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00:00Thousands of Germans participated in major climate protests across the country ahead
00:06of the upcoming federal election scheduled for the 23rd of February.
00:11Protests were organized by the global youth-led climate strike organization Fridays for Future.
00:17The group says more than 100,000 demonstrators participated in the nationwide protests in
00:22more than 150 locations.
00:25Climate activists in Germany say the crisis has been completely ignored and overshadowed
00:29by other issues like the economy and immigration in the upcoming vote.
00:34Polls currently project the far-right Alternative for Germany party to secure second place with
00:39just over 20 percent of the vote, which would be their strongest performance to date.
00:44The party has often dismissed the climate crisis and have routinely called to end all
00:48major climate action efforts in Germany.
00:52Activists say they're determined to continue protesting to raise awareness to the issue
00:56and push for change.
01:00Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. Vice President J.D.
01:06Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
01:11Zelensky told Vance at the meeting that Ukraine requires security guarantees before any meeting
01:16can be held with Putin.
01:19The Ukrainian leader also stressed the need for Europe to be involved in any potential
01:23peace talks, adding that Ukraine's security affects Europe's security.
01:29Vance agreed with Zelensky, noting that Washington is interested in brokering a quote,
01:33durable and lasting peace, and not a deal which would throw Eastern Europe in conflict
01:38in just a few years.
01:41Zelensky described the meeting with Vance and the delegation of U.S. officials as productive
01:45and the first of many to come.
01:48He also stressed that no deal will be reached in Munich, noting that any deal must involve
01:53U.S. President Donald Trump, who is not attending the event.
01:59A Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead has struck the protective shell of Chernobyl's
02:05nuclear reactor, according to Ukrainian authorities.
02:11President Zelensky says the key region was attacked overnight and the drone hit the safe
02:16confinement of the destroyed fourth reactor unit of the nuclear power plant.
02:21He added, however, that although the confinement sustained significant damage, the fire was
02:26extinguished and radiation levels have not increased.
02:31Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought repeated warnings of dangers to Ukraine's four nuclear
02:36plants, especially at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia plant in southern Ukraine.
02:44Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the strike on Chernobyl
02:50and military activity near the Zaporizhia plant have left the U.N. agency on high alert.
03:01Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won't. That's how U.S. President Donald Trump
03:06described on Thursday his initial vision of a deal to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine
03:11during a press conference with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
03:15Meanwhile, he's more clear about what Ukraine needs to give up, the prospect of a NATO membership.
03:45That bloodshed to stop Ukraine wasn't in and never requested to be in until more recently.
03:51So that's the way it is and I think that's the way it's going to have to be.
03:56Europe is cautious about Trump's assertion. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed with
04:00Trump that the Russia-Ukraine conflict must end as quickly as possible, but said there
04:05must be a just peace to have any hope it may last.
04:16We Europeans are the ones who support Ukraine the most, as long as it is necessary, and beyond a possible peace agreement.
04:30Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on the other hand, said he would not accept any
04:34negotiations about Ukraine that do not include his country in the talks.
04:39European governments also demanded a seat at the table.