ah ah ah, europe thinks deeper into political and economic uncertainty. that's after italy's prime minister steps down and its coalition government collapses with congress. foreign minister says budapest wants to buy additional russian gas and cannot get through the coming winter without those imports. that says the u. struggles with the backlash of its economic sanctions. plus r t reports from the la guns people's republic where the ukranian army has resumed shelling civilians after failing to retake territory from russian led forces. we hear from some of the locals caught in the crossfire, catching up with

you and most with just after 6 pm here in moscow and you're watching r t international. i'm your host donald quarter. welcome to the program. now we start with some breaking news from washington dc. the white house says, joe biden has tested positive for cope it. the u. s. president is said to be taking medication for quote, very mild symptoms. he has now been isolated inside the white house, but will continue to carry out his duties by holding phone and video calls. biden is fully vaccinated and was recently boosted against cobit and earlier. the white house had to walk back comments from joe biden, who said he had cancer and explained that he was referring to a skin cancer diagnosis that was remedied before he became president. ah,

now in other news, italian prime minister mario druggie has resigned after the countries ruling coalition. government fell apart over a key vote. the political crisis in rome has stoked fears of further instability across europe. as ortiz, rachel marston explains, druggie has one foot on the door and the other on a banana peel since last week, when he 1st offered to resign over his crumbling coalition with left and right leading populous parties. italian president, sergio much out ala initially refused drive his resignation, but this time it looks likely. so what brought him down? ultimately the populace left 5 star movement druggies largest coalition partner objected to the government's decision to send weapons to ukraine, particularly while economic concerns at home took a back seat. they abstained from the confidence vote along with former prime minister silvio berlusconi center right populist for as a tale, a party, an former deputy prime minister mateo salinas populous right lega party italians

are upset that the government has spent its time fiddling while rome burns. so to speak, no more it found. mm hm. and then again, i didn't expect this. it's a big surprise for everyone. this change leaves this whole stumble and i think italians will now vote less enthusiastically. there will be few people at the polls and less facing government institutions. they are all responsible. we are coming to a disaster. i don't know the consequences for italians. i am wary because it is not the best development for us at the moment. unfortunately, we do not have competent people who govern us, but we would have preferred drago to remain with this governmental it apart from dragged his name. it is necessary to have a strong government because it is a critical moment for our economy and europe's economy. so we're hearing echoes, they're of the same frustration of citizens in france, britain and germany for whom life has only become more expensive and difficult as a result of their ukraine policies,

particularly their sanctions on inexpensive russian supplied european energy which are proving costly for the average citizen in their daily life, just to day, for example, european central bank announced an inter street increase for the 1st time in 11 years of point 5 percentage points. there seems to be a confidence among populist right leaning parties in italy that they have a decent shot at power and scoring and electoral when on the rebound after druggies unforced errors. they're certainly a populace when that's building across europe and sweeping aside longstanding establishment figures. and rather they knowledge that they fallen out of step with what the average citizen wants of them. that is to focus on domestic problems and prioritize the interests of their own citizens. first and foremost, and correct course, some still think that it's all russian present virus tunes fault that populace with a more non interventionist and more cooperative foreign policy approach are gaining

momentum. this guy, mateo sal vini has just contributed to bringing down the drug government in italy, and now hopes that a new election will bring him to power. corks are popping in the kremlin. the russian foreign ministry placed the italian political drama in context to day a strictly domestic one. russia has always adhered to the principle of non interference in the affairs of sovereign states. we would advise european politicians to look for the causes of their internal crises and their own mistakes and unprofessionalism. it's hard to see how the wester establishments approach of blaming putin for western leaders, inability to focus on doing the work required at home to fix pressing domestic problems while digging their countries into an economic whole over ukraine is going to win them the hearts in mind of their own people. in other news, key ubs army has reportedly attacked a munitions depot in the southern ukrainian region of her song, currently under the control of russian lead forces. local media outlets have said

