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 dry spell of 32 days without

significant rainfall. the sobering milestone comes in the middle of winter, a crucial time before recharging depleted groundwater levels. we're live in paris. fresh off his trip to kyiv, joe biden has delivered a rallying cry to nato allies in poland. in his address on tuesday, the best president through his support behind ukraine, just days ahead of the anniversary of moscow's invasion. he responded to the anti-west speech delivered by vladimir putin, driving home the west was not planning an attack on moscow. to impact bidens speech further, our correspondent joins us live

from washington. what can we take from the speech? guest: the white house had insisted head of the speech that this was not meant to be an answero the spch made by the russianresident, but as you said, there were quite a few attacks on the russian president by the u.s. president, joe biden . joe biden insisting this was not the west's doing. he had a message for the russian people, saying the u.s. was not trying to attack russia. if president putin decided to end the war, that war would end right now. he also multiple times went after the russian president for underestimating the answer of the ukrainians and the answer of the western alliance. he said russian president vladimir putin had

underestimated the resolve of the ukrainian people and of ukraine's leader, president zelenskyy. he also said to and made a huge mistake in underestimating the resolve and strength not only of the ukrainians but of the western alliance as a whole. the united states as well as european countries, he said while he saw there was that strength and unity, putin still doubted how long that unity could last. e biden insisted the western alliance would continue to stand with the ukrainian people as long as it takes. this has been a message the president has repeated over and over again. so this message was really one of unity, of showing strength of the western alliance against the russian president, and acknowledging there would be

some tough times ahead. he said the defense of freedom is not the work of a day or a year, that there will be hard days ahead, but that this alliance will be standing strong with the ukrainian people until ukraine is free. anchor: some strong words there. joe biden went to kyiv, he went to warsaw, and he will be continuing their in the region. what is the significance of this prolonged time of the u.s. president in eastern europe at this time? guest: of course, the overall goal was to show the presence and support of the united states for the ukrainians. so it started with this surprise visit to ukraine with president zelenskyy. there was that big speech in poland, almost a year from this anniversary of the russian invasion in ukraine.

but today, president biden also met with the president of moldova who recently said the russians were plotting to overthrow her government to try to get mulled over away from the western alliance. joe biden will be meeting also this wednesday with the bucharest nine two insist on the u.s. support and resolve for the security of the eastern flank. because the u.s. knows the eastern flank of the nato alliance is the most threatened by russia and also, those countries are those who are raising the issue of who is next on the line if ukraine fails. these meetings with these allied countries in the etern flank is very important. it's not just about ukraine, but the whole alliance. anchor: thank you so much,

coming to us from washington. one of the key announcements in vladimir putin's speech this morning was moscow suspending its participation in the new start treaty on nuclear disarmament. it is a decision met with widespread international condemnation. jenny shinn explains more on what this treaty is and what it could mean for deteriorating relations between russia and the united states. >> it was one of the most applauded announcements of vladimir putin's state of the nation address. moscow's suspension of the new start treaty. the last remaining nuclear arms control pack with the united states. >> they want a strategic defeat over us and tried to get to our nuclear facilities, so i' forced to announce today russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty. reporter: the pact, signed by the u.s. and russia in 2010,

caps each country at 1500 50 deployed nuclear warheads and restricts both countries to 700 deployed nuclear missiles. the treaty also allows the joint monitoring of each sites nuclear arsenals, which washington says moscow has refused on numerous occasions. putin says the decision is a response to what he calls the hostile actions of the west against russia. >> the u.k. and france also have nuclear arsenals. they are improving and developing them and they are directed against us, against russia. we simply cannot ignore this. we cannot afford to, especially today. reporter: the u.s. swiftly slammed moscow's decision as irresponsible while the eu and nato warned it could mark the end of the post-cold war arms control. >> more nuclear weapons and less arms control makes the world more dangerous. i am calling on russia today to

reconsider its decision to suspend its participation in the new start agreement. reporter: putin also hinted russia will not roll out the resumption of nuclear weapons tests, suggesting he will not back down anytime soon in the war in ukraine. anchor: that decision is now going to be deliberated by russia's parliamentary house, the duma, with an immediate announcement set for wednesday on whether they will or won't stay in that nuclear agreement. part of the same group is one of the giants of ukrainian industry. continued fighting as well as severed supply chain have slashed supply chain's but it still contributes significantly to the national economy. war has also forced the plant to diversify its output with some meeting the urgent demands of the armed forces. france 24's robert parsons and

others are in ukraine and sent this report. reporter: this is the molten heart of his upper east steel, one of the critical props of ukraine's battered economy. the furnace has worked to an unending, deafening rhythm that never stops, even if the factories under missile attack. >> because the blast furnace process is nonstop, we cannot leave the factory floor. we have to have a minimum number of people and they have to be properly protected. there's a war going on in the country. when there is in alarm, we need to wear flat track -- when there is an alarm, we need to where flak jackets. reporter: before the war, more than 10,000 people worked on the vast territory of the steel company. 10% have since left to join the army.

