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viewers like you. thank you. announcer: and now, "bbc world news". nada: i nada t, and this is "bbc world news america." as russia continues its buildup on the ukrainian border, washington warnsn invasion can happen any day now. >> and invasion can begin at any time, should vladimir putin decide to order it. nada: ontario declares a state of emergency as they pledge to crackdown on protesters. as eiopia's civil war persists with rebel groups fighting, we report on the cost of the conflict. and going wild, how foreign lions are being introduced to their national -- four lions are

being introduced to their national habitat after being rescued from a french circus. ♪ nada: welcome to "world news america" on pbs and around the globe. in washington, there is a new sense of urgency tonight. the united states has warned that a russian attack on ukraine could begin y day now and would likely start with an air assault. with nearly 130,000 troops now close to the ukrainian border, the white house says russia is in a position to conduct a major military operation. president biden hosted a call with world leaders this afternoon to discuss the crisis. meanwhile, russia accused western nations of spreading misinformation. our north america editor sandra smith starts our coverage. >> the russiansre not trying to camouflage his military exercisesir troops are conducting in belarus the ukrainian border. it is because it was provided by the russian defense ministry.

has vladimir putin decided to order these troops into the ukraine? the u.s. simply say they do not know but they believe he is in a position to do so so they are escalating warnings military action could be imminent, possibly within days. >> we cannot pinpoint the date at this point and we cannot pinpoint our, but whatcan say -- hour, but will be can say is there is an acquittal prospect that russian military action would take place before the end of the olympics. >> boris johnson and other european leaders join a call convened by president biden this evening along with the nato chief. johnson urging allies to have ready punishing economic sanctions against russia. with views that aerial attacks could proceed any land invasion, people are urged to leave. america says its u.s. forces wi not go into ukraine to rescue them. president biden: what russia and ukraine start shooting at one another, we are in a different

world than we have been. >> not considering evacuating americans? president biden: no. how do we do that? how can you find them? >> president biden repeated his warning for all citizens to leave ukraine. the prime minister should is withdrawing more officials fro the country. and that is because there is deep concern in the country that of someone were to get killed or injured, it would then be very difficult to avoid a major escalation intentions betwee america and rusa. the defense secretary and moscow heard russian assurances there are no plans to invade but left less optimistic about the chances of a diplomatic solution. >> is all about actions. currently, there is over 100,000, 130,000 troops stationed at readiness or exercising, plus more planes and ships into the black sea on the borders of ukraine. that is an action that is not normal. >> u.s. forces are already being

deployed to romania to bolster the nato allies on ukraine's border with an additional 3000 troops being announced tonight. as the white house warns, a conflict they think can begin any day now would bring enormous human cost. sarah smith, bbc news, washington. nada: for more, we are joined by representative seth moulton, who is a u.s. democratic congressman from massachusetts. thank you so much for being with us. congressman, you traveled to kiev in december and warned that the administration had to move more quickly to prevent an invasion. what do you make of the administration's assessment that one can happen any day now, and what have you made of president biden's strategy so far? >> i thing that first of all he is absolutely right. any day now. frankly, they could have invaded before now. they did not have the number of forces they do today. putin has all the cards right

now and it is up to make a decision. i think the is doing every thing right. the biggest point i was making when i returned from ukraine in december is that we have to take actions to deter war, to prevent it, not just be prepared to respond to an invasion. when you hear the talk of how it is important to have punishing sanctions in place ready to go before the invasion starts, that is about the terms. it is about sending a message to putin that if you invade, we will put these tensions in place, not if you invade, we will have a discussion about a response. nada: speaking of sanctions, congress is at a bit of odds over a bill for sanctions there. what are the main sticking points about the material in the bill and the timing of one? rep. moulton: there are a lot of republicans who criticized the administration for not having sanctions in place right now. but i think that is not a