that there was a huge explosion after the strike. meanwhile, and on boss, the ukrainian military has stepped up, its shelling of civilian infrastructure, striking a residential area in the city of danielle. several apartment buildings have been completely burned down as a result of that attack. and we spoke with a witness of the shelly woodruff missions did yearly with little the yesterday we went out you 3 of us were sitting here on the street and suddenly they started shelling. we jumped back into the entrance and looked out. there was a fire burning with thick smoke billowing out fire fighters came and began to put out the blaze of wood. but it took them a very long time about 3 weeks ago in the apartments in this building completely burned on the 5th. and 6th floor isn't that you can you imagine our lives are being ruined because of this? no one knows when this will and it's really frightening. this is the 2nd war i'm living through. how did you hear it regular? and in the neighboring lugens to people's republic, the ukrainian army has so far failed in attempts to reclaim territory recently

taken by russian led forces. key of troops have now resorted to a fresh round of shelling, hitting some civilian areas. as archie's more gazda of reports from the scene across the dom, busses, bus in the arm and tubes, criss crossed, the roads leading to and from the front lines, helicopters and attack air craft we've endlessly overhead sometimes with a wave for the troops below. ah, with changes to tactics and objectives, the makeup of forces here is ever in flux, units are rotated, the in them out arrest than rearmament, specialized equipment and the alba on so the cool when and where they needed to very close i would say to the front lines, and we've again found that bmt terminator. what of russia's latest machines

on the front lines. we've been asked by the crew not to show where this is not a give jail location to, to potential adversary's as the ukrainian side for these set or something of a hot for these vehicles in their cruise. for the purposes of propaganda, the terminator specializes in protecting tanks by suppressing anti aba capabilities and harassing enemy infantry. it has proved its worth why. we find ourselves again in belgrade, have come up to a series of failed counter attacks against it. ukrainian forces have been blindly shelling the town. it had served no purpose, other than angering the local population, who weren't fans of kia in the 1st place. but milan, but we're still is a former,

a linda, is really what each go clear back. go to meeting that, i thought my grandmother, she can someone run that on his bite book window like can yup, studio enough. what says lucy casually? this particular flag, the hammer and sickle is older than most of us. it has been with valentina since the 1970s. it has become a symbol for pro russian ukrainians. not because they support who want to return of communism. but because it is their heritage because ukrainian nationalists despise it. that, that, that the flock at this, at the mushroom la movers were at unique. we're actually excited. i'm saying i'm struggling here. e. i knew enough that i asked them to silence like you feel ali, than the empty tequila craft. nice, large rad. whenever you're on your last liability check floor, he me as her, but my pin you as little as you hit aaliyah will read yet the only damn thing good

for a while. valentina and tanya are sisters when they have passed these flag on 2 russian soldiers here, who are a 3rd of their age to carry the flag onwards. valentina has worked as a school teacher for half a said tree, and she is convinced that what key of deed to her community will be avenged on years yet. there's catch him opportunities to definitely tackle boards if school find out a valley as miracles. jesus and well, yes, luck ideally, food you put out any anybody? some rattler federally burger. hailey? the old one mouth tissue, shred it, so thin fisher india did them really with the use of was that he caught you to watch. i feel so my friend might get some i didn't out. okay. so my scenario,

rest of only around on the, at that moment and can you, didn't you asked for for 18 years. smith, daniel, navigate snafus adolescent just missed school or you thought him talking and living with valentina, his flag is now a bother of the 80th gods. tank regiment recently decorated olive by putin himself, but bravery and heroism. they have promised that these flag will fly wherever these conflict takes them more i'd guess the uh ah t from the la guns people's republic. us treasury department has called on western countries to agree on a limit for prices of russian oil imports by the end of the year. but moscow says it will not sell its crude oil on the global market unless it can turn a profit. if these price is being discussed or lower than the production costs, russia will not insure the supply of this oil to the world market. we will not work