output has fallen by half, but the steel produced here is still responsible for 15% of ukraine's total foreign currency earnings. and key to the continued operation of domestic construction and manufacturer -- manufacturing. >> the mood here was always patriotic and still is now. 10% of the men on my team have joined the army and those who have stayed need to work even harder to cover their loss. our morale is high and we are all looking forward to victory. reporter: a young man th a heavy respsibility onis shoulders -- as acting general director, it is his job to make sure the company pays -- plays its part in the war effort. >> hour.

for the army. we are supplying flak jackets and helmets. every 10th soldier has protective gear from us. in addition, we have supplied about 154 fortified charters. reporter: like these steel tubes that are designed to be buried in concrete and earth, shelter for soldiers against russian artillery. the military says they have proved very effective. with every passing month, ukrainian industry is increasingly geared up for boosting the war effort. when you're into this grinding war, the steel produced here is as important for the survival of ukraine as the skill and grit of its soldiers on the front line. while all of this news comes as

we mentioned earlier, russia has deliberated or vladimir putin announced in its speech that they aim to withdraw from a nuclear deal with the united states. to discuss this further, i'm joined by the executive director of the arms control association. can you expand more on the significance of what this announcement by pidgin means for relationships with the united states? -- announcement by vladimir putin means. guest: it is the last treaty regulating russian and u.s. arsenals. for the last year, the two sides have been trying to get back to the negotiating table to talk about the implementation of this agreement, inspections were suspended in 2020 because of covid, and now president and has set officially russia is suspending implementation of the treaty. not withdrawing, but suspending

implementation, meaning he is not going to allow for on-site inspections or data exchanges but will apparently continue to respect the limits set by the treaty. this is a very negative development. it is not surprising. it also makes it much less likely the two sides will be able to negotiate a new agreement before this agreement expires in 2026. that would mean the u.s. and russia do not have limits on their arsenals for the first time since 1972. anchor: that is quite a serious understanding of that because, obviously, without the missile and ballistics oversight, a lot of things can happen. what do you fear? guest: at worst, the united states and russia, if they don't negotiate a new understanding or agreement on their long-range nuclear arsenals, they could

double the size of their current strategic arsenals. the current treaty limits each side to no more than 1500 deployed warheads on -- or long-range missiles -- on long-range missiles on bombers. they could easily double that number in years by doubling the warheads on their missiles. that is the worst case scenario. that would probably also encourage china to accelerate its already worrisome nuclear buildup. we could be seeing a global three-way arms race if the u.s. and russia don't get back to the negotiating table. i would add president biden remains ready to negotiate new arrangements to continue to constrain the u.s. and russian nuclear stockpiles. anchor: the latest word is the duma is going to be deliberating on this. they are set to announce on wednesday.

do you expect any kind of pushback at all? guest: i don't think the duma is going to push back on president putin's decision. this is a pro forma briefing by the ministry of foreign affairs. russia is trying to explain away this decision not to implement the treaty. it is not in compliance with its obligations. we will have to see whether russia tries to increase the size of its nuclear arsenal in the coming months, but it is clearly not something in russia's interest either. russia does not want to get into an unconstrained arms race with the u.s. the already dangerous relationship between russia, the united states and the rest of the world would become more complex and harder and harder to manage. anchor: and a solution possibly? what would you appeal leaders to do? guest: i think it's important we see this is not just another

effort by putin to reject the rules of the international order, the international nuclear order. this is a serious step that will affect the security of every nation around the world, no matter where nations stand on the war against ukraine by russia, it is important they encourage russia and the united states to meet their responsibilities on nuclear arms control. i hope in the coming months, there is more pressure from putin's allies, the countries standing by him on the war issue, to act more responsibility -- more responsibly on the nuclear problem. anchor: the executive director of the arms control association. breaking news from somalia -- the country's government says 10 civilians have been killed in a jihadist attack on tuesday. al-shabaab fighters are --

reportedly raided a housin the northern district around midday. despite the somali army retaking chunks of territory back from mitants in recent months, al-shabaab still controls large parts of the countryside from where they have conducted similar attacks. france has matched its record dry spell of 32 days without significant rainfall. the sobering milestone comes in the middle of winter, a crucial time for recharging depleted groundwater levels and it is stoking fears of a repeat of last year's catastrophic forest fires. james mulholland brings us the latest. reporter: water reserves across france are drying up. and it is the middle of winter. less then a millimeter of rain has fallen per day across the whole of the country since the 21st of january. here in the country's southwest,

