as nick schifrin says, u.s. ns and allies may be sparking a new and more brutal invasion. nick: if worn ukraine is about to begin, u.s. officials say can start like this in the eastern city controlled by russian-back separatists. local authorities showed off a car destroyed by a bomb. authorities allowed local camera to film residents fleeing across the border into russia. a military leader of the separatist republic blamed the ukrainian government. >> the armed units of ukraine are deliberately trying to instill fear and panic among civilians of our republic by targeting vital infrastructure. nick: open-source researchers say this video, partly recorded today, was actually filmed to test two days ago and president biden called their claims deceptive and pretext for russian invasion. pres. biden: these are consistentith the playbook russians have used before, to set up a false justification to act against ukraine. i'm convinced he has made a decision. nick: russian president vladimir putin said the ukrainian gove

and, as nick schifrin tells us, the u.s.ussians and their allies may be in the initial phase of sparking a new and more brutal invasion. >> schifrin: if war in ukraine's about to begin, u.s. officials fear it could start with an event like this. in the eastern city of donetsk controlled by russian-backed separatists, local authorities showed off what they called the pro-russian local military leader's car, destroyed by a bomb. authorities allowed local cameramen to film residents loading busses to flee across the border into russia, and a military leader of the self- proclaimed separatist republic, eduard basurin, blamed the ukrainian government. >> ( translated ): the armed units of ukraine are deliberately trying to instill fear and panic among the civilians of our republic by targeting vital infrastructure >> schifrin: but open-source researchers say this video by the donetsk leader, rertedly recorded today, was actually filmed two days ago. and today, president biden called their claims "deceptive" and a possible pretext

for the pbs newshour, i'm nick schifrin. >> woodruff: in the day's other news, the c.d.c.'or stuck by existing guidance to wear masks in public schools to guard against covid-19. dr. rochelle walensky spoke a day after four states announced that they will soon lift indoor mask mandates. she said she believes caseloads will fall below crisis levels, but, in her words, "we are not there right now." canadian officials warned today of mounting economic harm from protests against covid vaccinations. a truckers' blockade of central ottawa continued, despite the prime minister's demand that it end. and, since monday, trucks have tied up the ambassador bridge between detroit and windsor, ontario. itarries 25% of all trade between the two countries. a split in republican ranks has wided over the january 6 assault on the u.s. capitol. on friday, the republican national committee censured two g.o.p. house members for taking part in the january 6 investigation. today, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell joined other lawmakers criticizing that move. >> the issue is whether or not the

foreign affairs correspondent nick schifrin has followed the events of this busy day. pres. biden: i'm delighted to have the chancellor re today. reporter: across nearly 5,000 miles, from the white house to the kremlin. french president emmanuel macron met with russian president vladimir putin and expressed hope war could be averted. putin called the talks "useful." >> some of his ideas and proposals, about which i think are too early to speak, but i think these ideas could form a basis for our further joint steps. reporter: and new german chancell olof scholz met with president biden, and tried to present a united front. >> he has the complete trust of the united states. germany is one of our most important allies in the world. there is no doubt about germany's partnership with the united stes. >> it is important that we act together, tt we stand together, and weo what is necessary together. reporter: but the unity rhetoric doesn't match the whole reality. germany prevents fellow nato members from sending german ammunition to ukraine. and germany refuses publicly threaten t

pbs newshour, nick schifrin.ser look at the new sanctions, the biden administration announced today on russia and how will this -- all this could affect the u.s. economy, we are joined by the deputy secretary of e treasury department. thank you very much for joining us. let's start with the sanctions on these major russian financial institutions. whom do these sanctions hurt and how does it hurt them? dep. sec. eyemo: thank you for having me. these sanctions for black american and the kremlin, one institution is the institution the kremlin has used to project power within russia. the second is an institution to project power outside russia by funding the defense ministry. the president's charge was to use our sanctions to have an impact on russia, while mitigating impact on the united states and our european allies, which is what we did today. judy: the president also announced sanctions, punishments on five so-called elite individuals. we understand three of them have already been sanctioned. how will this influ

officials tell our nick schifrin, they fear the war could stt next week. and nick joins me now.ck, what led to today's more stark language? >> schifrin: as you say, judy, russia has deployed one of the largest forces seen in europe in the last 50 years. and according western and u.s. officials, in recent days, the u.s. saw those forces increase their readiness for a possible invasion, and u.s. officials became convinced that the timeline is being accelerated into next week. so, those facts combined led s. and military officials to brief their nato allies, and three western and u.s. officials told me that president vladimir putin had made the decision to invade. but now, national security advisor jake sullivan was asked about my reporting by amna nawaz, and he said putin hadn't made that call just yet. >> we e not saying a decision, a final decision has been taken, by president putin. what we are sayi, is that we have a sufficient level of concern based on what we are seeing on the ground, and what our intelligence analysts have picked up, that we are sending this clear message.