at a loss. this comes amid russia reopening the north stream, one gas pipeline to germany after completing a scheduled 10 day maintenance, which was agreed to in advance, but still sparked fears of additional shortages in europe. so far, the north stream one pipeline has been filled to 40 percent capacity. the pipeline is vital for germany's economy accounting for a lion's share of the country's energy imports. to prepare for the coming winter the you aims to fill up its gas storage silos. but most countries say they're still far from achieving that goal. germany's gas reserves are now said to be at 65 percent of what's actually needed. meanwhile, greece has become the 3rd in your country after spain and portugal to turn down and offer by the european commission to cut gas consumption by 15 percent talks among european leaders show that the e u is facing that the faces reducing gas and electricity usage. i made

a massive price hike, a number of massive price sites rather, and the rise of unemployment due to the risks, to be energy and industrial sectors. now to get more on this, we're gonna cross live to our expert guest doctor ike a hammer economist and political commentator. thanks for joining us on the program . now. hello, what do you make of the resumed north stream one deliveries and when do you think we can expect to return to its full capacity do well 1st. busy of course, it is great that we get at least a little bit of gas from russia because germany and europe is indeed dependent on the gas from russia. but of course, this is not far, not enough. i mean, the na stream to pipeline wasn't built just because of the fun it has been built because it was needed to supply germany and that for europe with sufficient supply. so i'm not sure about the numbers that we are already more than half of the

level in the storage is that we need to, so i don't trust them. but what we pay is that we are playing with the future of the german middles in the petrochemical industry. but in many other industries to. busy because the gas is not enough, not, not only base the entire so called green energy change of the grease, and that part is now blowing apart because one of the big, big foundations where this energy change is based on was gas to help to supply energy. when the wind doesn't blow, and when the sun doesn't shine in germany, well, considering the severity of the use energy crisis right now, do you think there's a possibility that nord stream to will be restarted as well? i hope so. the problem is lying in the politicians and that personal ties to

international networks and bay for bit them to put not string to into, into operation the german population. the henri man on the street, the middle, then deli, need the not me to pipeline, and they wouldn't have any problems about running this. but the have personal ties. and this is why they are risking the future of the german economy. the future of the john middle stat and the future of our wealth, just because we don't know. do you think that brussels is going to want to put even more sanctions on russian energy? what do you think? i think they would like to, but they are not in charge. they get orders from somewhere. they are part of the ideology of reset, hearing everything down and let's face it. what about how back has already

mentioned and 2016. he promised, but he doesn't want any possible bureaus from russia or anywhere anymore. and this is what we now got. so this crisis is home made by our politicians, and the european bureaucrats want to, especially to harm jeremy and their economy. so this is all ridiculous, but the change, the so called crop revolution. it's just, it's just a hose. nobody knows how this should happen. nobody, it is not thought through. like nothing is any more thought through all doubt so called ideology driven plans are just blowing up just falling apart. and we are really, really running into a very severe situation over here in germany and that's in europe. so when germany economy is breaking apart now and europe will break apart because as you saw in

italy, now breaking apart that, that review. but the august parliament, when you see france that is almost bankrupt when you see spain, but basically bankrupt, parker go bankrupt. grease basically go bankrupt and you see, but only germany was keeping everybody alive and only the german strong economy and their ability to make loans international was keeping everything still alive. you will see that this will all break apart without plundering germany. europe will end . all right, dr. like a hammer economist and political commentator, thanks a lot for joining us on the program. thank you very much. now, formal, former school teacher across a half across the halfway mark, and it's set to become india's new president, after steaming ahead in this week's election. but to get more on this, we're going to cross live now to our t contributor r t g crew who is in new delhi. hi, there are

t. can you tell us more about the presidential election and what's expected to change for the country? well, drop would be more know is going to be the 15th president off india. besides being a school teacher, she is also a tribal leader and therefore she is going to be the 1st tribal leader to view the highest office. that is the president's office in india. well, apart from that, the fact is that dr. bull's community is actually 10 percent off the population in india. that does it all well, 100000000 people. and this population is scattered across the country. at tribal communities also are one of the most backward communities in terms of the growth and development. however, that mr. movies government has made it abundantly clear that they are going to

