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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Leaders from Ukraine and its allies gathered round a desk in Germany right this moment.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

They’re discussing how you can assist Ukraine as Russia’s invasion nears its first anniversary. Many countries are sending assist, and one nation faces additional strain to ship extra. Germany has but to permit Ukraine to obtain German-made battle tanks.

INSKEEP: NPR’s Rob Schmitz has been masking the struggle in Ukraine, and he joins us now from Germany. Hey there, Rob.

ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE: Morning.

INSKEEP: What are protection officers placing on that desk?

SCHMITZ: Nicely, the U.S. is presenting its newest package deal of navy help for Ukraine. This one is value $2 1/2 billion, and it consists of a whole bunch of armored preventing autos and extra help for Ukraine’s air protection towards Russian assaults. Yesterday, a gaggle of European nations, together with the U.Ok., Poland, Denmark and the Baltic states, introduced what it referred to as unprecedented navy assist to Ukraine, together with artillery, air protection methods, in addition to infantry autos. Actually, Finland is growing its dedication to greater than half a billion {dollars}, lots for that nation. So it appears we have a number of nations, Steve, prepared to spend a lot of cash to assist Ukraine struggle what many see as a renewed Russian offensive that will come quickly.

INSKEEP: That each one sounds spectacular. So what is the strain on Germany particularly?

SCHMITZ: Nicely, the Leopard 2 battle tank is a tank that is made in Germany, and it is seen as one of many world’s most state-of-the-art tanks. And Ukraine has been asking for them because the struggle started. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been beneath growing strain by Germany’s closest allies to provide the OK for these tanks to be exported to Ukraine. Poland has already supplied to ship greater than a dozen Leopards to Ukraine, however legally they would wish Germany’s permission to do this. Scholz has repeatedly refused to do that. I spoke with Cathryn Cluver Ashbrook of the Bertelsmann Basis, a Berlin suppose tank, about this. And here is what she mentioned.

CATHRYN CLUVER ASHBROOK: Clearly, it appears to be that the world is coalescing round the concept Germany not solely must make manner for its Leopards to be despatched to Ukraine, but additionally these nations that need to furnish German-built Leopards – that it must make the authorized grounds clear that that may be achieved. That must be an govt choice. In any other case, Germany will proceed to isolate itself within the allied efforts to help Ukraine.

INSKEEP: Yeah, however I am simply considering – Germany has despatched other forms of assist, nevertheless reluctantly. What is the holdup on the tanks?

SCHMITZ: Yeah, and Germany continues to say that. You recognize, German media reviews that Scholz can be prepared to provide his approval to ship these Leopard tanks if the U.S. additionally sends Abrams tanks.

INSKEEP: Oh, the strongest and largest American tank.

SCHMITZ: That is proper.

INSKEEP: He desires these to go as nicely. What does the U.S. say?

SCHMITZ: Nicely, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for protection coverage, Colin Kahl, instructed reporters on Wednesday the U.S. is not going to ship Abrams tanks to Ukraine as a result of they’re too tough for Ukrainian troops to take care of. However many observers are usually not shopping for that. Retired U.S. Basic Ben Hodges responded on Twitter that that is condescending to Ukrainian troops, who’ve been kind of MacGyver-ing options to all types of issues all through this struggle. It must be talked about right here that Germany’s Leopard tanks are additionally tough to take care of. I feel Chancellor Scholz desires to make it possible for Germany doesn’t stand out as one of many solely nations to ship battle tanks to Ukraine and would favor that the U.S. be part of him in that effort. And that is possible going to be precedence No. 1 right this moment after they’re – talk about this in Ramstein.

INSKEEP: I suppose we should always underline this. Each ally, together with Germany, is considering how a lot can they do for Ukraine with out crossing some pink line with Russia. Is that proper?

SCHMITZ: That is precisely proper. Scholz has repeatedly mentioned that. And he has mentioned additionally that he simply does not need to cross that line in order that Russia may retaliate in a extra lethal manner.

INSKEEP: NPR’s Rob Schmitz in Berlin, thanks a lot.

SCHMITZ: Thanks.

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INSKEEP: This weekend marks 50 years because the Supreme Court docket’s Rowe v. Wade choice.

MARTÍNEZ: The ruling established a constitutional proper to abortion throughout the early components of being pregnant. It additionally froze many state legal guidelines that banned abortion, and it led to a generationslong drive to overturn it, which included an annual March for Life in Washington. Final 12 months, the Supreme Court docket overturned its abortion choice, however the annual march goes forward right this moment.

INSKEEP: NPR’s Sarah McCammon is masking the March for Life. Hey there, Sarah.

SARAH MCCAMMON, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: What’s the organizers’ considering in going forward?

MCCAMMON: Nicely, the march began in 1974, one 12 months after the Rowe v. Wade choice, and it was a direct response to it. So, in fact, the Supreme Court docket’s Dobbs v. Jackson Girls’s Well being Group choice final 12 months – with that, the motion achieved its objective of overturning Rowe. However they observe that a couple of dozen states have enacted abortion bans in response to that call. And in lots of states, abortion stays authorized. So activists concerned within the march say there’s extra work to do till abortion is unavailable wherever. Denise Harle is with the conservative authorized group Alliance Defending Freedom and is taking part.

DENISE HARLE: It is sort of simply starting in a variety of methods. This subsequent section of the pro-life motion is so necessary and actually thrilling as a result of there’s nonetheless a protracted option to go.

MCCAMMON: So this 12 months, Steve, the march, as a substitute of ending on the Supreme Court docket, is ending between the Supreme Court docket and Congress as an indication that they see the struggle as persevering with in any respect ranges of presidency.