for the pbs newshour, i'm nick schifrin. >> woodruff: for a closer look at the new sanctions the bidentration placed today on russia, and how all of this could impact the u.s. economy, we are joined by wally adeyemo. he is the under secretary of the treasury department. >> secretary adeyemo, thank you very much for joining us. let's start with the sanctions on the two major russian financial institutions. whom do these sanctions hurt and how does it hurt them? >> judy, thank you for having me. these sanctions hurt vladimir putin and the kremlin. one institution is the institution that the kremlin used to project power within russia. the second institution is an institution the kremlin used to project power outside russia by funding their defense center. the president charged us to use sanctions to have a significant impa on russia while mitigating the impact on the united states and our european allies which is exactly what we did today. >> woodruff: the president also announced sanctions, punishments on five so-called elite individuals. we understand three of these individuals have al

nick schifrin begins our coverage good -- coverage. t biden warned russia and raleigh cried america. pres. biden: let there be no doubt if russia commits this breach by invading ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond. we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we will pay a steeper price tomorrow. nick: he spoke a few hours after russian soldiers loaded tanks onto flatbeds for what the russian military called relocation away from ukraine's border. >> units of the western and southern military districts that have completed our missions will start moving back to their garrisons today. nick: military analysts say the tanks were already away from the front and it is not clear where they are going. they represent a tiny number of russian troops deployed around ukraine's southern, eastern, and northern borders. president biden said the troops could still invade. pres. biden: we have not yet verified the military units are returning to their home bases in russia. indeed, our analysts indicate the

foreign correspondent nick schifrin begins our coverage. nick: in northwest syria, this is all that's left of what u.s. officials call isis in iraq and syria's effective command center and where, overnight, u.s. special operations forces conducted a raid that ended in the death of leader abu ibrahim al-hashimi al-qurashi, also known as hajji abdullah. pres. biden: last night's operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and has sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: we will come after you and find you. nick: senior u.s. officials say, when u.s. and mostly kurdish allied troops arrived, they announced their presence to capture al-qurashi. instead he detonated a bomb, collapsing the top floor and killing his family. pres. biden: he chose to blow himself up, not just with a vest, but to blow up that third floor rather than face justice for the crimes he has committed. nick: after daybreak, local cameramen filmed the building's second floor, where u.s. officials say a senior isis lieutenant and his wife fought bac

nick schifrin begins our coverage. : in a european capital, the full weight of the russian military, what the u.s. calls the initial phase of a full-scale invasion, with russian helicopters flying low over residential rooftops and at the outskirts of kyiv to seize a military airport, military vehicles pouring into southern ukraine, and russian troops taking over the chernobyl nuclear site on their way to sack the capital. ukraine and u.s. say the russian military is advancing on at least three axes, from belarus in a pincer movement toward kyiv, from the south and russian-occupied crimea, and from the east into the country's second largest city, kharkiv, where the war entered living rooms. this is an unexploded rocket and the aftermath of a direct hit on a residential complex. in this city of 1.4 million, the only safe place was the subway, where children distract themselves, as their parents fear for the future and loved ones hold on tight. >> it is normal people who don't want war who suffer. we want to live in peace,

nick schifrin begins our coverage. nick: on a day the u.s.t feared would bring a new war ukraine celebrated a new holiday. on "unity day," ukrainians held a 600-foot long flag, and rallied around the national anthem, titled "ukraine is not yet perished." >> it signifies the unity of the whole country under our flag, under our anthem. it is no to war, yes to peace. nick: but ukraine is also readying for war. its air force released video today of russian-made jets training near the northern border with belarus, to target practice targeting columns of tanks. and ukrainian tanks trained nearby. president volodymyr zelenskyy watched with his commanders, before inspecting american anti-tank weapons and addressing his troops. >> thank you for your skills, for protecting our country. when i look at you, i'm confident in both today and tomorrow. nick: but u.s. officials remain that -- worried that tomorrow, or any day, could bring russian invasion. just across the belarus border, russia continued its own exercises. u.s. officials worry these troops co

nick schifrin has the story. after french president macron's meeting with russian president putin today? what are the prospects for easing tensions? and how are these talks viewed by the rest of europe? for that we turn to heather conley, president of german marshall fund of the united states, which focuses on improving transatlantic relations. she was a state department official on european affairs during the george w. bush administration. so we heard from vladimir putin today during his press conference with emmanuel macron and put inside that some of macron's ideas could represent future diplomatic steps, is that the sign that the prospects of a russian invasion of ukraine has been lessened? >> nick, it's really unclear. we're not entirely sure what proposals president macron was bringing to moscow. he said in an interview before his departure for moscow that he was looking for a so called new balance between sovereignty and peace. president macron has been really investing in his personnel relationship with v