follow dr. boost. they are going to follow them in which is something that his critics used to say that b, b, j, b brown, mr. moore, these government is because the rate of andrew aggressive but rarely the fact that group drop would be mobile is going to be the president of india in next. couple of odds when the counting is over. she's already, as you rightly said, she has draws the 50 person mosse of the working. and it is clear that india is headed towards the progressive path as far as the men empowerment and under privileged amenities like tribals often. alright, art contributor r t t cool reporting from new delhi. thanks a lot for bringing us those updates o and while some european officials continue to blame russia for their issues at home. hungry is foreign minister, has come to moscow to secure

a new deal to buy russian gas. and he says it's impossible to find alternative sources of fuel for this coming winter little so side moral side of mussel whether we like it or not. and whether we want it or not, now it is impossible to purchase an additional 700000000 cubic meters of gas without russian energy sources. we can dream, we can blow balloons, but reality remains reality when he got yosh or they got more on the story now we're going across live to our correspondence, maria phenomena. hi there, maria. so what are the details of his latest agreement between moscow and budapest? there hi, don't 1st of all, i have to say that it was unexpected meeting. we generally sloane about the talks just a couple of hours before it had started. hungarian foreign minister pointed out that there are 2 reasons for his visit to moscow. first, energy security for hungary and for europe, predictably, and the situation around ukraine. the meeting here in the russian capital came the

same day. europe have proved in you package of economic sanctions against russia these time. and if your resources were not affected, but previous restrictions are late, already led to a real and into crisis in europe, that is dramatically dependent on russia's energy. henry's top diplomat said that you can dream, but it will not be able to survive winter without russia. and it will all be able to buy additional necessary, 700000000 cubic meters of gas without moscow. he said that now only 13 percent of what's needed is pumped in storage is in europe, the number is twice as bigger, 400, but still it is not enough to guarantee energy security which is alarming. given that the winter is common, mr. oliver of sad that brussels and to russia ratford is to blame for european sufferings. let's take a listen. donation was re issue. the further development of our cooperation is,

of course, prevented by the outright russell folded policy pursued by washington in brussels for me. this means and unrestrained build up of sanctions without sound analysis of their consequences for the very countries imposing them. b, as there is a struggle within european bureaucracy, which wants to subjugate everything and everyone, including national governments and wants to dictate conditions and stifle any descent. to what bug nevada. oh ukraine. what ukraine was. another topic on the agenda and the hungarian foreign minister said that war is bad and that budapest wishes and one's peace for his neighbour ukraine as soon as possible . and he called on everybody to do everything that is possible to promote peace talks and cease fire to make this bloodshed and as soon as possible, miss oliver reminded that the crisis didn't start this february. and he talked about he, pa, chrissy from european side that turned a blind eye to bloody who the tar that happened in fee of back in 2014,

but is in hysteria right now. let's take a listen suitable course. there's hysteria over the fact that in ukraine, all conceivable norms of international and humanitarian law are being violated and that people are dying. and it's true that people are dying with little. but we need to face the truth and not brush aside the facts that tell us that people are dying from indiscriminate showing by the armed forces and nationalist battalions of ukraine of peaceful areas of don bass and other areas of minutes to lover off. also said that moscow hopes that russia's western partners will understand soon, that it is very dangerous, and very counter productive to feel ukraine up with morgan weapons. and that this should be stop so that the blood should ends in ukraine, back to you. all right, r t 's maria phenomena given us all those details. thank you very much. ukraine's

president has criticized the latest you sanctions against russia, saying they're not strong enough. that's after european countries failed to agree on further restrictions on russian oil and gas imports eligible. and then to study, this is not enough, and i frankly tell my partners about it. i see in russia must feel a much higher price for the war so that it forces it to seek peace. should we see how erroneous was the policy of some old leaders of european countries who made your apostage to gas supplies from russia? you know, people and that however, european union measures aimed at restricting russian energy in ports are bringing more divisions among the blocks. members, as spain rejects brussels proposal to cut gas consumption by 15 percent until next spring, with some official saying they are ready to defend european values. but spanish families will not suffer gas or electrical cuts in their homes. this is also coming as the hungarian parliament on tuesday passed a resolution giving national parliaments the ability to veto any