part of this issue is all -- at all. we have to make clear to putin that tensions will go into place the minute you invade but not before. if you put sanctions in place today, frankly, he might as well invade because these tensions are already there, so what difference does it make? there are a lot of different perspectives on this and debate, but i think what is clear is the nato allies are all aligned here on the need for punishing sanctions. there is some debate about how specific we should be. my view is that putin and his oligarch allies need to know that these sanctions will hit them personally. they will be very direct. they will not just harm the russian people. they will harm putin and his cronies' interests. that has to be clear because putin has managed to evade western sanctions the past. nada: sanctions are also sensitive because of eopean economic concerns. but i wonder, if there is an invasion, with the consequences of that also affect the u.s.

economy? rep. moulton: there is no question the consequences of this will felt around the world. one of the first things we should expect is energy prices to go up. energy prices, it is a global price. so that means that americans trying to heat their homes in the winter should be prepared to see a rise in energy prices if putin invades ukraine. there is no question that a lot of people in germany and countries that depend directly on russian gas are going to be very concerned as well. i don't know what the current state is, but as of a couple years ago, we were impting russian gas right here in massachusetts. i don't that was a wise move. but the point is that all around the world, energy prices will be affected. th is just one example of how this will have massive, massive ramifications if it goes forward. nada: congressman, i just want to ask you finally about this announcement by the biden administration that they will be

freeing up half of the $7 billion in frozen afghan assets on u.s. soil. have to help the afghan peopl -- half to help the afghan people and half for victims of terror attacks, including those affected on 9/11. the u.n. says this does not go far enough in addressing the cris in afghanistan. how long would this take to reach the people there, and what else could the united states be doing? rep. moulton: the united nations is right, this does not go far enough, but it is an and currently big step in the right direction. i have been on this for sometime so i am thrilled they are taking action. make no mistake, afghanistan right now is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. that could be equipped by ukraine if russia invades. to put this in real terms, over a million afghan children are at risk of dying this winter. a million. it is just unbelievably tragic.

we need to be doing everything we can to prevent that from happening. this is a step in theight direction, but all of us need to come together from all around the world. the entire international community. to prevent massive human tragedy in afghanistan affecting terribly innocent people. nada: thank you. thank you, representative seth moulton. that is all the time we have. thank you for coming on. rep. moulton: take care. nada: now, divisions over ukraine have deep historical roots. for many years, pressure has sought to exercise conol over its smaller neighbor while ukrainian nationals demanded independence. during the great famine of the 1930's as many as 4 million ukrainians died under soviet communism when private farming was abolished. a reporter has been close to the russian border and met some of the last survivors of the famine. >> as the kremlin's choirs priest and come of the world was

told of a happy land. >> the black earth bringing forth millions of acres. >> but 95-year-old -- but a 95-year-old knows what a lie that was. forced collectivization of farms while starvation and terror to his family. >> it was very scary. there was a brigade with pitchforks who came to every house searching for bread. i was five at th time. we locked the door and all the windows. they used crowbars to come inside. then they went to all the barns trying to find buried bread. >> food was seized to punish peasants who resisted cut a position. it is stopped up to 4 million people died in what ukraine

called the war of killing through hunger. russia denies thfamine was a deliberate attempt to break the independent spirit of the ukrainians. a 98-year-old remembers the corpses of the starved. >> what could i see? i saw people who died. they made a big pit and threw all the bodies there. my father went to western ukraine, taking everything good from our home to exchange for food. but he got nothing. you can say i had a life, but it was no life. >> the great has heard her memories. as has his older brother, who is serving in the ukrainian army. near the family home, there is a mass grave from the famine.

