you think that most of the people in russia, will they even get that message? alexandra: well, i doubt that they will really get the message, given the fact that all the media there is controlled by the kremlin. however, i was not surprised that joe biden mentioned vladimir putin and directly addressed the people of russia, even though his team had told the press before the speech that

they did not want it to turn into a back-and-forth with putin. but of course after putin's speech, my impression was that the u.s. president had to push back against putin's narrative. he could not let it stand, this claim that nato is to blame, that it wants to destroy russia. and i think it was important for him to try to convey this message to the russian people, that this is not true, that putin could end the war immediately if he wanted to. brent: ines, before we go, let me ask you about how this continues with the u.s. president. we know yesterday he was in kyiv, today, this speech, but there are still more business to be taken care of, isn't there? ines: right. so, the two highlights are kind of over, but there is another important meeting, the so-called the bucharest format which will meet tomorrow where he meets with nine countries from the eastern nato flank. and there is some expectation that he then finally will announce to send heavier

weaponry to prevent the war to turn into a stalemate, because that was somewhat of a disappointment not only in kyiv, but also today in warsaw. some, or actually many people in this part of the world do hope that the u.s. do send, for example, f-16 fighter jets and other heavy weaponry to ukraine. brent: dw's ines pohl and alexandra von nahmen. to both of you, thank you. earlier, i spoke with elena sokova. she's the executive director of the ngo vienna center for disarmament and nonplayer information. -- and non-proliferation. she explained what russia's suspension of its participation in the treaty means. elena: well, there have been precedents before about the suspension of the treaty, including by the u.s. previously.

but one of the things that probably putin is trying to waive, this is one of the instruments where he understands the interest of the united states, for it to be continued. what it means in practical terms is we are likely to see less transparency about what is going on in russia with the strategic nuclear weapons and missiles. however, there has been a clarification from the russian foreign ministry that russia would still observe the limits established in the treaty. and it will also continue to notify about the launches of its intercontinental and ballistic missiles, which is good news. what is not included in the kind of remaining parts is that part of the treaty is about

exercises that each country does that involve these weapons. and that is a very slippery slope. that, for me, is probably the most important part of the suspension at the moment. brent: we know that this treaty is scheduled to expire in 2026. i mean, what are the chances, considering how frigid relations are right now, what would you say are the chances of the u.s. and russia negotiating a new treaty? elena: well, first of all, i hope the suspension is indeed a suspension, and they can go back to resuming the implementation of it as agreed. but negotiating any treaty is a very lengthy procedure. when the u.s. and russia were

negotiating exactly the new start treaty, which was ratified in 2010, it was a marathon of 1.5 years almost to get it there. and the relationship between the two countries was much different. and it was building on the previous treaties. so anything new would be longer, difficult. but again, if we do see a different change in the war course and the relationship, nothing is out of reach. but i am very concerned about even seeing that treaty to survive until 2026. brent: and also, if this treaty is allowed to expire, it will, in a way, take us back 50 years to a world where there were no limits on the warheads, these intercontinental ballistic missile warheads. are you concerned that that is going to be the case, that we are going to be going back in

time, but we're also going to be adding china into the mix? elena: well, if it does expire, or even if russia withdraws from the treaty before 2026, it will be the first time, you are right, in almost 50 years where the two countries do not have a bilateral arms control treaty that focuses on their nuclear arsenals, which is an unusual development given the history. you are also correct that probably -- and russia has actually been insisting on that for a while -- but the next treaty should include china as well. but the process of that is unclear at the moment. china has been waiting these discussions with the u.s. precisely for the reasons because its arsenal is much smaller than that of the united states. so, it feels like it needs to

build up first before a sit down for talks. brent: elena sokova, we appreciate your time and your valuable insights tonight. thank you. elena: my pleasure. thank you. brent: more earthquakes along the border of syria and turkiye have killed at least eight people. the quakes destroyed buildings which were damaged by earthquakes just two weeks ago. more than 47,000 people are known to have died in that disaster. the united nations that says more aid is needed. among the most vulnerable survivors of these earthquakes are children. dw's julia hahn has this report. julia: in a schoolyard, an improvised painting lesson. these children and their families have been left homeless by the quakes. they live on the school grounds now.

a group of volunteers looking after them. the kids' paintings don't reflect the new reality. they draw homes that are undamaged. lives that are still intact. >> we paint a lot. they love painting. and they like to read. thanks to some people here, we've got a lot of books, paint, pens, pencils, and paper. my observation is that if we play games with the children and are around all the time, the effects of all of this can be postponed a little bit. julia: it's one of the cities worst hit by the quakes. entire neighborhoods have collapsed. thousands died here, including children. in the neighboring province, a heartbreaking tribute to the youngest victims. volunteers placed red balloons

on the ruins of destroyed buildings to remember the children who died. at the schoolyard here, for the children who survived, the memories are still fresh. >> i was at home when it happened. i jumped up. it was really bad. the walls were shaking from left to right, and the house next to ours collapsed. julia: and now, are you afraid? >> yes. whenever there is an aftershock, i start crying. julia: and it is no different for the parents. >> my husband was working that night. i have four children. i had to get them all out of the house somehow. they were crying so much. we couldn't take any of our clothes with us. later, i went back to get some

blankets. but the trauma the children experienced is what worries me the most. >> the children are not ok. they wake up at night and cry. if there is a slight shaking, they immediately think it is an earthquake. they have suffered psychologically. julia: the tent camp here has been growing bigger by the day. the volunteers who came to play with the kids have also cobbled together a kitchen to provide lunch and dinner. they hand out thousands of meals per day. what started as a spontaneous operation now looks likely to become a long-term project. >> at first, we just wanted to respond to people's emergency needs, but we realized that they need so much more than just food.