e wide legislation. and in the latest attempts to get more military aid from the west, ukraine's 1st lady as addressed the u. s. u. s. law makers, asking them to provide more weapons to keep streams with them hurt and, and those are, but those num, your help is very strong. i well, russia kills america. saves lives. i am asking for weapons weapons that would not be used to wage a war, but to protect our home and the right to wake up alive in that home. sure, i'm asking for air defense systems that will stop these missiles from killing our people, killing our children right in their strollers broke the previous one. this comes in a growing concerns that weapons sent to ukraine are ending up on the black market. earlier the head of interpol warns that criminals in europe and elsewhere are getting their hands on some of the guns they use. law enforcement agency has echoed those fears and says that weapons are already being trafficked from ukraine to organized crime groups. meanwhile,

canada has reportedly admitted it has no way to track the weapons. it's sending to ukraine and global policy researcher george saw movie, says that it's washington that wants to keep to that one key of to keep fighting, no matter what the cost. it is a clear case of the things, but he's a real boy then is not the one who's calling the shots. wonderful in the shower is the united states. the united states is essentially given the landscape a blank check telling him you go on fighting, you go on, bellowing and yelling. i will supply you with all the weapons that you want and the europeans who have not resisted the whole. the american entreat is ready to go over the cliff. i mean, they are destroying their own economies. they're not able to withstand this coming economic crash. why the united space is just simply pulling the strings in the background and they're ok. i'm in america suffering. anything like the way the

europeans is suffering the landscape off this dog or his cast. we need to address the congress or from congress would be very happy to do so. it's always been obvious that the only reason that the u. s. is sending weaponry in the ukraine is to inflict as much pain as possible on crushes, giving them these weapons. they know they're going to be used against is like they say, oh, we told ukraine is not to use them against russians or against russians on russian search. it was, of course, the weather is going to be huge against rather than roughly 30. everybody knows that it's ridiculous and pretend that this isn't going to happen. china has called on the united states to stop looting syrian resources with beijing also slamming washington double standards on human rights. may on the she may, you, as

a troops still occupy serious principal oil fields and we're producing bread basket regions. the u. s. armies, plunder of syrian resources has aggravated the humanitarian crisis on the ground. some angry syrians have complained that the u. s. came for profit and would leave when all profit is gone. they say the us presence in syria itself is a type of terrorism. the u. s. claims to hold itself to the highest standards on human rights and rule of law. but what it did in syria is clear evidence that the standards mean little to the u. s. is comes after syrian media outlets reported on united states convoys, allegedly smuggling, syrian, wheat, oil and military equipment into iraq. tens of thousands of barrels of oil are said to have been stolen from northern syria, where washington is occupied, occupying forces are situated during his time as us president, donald trump admitted that the country's military presence in syria is, quote,

only for the oil, contradicting official statements from his own government, which maintained that the remaining american troops were there to fight terrorists . meanwhile, during his recent trip to toronto, president vladimir putin reiterated that the u. s. must stopped exploitative behavior in syria and across the region. russia, iran, and turkey. despite our diverging views on what is happening on the euphrates, have a shared position that the u. s. must stop stealing from the syrian people. they must stop taking oil from there and they must withdraw from the country. we believe that in order to achieve long term stability, their control over the entire territory must be transferred to the official government in damascus under the control of the army. all right, to get more on the story, we're going across live to independent journalist, vanessa bailey. thanks a lot for joining us on the program. vanessa. so it's been already 9 years since the u. s. intervention in syria. what kind of justification would you say there is, if any, for american troops to still be there?

and was there any justification in the 1st place? not, of course, that was, and i mean, it's actually 11 years now. and the year us is still illegally occupying with military bases and with bricks. proxy, military forces including the terrorist group isis, the northeast on the south a. so it's still occupying effectively an area the size of for denmark. there was never any justification for us. the stabilization of syria, but of course c i n m 6 intervention or a plan that's going projects inside or syria have gone on since syria is independence from the french mandate in 1946. so this is paying ongoing for around 75 years. well, during trilateral talks in iraq, the leaders of russia ran and turkey really.