INSKEEP: What are these battles this 12 months?

MCCAMMON: Nicely, a variety of them are on the state stage. Abortion opponents need to go additional, broaden the variety of states which have banned abortion. In Virginia, for instance, the place abortion is at present nonetheless authorized, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is backing a proposal to ban the process after 15 weeks. There are efforts underway at each the state and federal ranges to limit entry to abortion tablets, which now account for many abortions on this nation. And lots of anti-abortion teams need to see a nationwide 15-week ban. That, in fact, is a longer-term effort on their half, as a result of proper now they do not have the votes in Congress or, in fact, the presidency.

INSKEEP: So if that is what abortion rights opponents are going for in 2023, what about teams who help abortion rights?

MCCAMMON: Nicely, in fact, they’re making an attempt to carry off new state restrictions. They need to shield abortion suppliers in states with authorized abortion and broaden entry to care. They usually’re making an attempt to maintain voters targeted on the problem. Rachel O’Leary Carmona is govt director of the Girls’s March.

RACHEL O’LEARY CARMONA: We have seen successes in each place {that a} poll measure has gone in entrance of the folks. The folks have come down on the facet of reproductive freedom and abortion rights.

MCCAMMON: And she or he’s energized by the November midterms, the place a number of states had abortion-related questions on the poll. That is going to be a key technique for abortion rights activists in lots of states going ahead. And as they level out, you realize, years of polling, together with a brand new NPR/Marist ballot out simply this month, have discovered {that a} majority of People help entry to authorized abortion. In order that’s a actuality that anti-abortion teams just like the March for Life must deal with as they have a good time abortion bans that always, Steve, are out of step with the vast majority of public opinion.

INSKEEP: NPR’s Sarah McCammon, speaking with us as organizers put together for one more annual March for Life. Sarah, thanks a lot.

MCCAMMON: Thanks.

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INSKEEP: The Lunar New Yr begins this weekend, which implies it is going to be the Yr of the Rabbit.

MARTÍNEZ: It is a huge deal in a lot of the world, and particularly in China. A whole bunch of tens of millions of staff there have moved from their villages to huge cities, and the Lunar New Yr is after they journey house to see family and friends. This 12 months they do it with out obligatory COVID testing and lockdowns. China’s elimination of its zero-COVID coverage makes journey simpler, but additionally extra hazardous.

INSKEEP: Simply how hazardous? Nicely, we have introduced in NPR’s Emily Feng to speak about that. Hey there, Emily.

EMILY FENG, BYLINE: Hey, good morning.

INSKEEP: How many individuals in China are getting sick with COVID?

FENG: Nicely, in keeping with Peking College, which is one among China’s prime universities, almost 1 billion folks have gotten sick.

INSKEEP: Whoa.

FENG: However Chinese language public well being authorities say the surge is getting higher. This week, they mentioned the variety of essential instances goes down as a result of the variety of folks going to hospitals is dropping. After all, conveniently, that is coming simply in time for vacation journey to start. Just a few hours in the past, the vice premier was making an attempt to reassure the general public once more. She mentioned that prevention was going nicely and medical companies had been secure and instances had been reducing. However take that with a grain of salt as a result of the Chinese language well being care system proper now does not have the capability or actually the motivation actually to check everybody and report correct numbers. And this additionally means the official dying fee, for instance, is about a number of hundred thousand occasions decrease than the worldwide common. Actually, this week, one analysis agency within the U.Ok. referred to as Airfinity revised upward their estimates for what they suppose the day by day dying toll from COVID in China is. They are saying primarily based on the numbers they’ve from Chinese language provinces, about 33,000 individuals are dying a day from COVID, and that is simply going to go up on the finish of the month due to vacation journey.

INSKEEP: Thirty-three thousand a day – so it is like a small metropolis is dying right this moment in China, and one other small metropolis will die tomorrow in China, day after day after day. However individuals are nonetheless touring anyway?

FENG: Proper. Transport authorities say they anticipate folks to make 2.1 billion journeys this month. So folks aren’t involved. They are saying they’ve already gotten sick and recovered. NPR went to Beijing’s largest practice station this week to witness the spring migration, as this vacation journey known as, and everybody there mentioned their households again house already received sick, and so they recovered from COVID, so they don’t seem to be frightened about it. And really, what they’re extra involved about are funds as a result of the financial system remains to be slowing. Zero-COVID controls during the last three years actually damage consumption, and it particularly damage working-class folks like driver Wang Feng. He is from northwestern Shaanxi Province in China, and he says he is actually frightened about cash.

WANG FENG: (Non-English language spoken).

FENG: He is saying after three years of the pandemic, he is almost broke as a result of folks spent much less on taxis. And he feels a variety of strain since he is the only real breadwinner and has a mortgage to repay. So this 12 months, when he goes house for the Lunar New Yr holidays, he says he is not giving any items, and he is giving much less cash in these pink packets you historically give out to kids.

INSKEEP: Oh. Nicely, that is regular, I suppose, for China’s financial system, on condition that the financial system has slowed down a lot prior to now 12 months or two. However may that change now that they’ve lifted so many COVID restrictions?

FENG: There’s a variety of optimism, but additionally a variety of uncertainty as a result of folks will exit and journey and spend once more. But in addition lots of people misplaced jobs or earnings during the last three years, so they’ll be saving slightly than spending. And these underlying financial points – native authorities debt, a reasonably unstable property market – these are all going to stay in China in the long run. And whereas that is removed from sure, if there’s some extra infections there but that emerges in China, that might set the nation again once more.

INSKEEP: NPR’s Emily Feng, all the time a pleasure to listen to from you. Thanks a lot.

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