julia: as night falls, a surprise for the children. the schoolyard becomes an open-air cinema. there's even popcorn and hot chocolate. this strange new life in a makeshift camp. a joyful adventure, if only for a few hours. brent: for more now, i am joined by dan stewart. he is with save the children u.k. he is in turkiye tonight. dan, it is good to have you with us. tell me, what is the situation right now in that city? do we have a sense of how many children need help right now? dan: we know that across the full region, southern turkiye, northern syria, where the earthquakes have struck, there are at least 7 million children who have been affected. speaking from just last night,

we had another earthquake here in southern turkiye which must have been absolutely terrifying for these children who have already lived through such a traumatic experience once. myself and the team were actually on the road when it happened. the ground shook violently. our car swerved and we were able to pull off and wait for the shaking to pass. but our minds immediately turned to the millions of children and families across the region and the fact that they are reliving the same nightmare they experienced a couple of weeks ago. brent: it is hard to get your mind around that. it makes me wonder what kind of support are you able then to give children at the moment? dan: what is really important is for children to return as far as possible in what is a terrible situation, to a sense of normality and stability. that means, first of all, ensuring that they are safe with their family as far as possible. and then what we are doing is

we're going around to the small settlements and providing structured play with the children. some of these sorts of activities that you were just showing. a simple drawing class can be a really effective way of helping children start to process what they have been through. very sadly this week, we have had children who have drawn dead bodies they saw after the first earthquake struck. which of course is a horrific thing to think of. but at the same time for young children, drawing can be a language and help them to express their grief and help them process it. brent: dan stewart with save the children u.k., we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us tonight, and we certainly appreciate all the work you and your team are doing. thank you. for four decades, the director steven spielberg has been packing cinemas with action adventures such as "jaws" and "jurassic park," and dramas such as "schindler's list" and "saving private ryan." spielberg is now being honored

for his life's work here in berlin at the berlin film festival, the berlinale. >> you can't just love something. you also have to take care of it. it's more important than your hobby. reporter: steven spielberg is known for telling epic tales. but the director's latest film is based on his own life. >> i think i am always vulnerable. in terms of the movies i have made. but this is a very personal story. it's the first time i have taken privacy public and i have never done that. >> movies are dreams. reporter: nominated for seven oscars, "the fabelmans" is about a young jewish boy who makes movies as a way to navigate his own dysfunctional family. spielberg made his very own first amateur film at age 12. as a teenager, he toured universal studios and chatted up a movie executive. soon, he was working there. spielberg's first major film for

universal was the 1971 thriller "duel," a high-speed chase with a murderous trucker. a few years later, his film "jaws" would scare an entire generation out of the water. the 1980's saw the beginning of the "indiana jones" franchise. and of course, "e.t." >> can you say e.t.? >> e.t. reporter: the family movie about a stranded alien and a group of kids fighting to save him held the record for the highest grossing film of all time for 11 years. until 1993, when spielberg broke his own record with "jurassic park." debuting that same year, spielberg's holocaust drama "schindler's list," about a german factory owner's plan to save more than 1000 jews. >> what are you doing? these are mine.

reporter: the film won seven oscars. very few directors have made as many big-budget movies across as many different genres as steven spielberg. but what is unique about steven spielberg's life's work that is being recognized here in berlin is the universality of his storytelling, and that is what resonates with the viewers across cultures and generations. spielberg will receive the honorary golden bear at a screening of "the fabelmans." and perhaps next month, he will be accepting more awards at the oscars. >> my handsome jewish boy. just like you. brent: dw's halida abbaro, she is at the berlinale and she told me that steven spielberg has proven to be one of the biggest stars of the festival so far. halida: yes, well, when they threw to questions from the audience you have never seen so

many hands go up at once. it was literally practically a physical fight for the microphone among the journalists. spielberg did say it was a massive honor to get this prize at the berlinale because he does consider this to be one of the most impressive festivals in the world. he was of course asked about which of his films is his favorite. he answered that just like with his children, he doesn't have a favorite. but he did say which was the most difficult to make, and that film was of course "jaws." famously challenging because of the weather and a mechanical shark named bruce that kept breaking down, which is why you did not see it very much. he also said up until very recently the most emotional of his films was, unsurprisingly, "schindler's list." and that was superseded recently by "the fabelmans," obviously his family story. his mother he said had been nagging him, had nagged him for many years to tell the family story, but he had only found the courage to do so during the pandemic. he also was asked whether he had any tips for new directors, and he said, forget about getting

the perfect shot, it is all about the story. he said the best thing you can do is write a brilliant screenplay. if you cannot write, he said partner up with somebody who can and make a lifelong partnership, if possible. now of course, for "the fabelmans," he has been nominated for the first time in his career for best screenplay, and he is enormously proud of that. c

biden told cheering crowds in poland that western support for ukraine will not waver. you're watching "dw news." after a short break i will be back to take you through "the day." stick around. we'll be right back. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

anchor: it is 10 p.m. paris time. welcome to france way for. these are your headlines -- u.s. president joe biden delivers his speech to leaders in poland, saying there will be no russian victory in ukraine. our washington correspondent is standing by with the latest. at the same time in moscow, vladimir putin has moved to suspend russia's participation in the new start treaty on nuclear disarmament. the decision met with widespread international condemnation. france has matched its record drype