stories of the famine are passed on through families from generation to generation come about it is also -- generation, but it is also a part of modern ukraine's sry of origin, this idea of a nation in the 1930's suffering the oppression of a dictatorship based in moscow. this old steel door here. ukrainians who resisted ended up in places like this. >> some historians say 5000 or 10,000 people were killed here in this basement. >> interrogation cells of the secret police in kiev. i went there with a man who is creating a national record of what happened. it is just impossible to imagine what went through people's minds as they came through that door into this place. >> yeah. pain. >> investigation of stalin's

crimes have been suppressed in russia. a doctor sees a clear line between this and aggression towards ukraine. >> they protect stalin. they hide. they attack us. they don't recognize us as an independent country. i don't understand why. >> perhaps because all in this conflict know the power of the weapon of memory. nada: let's turn to canada n. the province of ontario has declared a state of emergency over the protests disrupting trade with the united states. truck drivers who are demanding an end to all cobit restrictions have been ocking three border crossings and bringing large parts of the capital of ottawa to a standstill. ontario's premier doug ford told protesters that their right to make a clinical statement did

not outweigh the right of hundreds of workers to make a living. >> the protests that began here in ottawa ontario, havspread to several canadian cities. but the one area that has really a cause for concern is the one that is happening along the u.s.-canada border. the ambassador bridge for several days has been blocked. while these protesters have allowed for one lane of traffic to open up as a gesture of goodwill, it is still hampering trade going across the border freely. that is why theres an increasing amount of pressure on both the federal government and provincial governments to try and get an end to these protests, because it is impacting the ever important auto industry, both in canada and the united states. it is coming at grt financial cost. so we are doing there is now a state of emergency in the province of ontario.

it does allow police a lot more powers. and they have a lot of support. and we also heard from prime minister justin trudeau, who also made it very clear that these protests will end. the challenge is how to make sure these protests end and that goods can move freely but to do so in a way that keeps everyone safe. nada: you are watching "bbc world news america." still to come on tonight's program, russia defends a teenager figure skater despite a failed drug test, but could she be frozen out of the winter olympics? ♪ nada: the director general of the world health organization is in south africa where he saw firsthand the work being done in the country to combat coronavirus. our african health correspondent tells us more. >> today's press conference was

quite happy seeing the work african scntists have been able to do, number one, when he visited the company. he was able to be the team of scientists and make their own version similar to bitterness covid-19 vaccine, so he was very happy and said this shows the work that african scientists have and the capacity they have to be able to produce covid-19 vaccines from start to finish. but it also has reached countries with other doses to share with africa, such that countries that need to vaccinate people but do not have enough vaccines are able to do so so ey can meet the target of vaccinating at least 70% of the population by late this year. nada: ethiopia's civil war has left a humanitarian crisis in its wake.

the fighting between government forces and the people's liberation front have aligned with other groups and left thousands dead and half a million facing famine. the u.n. has accused all sides of war crimes and atrocities during more than a year of fighting. the bbc's africa correspondent report on the human price of the conflict. a warning, some of the images in this report are disturbing. >> the less highlands of north ethiopia, the site of a deadly war and for months cut off from the world. in a town, the bodies of government fighters, rebels, and civilians still lie in the valleys and forests. this man and his neighbors tried to bury the dead, but they could not keep up with the brutal pace of death. >> everyone got sick and they could not contain it.

we had to bury. >> fighting between the federal government and rebels in the north has left nearly 10 million people in need of aid. many have been cut off because of the conflict. this person is desperate to find her husband. she says the rebels kidnapped him when they occupied her town. >> some of the fighters tell me he could be dead already. others say that he could be worse. i looked in graveyards, hoping to find a piece of his clothing. but so far, i have not found anything. >> the people's liberation front has denied taking prisoners. things manufactured in other countries helped gain the

upper hand in the war. the government denies targeting civilians. the prime minister is under international pressure to end this war. >> is not in the interest of ethiopia to continue the war. that is why now the foce have been militarily defeated, because the government has not expanded the perimeter. >> there is a sense of cautious optimism in the capital. the rebels have been pushed back and the state of emergency is about to be lifted. there is also a feeling of tension. a high tense security presence and a suspicion of the foreign media. we have already been prevented from filming twice. conversations about possible peace talks mark a shift in this 15 month conflict. but this is still a fragile moment and an opportunity that should not be lost. bbc news, ethiopia.