famous for forming and wine production, barely 100 millimeters has fallen since last june. that's less than a quarter of usual levels. >> it is catastrophic, this winter. rainfall is historically low. our lake is just 45% full. given the time of year, we can already see we will have problems. reporter: 31 days is the longest winter dry spell in france since records began 60 years ago. and it is causing alarm. winter is essential for refueling groundwater stores which the country depends upon forgetting through summer. if spring is dry, water shortages are expected. >> we could be in for a much more difficult year than last year. at least in 2002, we began the year with the lakes and water tables full. reporter: the fears are not limited to the agricultural sector. in many parts, the ground is parched and covered with dried

leaves, conditions ripe for forest fires which just last summer devastated the southwest region. >> there is a lot of dry getation here. fires could potentially spread very rapidly. reporter: the french meteorological bureau has forecast rain across the south of the country from wednesday. many residents there, at least, will be hoping it sticks around a while. anchor: time for business with kate mealy. vladimir putin has been very bullish about the russian economy despite western sanctions. you have been taking a closer look. >> in his speech, we heard him say it has created new opportunities for russian businesses. he's probably referring to -- referring to things like the local brand that has taken over mcdonald's locations since the vast food brand closed its

source last year. and the economy has shrank less than most economists predicted. analysts say the downturn could further deepen this year and point out inflation, as in other parts of the world, is rising, hitting about 11% in january. moscow zone statistics agency said gdp contracted by just 2.1%. that's fairly close to the imf's estimate. partly because while the eu and u.s. have cut trade ties, others have stepped in, with india and china becoming the biggest customers for russian oil. the chief economist at the european bank for construction and develop and said it's e years of careful planning by the russian government. >> the russian government has been sanction-proofing its economy ever since 2014, since the annexation of crimea. however, sanctions are taking

the toll on the russian economy. russia is deprived of the import of technology and capital goods. many foreign countries have exited the country -- many foreign companies have exited the country. all of this will have a cumulative impact, but they are not visible in aggregate statistics just yet. >> on tuesday, the price of an eu carbon permit cap to 100 euros per ton for the first time. the climate report could end up having a real impact on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. the eu's program, which was launched in 2000 five, covers about 40% of the blocks. that means some 10,000 manufacturers, power plants and airlines have to pay for the amount of carbon they emit. eu lawmakers have recently approved rules to make the system tougher and more

expensive. the idea is the more it costs to pollute, the more likely businesses are to invest in sustainable or greener technology as the eu intends to cut emissions by 20% by 2030. today's trading action -- a steep selloff on wall street saw the dow jones losing some 700 points at the closing bell, the nasdaq losing 2.5%. shares of home depot were the worst performing. they dropped 7%. across-the-board, losses of a third to half a percentage point. shares of hsbc were up nearly 5% in london after the bank said it squarely profit had nearly doubled because of rising interest rates around the world. sri lanka's cabinet has approved the repayment of two point $6 billion of international debt in the first half of this year. the island has been struggling with its worst financial crisis in seven decades sparked by a

dire shortage of foreign currency reserves. that drove the government to suspend debt payments last april. the international monetary fund agreed to a bailout in september. the terms include painful measures as brian quinn explains. >> this bakery in colombo is at half staff and half sales. prices have been doubled as the cost of doing business has skyrocketed amid inflation and rising energy bills. >> after paying salaries, loans and leasing fees, our profit is very small. we are only keeping the business going because we have been doing it more than 25 years. reporter: last week, the government announced a 66% increase in the price of electricity after already raising rates by 75% last year. the latest move comes amid ongoing negotiations with the international monetary fund over a $2.9 billion bailout.

the government seeking to prop up its finances in a bid to seal the deal. >> we agreed with the imf that as of january 1, no government institution can receive money from the treasury. this includes the electricity board. reporter: sri lanka is in the midst of its worst financial crisis in 70 years triggered by a severe shortage of foreign currency reserves. its citizens are already struggling. annual inflation topped 53% in january. the country owes some $51 billion to foreign creditors. $28 billion of which is due by 2027. it's the lard -- its largest bilateral debt holders china. the imf is seeking agreement from beijing to restructure its debt to make repayment more sustainable before finalizing the bailout. >> the u.s. supreme court is set to begin hearing arguments on two cases which could have huge implications for internet giants

like google and twitter. at stake is section 230 which protects firms from liability over content created by its users. the first lawsuit has been brought by the parents of young american student killed in the november 15th terrorist attacks. they allege that youtube failed to take down terrorist videos and its algorithm even recommended those videos to some users. industry groups say tech companies are walking a fine line when it comes to content moderation. >> if we ratchet up liability rules, you get to potential results. one is that services over moderate, over filter, over sanitize their content. the other is they throw up their hands and abdicate responsibility. >> potentially huge ramifications not just for silicon valley but tech users across the world. anchor: thank you very much.

that is all that we have time for here. we will be back with the news shortly.

02/21/23 02/21/23 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> the reason why you have crime that has spiraled out of control in so many areas is because you have politicians putting woke ideology ahead of public safety. amy: republican governor ron desantis was in chicago monday to address chicago's police union which has endorsed one of the niem