that resupply effort will be launched on the routes that nick schifrin described. out of poland and slovenia and romania and into the heartland. so logistics will be key here, judy. >> woodruff: staying with you, doug lute, is the west prepared to do that down the road? what is your sense? >> i think the west is beginning to marshal that kind of major logistic effort. but these are, again, the very early days in that effort. and all of the security assistance, the different weaponry and supplies that have been offered across acrossthe nato alliance and beyond have to be transported and into the hands of the right people in ukraine. that is a major logiscs problem. >> woodruff: so much to think about here. we thank the three of you for helping us understand where we are. doug lute, andrew weiss, adam smith, thank you very much. >> thank you. ♪♪ >> woodruff: in the day's other news, a united nations science report warned that the effects of climate change are growing worse than expected, faster than expected. it cited hunger, disease, poverty and other ills, all made

nick schifrin reports on an olympics in the era of covid, and how measures designed to keep athleteslso silencing beijing's critics. >> schifrin: for the 2022 winter games, the olympic mascot might just be a man in a hazmat suit. beijing airport staff greet all athletes, covered head to toe, and administer athletes' third covid test in five days, before they can even arrive at the ultimate sporting test. >> it's called the closed loop, and we really actually do hope it's fully closed. >> schifrin: joanne firesteel reid and deedra irwin are biathletes, a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting. before they left, they embraced china's covid restrictions, known as the closed loop. they sent us videos of their welcome wagon, fully space- suited; a police-escorted bus ride to their hotel; and finally seeing the slopes inside the olympic bubble, where it all felt worth it. >> we're totally okay with getting the really obnoxious p.c.r. tests that hurt our brains for a whole day. ( laughs ) obviously, police escorts are a little different, but i think they're trying to keep us safe,

nick, a fast developing story today. what more do we know about what is happening on the ground? >> schifrin: judy, russian media are reporting that there are armoured columes of russian forces moving from russia into donesk and there are videos on social media that are unverified of russian forces moving. but there is no confirmation right now by the united states that those forces are in fact moving into those areas. but the agreement as we reported that putin signed with the self-declared separate leaders does allow for russian bases in those areas, it allows for russian military infrastructure in those separatist areas and allows for joint protection, quote unquote of the border. which means, judy, putin is still maintaining a little ambiguity. he played the ground work for war, but hasn't actually declared work. he laid the foundation to form a military presence but hasn't defined it. we still don't know his final move which of course his intention to keep us guessing. >> woodruff: i know you have been talking to administration officials. what is known at this point about what is the u.

again tonight, nick schifrin begins our cerage. >> schifrin: it has been 81 years since the world witnessed, a city of 2.8 million, under large-scale attack for the first time since it was sacked by nazi germany. this apartment complex hit, not by a russian missile, but by the remains of a russian plane, shot down by ukrainian defenses. ( siren ) and as sirens blare above, exhaustefamiles filled metro stations that double as bomb shelters. they fled their homes with only what they could carry, including furry friends, and the prized possessions that help a people under siege maintain their spirits. as is ukraine's military. it shot down this russian aircraft, and a senior u.s. defense official says russia i“" not advancing as far or as fast as they believed they would be”" ukrainian military command and control remains intact, and president volodymyr zelensky hit the streets and social media to urge defiance. >> ( translated ): we defend our independence. that's how it'll go. glory to our defenders, both male and female. glory to ukraine! slava ukraine. >> slava ukraine. >> schifrin: but al

nick schifrin begins over coverage. >> schifrin: today, president biden laid down a warning to russia, and a rallying cry to america. >> let there be no doubt: if russia commits this breach by invading ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond. we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we will certainly pay a steeper price tomorrow. ( soldiers chanting ) >> schifrin: biden spoke just a few hours after, with great ceremony today, russian soldiers loaded tanks onto flatbeds, for what the russian military called relocation away from ukraine's border. >> ( translated ): units of the western and southern military districts that have completed their missions a will start moving backo their garrisons today. >> schifrin: but military analysts say these tks were already away from the front, and it's not clear where they're going. they represent only a tiny number of the more than 100,000 russian troops deployed all around ukraine's southern, eastern, and northern borders. president biden id today those troops could still invade. >> we have not yet

nick schifrin begins our coverage. been 81 years since the world witnessed this, kyiv, under attack for the first time since it was sacked by nazi germany. hit noty a russian missile but the remains of a russian plane shot down by ukrainian defenses. as sirens blair above, exhausted families fill metro station's that double as bomb shelters. they fled homes with only with a could carry, including friends and prized possessions that help people under siege retain spirits. as is ukraine's military, they shot on this russian aircraft and a defense official says russia is not advancing as far or as fast as they believe they would be. the military command and control remains intact and let of -- president zelensky hit the streets and social media to urge defiance. >> we defend our independence, that's how it will go. lori to our defenders, glory to ukraine -- glory to our defenders, to ukraine. >> but all was not well. russian soldiers pouring in, pot on this camera before they try to pull it down. troops in the south are d