nada: relief cannot come soon enough tre. now, moscow says the figure skater kamila valieva should be allowed to compete in the winter olympics despite a failed drug test. the 15-year-old led her team to a victory in the group event, but a ceremony to present them with their gold medals has been postponed. our sports news correspondent the latest from beijing. >> after days of intense media speculation, the international testing agency has now confirmed what we had many other media outlets understood to be the case, which is that the 15-year-old progeny from russia, kamila valieva, tested positive for a banned substance. in a lengthy statement, they revealed that kamila valieva had been drug tested on christmas day when she was competing at the russian figure skating championships. that result had not come out so she was able to compete here in beijing, where on monday she made olympic history, landing

two quadruple jobs to help the russian olympic committee win figure skating team gold. now on tuesday, there was medals were meant to be handed out, -- those medals were meant to be handed out but they were not because the swedish laboratory who was analyzing her simple revealed the sample sted positive for a banned substance. that meant that kamila valieva was suspended by the russian anti-doping authorities. then on wednesday, she successfully challenged that provisional suspension. but now we know that the international olympic committee and the international skating union are appealing that decision to the court of arbitration for sport, and they are requesting that they reimpose that provisional suspension. kamila valieva is the favorite for gold in the women's singles event, which begins on tuesday, which means this whole process needs to be expedited, but we have heard that the russian olympic committee says it is taking comprehensive measures to keep what he describes as an

honestly won olympic gold, but another doping controversy at the olympics involving russia. nada: laura scott there. the australian government has declared the koala and endangered species along its east coast. the animals were declared vulnerable in 2012 are now under severe threat from bushfires. the australian conservation foundation says the situation will only get worse until the government improves its legal protections for the environment. now, staying with animal news, four liens have been re-homed in south africa two years after being rescued from appalling conditions in a french circus. the charity which rescued them was not able to transport the liens from france immediately due to covid restrictions, but now, they are -- their three-day final journey is over. >> free at last. after two years of delays caused by the pandemic, the females

along with the male had been released into the big cats actuary in africa. born into captivity, they spent their lives performing in a french traveling circus. transported around the country in cramped trailers, this journey began what one attacked the circus owner, who then decided they should go to an animal welfare group. the wildlife charity the born free foundation stepped in and a the liens to africa.ansport this week, the foundation told bbc breakfast what it would be like for the animals to make what could be considered a return home. >> just imaginevery cell in their body will feel at home because they will feel the sun and the sense and sounds surrounding them. they will still have a function. the born free foundation, they

have centuries in south africa and have tens of thousands of schoolchildren visiting. the liens are not on display. they may be use binoculars to see them -- they maybe have to use binoculars to see them but they will learn about lions in their ecosystem. >> so they will be educating other than entertaining. they have never been the world so it would be unlikely to survive on their own. this is believed to be the next best thing for these free lions who are in many ways coming home. nada: before we go today, a village last seen 30 years ago has reemerged at the bottom of a reservoir in northwest spain. the village was deliberately flooded in1992 to create the reservoir. but now, a recent drought has brought life back in it with old cars, preserved caliphates, and

even -- preserved cafes, and even a funking water fountain. i narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ ♪ narrator: you're watching pbs. ♪ da-da-da-duh-da-da-da♪ ♪ da-da-da-da-da-da ♪♪

♪ judy: good evening. i am judy woodruff. tonight, is a russian invasion imminent? the u.s. issueits starkest warning yet and urges americans to leave and he eight hours. -- in 48 hours. then, ongoing trucker blockades at the canadian border hamstring the auto industry and send ripples through cada and the u.s. economies. >> people are not aware of the power of these chock -- chokepoints prior to these recent events. judy: it is friday. brooks and capehart was ukraine,