again tonight, nick schifrin has our report. : nearhe belarus ukraine border, russia is preparing its troops, jets, and tanks. u.s. officials say the troops are in heightened readiness compared to even a few days ago and fear a military campaign could start any day. until then, there's still diplomacy. in kyiv, president volodymyr zelensky hosted german chancellor olaf scholz. >> furer military action against ukraine would have serious political, economic and geostrategic consequences for russia. nick: today, germany sent additional soldiers and vehicles to lithuania to bolster nato's eastern flank. but germany has refused to provide ukraine weapons. and, in public, scholz will not threaten the russian-gman gas pipeline nord stream 2 if russia invades. >> he should sanction nord stream 2, so putin would not be able to blackmail europe with energy. nick: scholz will meet russian president vladimir putin tomorrow. today, russian foreign minister sergey lavrov told putin that diplomacy was still possible. >> being the head of the fo

nick schifrin starts our coverage with a look at today's movements in belarus, on the belarus-ukraine border. nick: >> with tanks, artillery, missiles capable of reaching all of ukraine, and its most advanced jet, the exercises are the largest since the cold war. it's a display of military might near the border with ukraine and just a few hundred miles from the capital, kiev. and past the sailboats off annexed crimea, russian ships hold naval drills. ukraine's foreign ministry today said those ships make black sea navigation virtually impossible and are part of russia's hybrid war. meanwhile, ukraine's defense ministry prepared in case of a shooting war. just north of crimea, soldiers practice securing an enemy-occupied building. ukraine uses drones fromato member turkey that have successfully targeted russian tanks in previous conflicts and, to a rock soundtrack, show off american javelin anti-tank missiles that senior u.s. officials say are now deployed to key transit points. but, at the same time, diplomacy continues. in berlin, mid-level officials from germany, france, ukraine and

nick schifrin again begins our coverage. >> schifrin: in kyiv today, all rise for ukraine's presidentymyr zelensky. this is ukraine's national security council. and today they seemed to all rise to the challenge, and possibility, of war. >> ( translated ): thetate of emergency will be introduced across the entire territory of the country, except the donetsk and luhansk regions. >> schifrin: national security advisor oleksiy danilov announced a new war footing that could increase checkpoints and curfews, allow the government to seize property and billet soldiers in homes, and ban demonstrations and strikes. >> ( translated ): we have said many times that the main task of russia is to achieve its goal of internal destabilization. this decision was taken to prevent these actions. >> schifrin: the decision taken by zelensky. up until now, he has downplayed the threat. but last night he called up some reservists, and today, alongside polish and lithuanian counterparts, said the military was prepared. >> ( translated ): i know clearly without any forecasts how our army will act. and believe

nick schifrin again starts our coverage. >> schifrin: near the line of contact between the ukrainian military and russian-backed separatists, this morning a shell pierced the wall of a kindergarten classroom, that on tuesday, had been full of five- year-olds and their teachers. this morning, they fled from what the ukrainian government called separatist shelling. the u.s. fears a russian attack like this could be the first shot fired in a wider war that's about to start. >> we have reason to believe that they are engaged in a false-flag operation to have an excuse to gon. >> is your sense that this is going to happenow? >> yes. not-- my sense is this will happen within the next several days >> schifrin: secretary of state antony blinken made a last- minute visit to new york to reveal new intelligence about a possible russian pretext. >> it could be a fabricated, so- called terrorist bombing inside russia, the invented discovery of a mass grave, a staged drone strike against civilians, or a fake-- even a real attack using chemical weapons. russia may describe this event as ethnic clea

nick schifrin begins our coverage on a new russian military base, in brest, in far western belarus. >frin: on the border of russian-allied belarus and nato member poland, russian soldiers today set up shop. the west fears they could invade ukraine to the south at any time; but in moscow, russian president vladimir putin endorsed diplomacy. >> ( translated ): i hope that in the end, we will find the solution. though it is not easy, we are aware of it. >> schifrin: but his message was mixed. following a meeting with hungarian prime minister viktor orban, putin also said recent u.s. and nato documents disregarded his demands. >> ( translated ): we are analyzing written responses from u.s. and nato, received on 26 january. we didn't see an adequate response to our three key demands: preventing expansion of nato, the non-deployment of strike weapon systems near russian borders, and returning the military infrastructure of nato in europe to the positions existing in 1997. >> schifrin: in fact, the u.s. rejected those demands, and even today showed off american jets in nato member estonia, j