But President Putin is certain to win six more years in office. The uks jobs problem why more than one in five working age adults arent looking for work. Well have a Special Report from our analysis editor ros atkins. And the story of the viral hanging granny. She became an Internet Sensation and well meet the man whos immortalised the moment in paint. All that to come on the programme tonight. We start with the war in ukraine. But at a meeting that took place thousands of kilometres from the front line. The gathering today of three european leaders could have major implications for the conflict. But there is a dilemma among the three leading Military Powers of Mainland Europe just how to maintain a unified response, when theres growing differences on what that response looks like. French president emmanuel macron, german chancellor olaf scholz, and polish Prime Minister donald tusk met in berlin today amid rumours of a rift between the french and german leaders. Its a clash between whats been described as mr macrons � newly hawkish� strategy and the more cautious approach of mr scholz. In the middle is poland playing mediator in discussions. The french president has angered some European Partners in recent weeks, by suggesting that the deployment of western troops could not be ruled out. On french tv last night, he said it wasnt his wish but � all these options are possible�. Today, he had this warning. Translation its our future, a security which is our security which is at stake in ukraine. We are doing this out of solidarity for the people of ukraine whose territorial integrity is being threatened. We are doing this to defend international law, and we are doing it because the security of europeans and of us is at stake in ukraine. That is mr macron. The german chancellor has come under pressure to extend his governments help, amid delays in the us over a military aid package. Olaf scholz has made it clear that german troops on the ground is a limit he was not prepared to cross. Today, the trio vowed more weapons for kyiv and step up production of Military Equipment along with partners in ukraine. It was a message to ukraine you can rely on us. And a message too to the kremlin. Translation a crystalclear signal goes to moscow. The russian president must know that our support for ukraine will not ebb. We stand united by ukraines side. Thank you for more on this, lets speak to dr Ulrike Franke who is a senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on foreign relations. Good to have you on the context tonight. This meeting coming out such a critical time, and as we have highlighted there, relations between these leaders strained, at best. There will be a lot of relief that there is some agreement tonight, even though it is not really a shifting in any of the official positions of these leaders. M0 shifting in any of the official positions of these leaders. No and that wasnt positions of these leaders. No and that wasnt necessarily positions of these leaders. No and that wasnt necessarily to positions of these leaders. No and that wasnt necessarily to be that wasnt necessarily to be expected but this meeting really was the to show unity and send a message of unity into the world. To show the ukrainians that europe stands behind them, show russia that even though there may be internal differences, europe remains united, and to some extent also show the Europeans International audiences these are all professional politicians so, yes, there are differences in view but overall we stand united behind ukraine. I think this was really the main goal of this meeting. They played it relatively safe, i would say, but overall i think that it was successful. Say, but overall i think that it was successful successful. Yes, i wanted to ask about that because successful. Yes, i wanted to ask about that because we successful. Yes, i wanted to ask about that because we know successful. Yes, i wanted to ask about that because we know the successful. Yes, i wanted to ask about that because we know the sorts of meetings, these sorts of announcements have multiple audiences, dont they . Not only of course ukraine at the centre of all of this, also these leaders will have an eye on domestic politics, too, what their electorate might think of what is going on. But clearly, as we highlighted, that message to the kremlin, how will it be viewed in moscow . In message to the kremlin, how will it be viewed in moscow . Be viewed in moscow . In the end moscow knows be viewed in moscow . In the end moscow knows that be viewed in moscow . In the end moscow knows that there be viewed in moscow . In the end moscow knows that there are moscow knows that there are differences between europeans but i think they also realise that overall europe remains united behind ukraine. They will certainly try to play on these differences but in the end they realise that europe isnt breaking apart over the differences that are there and the main message remains that the europeans, especially these big three continental European Military powers are united, and thats important. I think moscow also hears and understands that. Think moscow also hears and understands that. Ringing in their ears will be understands that. Ringing in their ears will be the understands that. Ringing in their ears will be the warning understands that. Ringing in their ears will be the warning this understands that. Ringing in theiri ears will be the warning this week from the nato secretary general, warning on thursday that ukrainians were not running out of courage, they are running out of ammunition. He went on, this isjens stoltenberg, saying the shortage was one of the reasons why russia had made recent advances on the battlefield. They will be mindful of that. We know mr macron will also say this is not a war that europe can afford to lose. So there are again lots of different elements at play here. It is hard to see how they can be united when they still, for now, seem a very long way away when it comes to books on the ground. When it comes to books on the round. When it comes to books on the i round. , � when it comes to books on the round. , � ~. Ground. So, i dont think that the boots on the ground. So, i dont think that the boots on the ground ground. So, i dont think that the boots on the Ground Question ground. So, i dont think that the boots on the Ground Question is i ground. So, i dont think that the i boots on the Ground Question is the most important one. Even these leaders have said as much and emanuel macron has of course not proposed boots on the ground, he just hasnt excluded it in an effort to remain ambiguous and keep the strategic ambiguity. Yes, there are differences in view on certain things, but as you just alluded to, the one thing that ukraine really needs right now is ammunition, Material Command out of this meeting today, and more importantly also out of the previous meetings in paris and within the European Union context came a few very important messages about Buying Ammunition together, about producing more, even inside ukraine, and i think this is more important than the debates about hypothetical boots on the ground which isnt even what ukraine is asking for now. I think they concentrated on the right thing rather than on the disagreements, on kind of very specific things that arent the most important question at the moment. At the moment. Yes, those are the secifics, at the moment. Yes, those are the specifics. As at the moment. Yes, those are the specifics. As you at the moment. Yes, those are the specifics, as you said, at the moment. Yes, those are the specifics, as you said, about at the moment. Yes, those are the specifics, as you said, about the i specifics, as you said, about the war in ukraine. At this rift is politically very difficult as well, isnt it . There is a real danger, a potential danger, that if there is not a consensus on some, that dispute could spill over into other areas, areas unrelated to what is going on in ukraine. Yes areas, areas unrelated to what is going on in ukraine. Areas, areas unrelated to what is going on in ukraine. Yes and no. To be uuite going on in ukraine. Yes and no. To be quite honest, going on in ukraine. Yes and no. To be quite honest, france going on in ukraine. Yes and no. To be quite honest, france and going on in ukraine. Yes and no. To i be quite honest, france and germany in particular have had rough months in particular have had rough months in the past. And its notjust about ukraine and about this kind of latest weather boots on the ground are a topic or not. France and germany disagrees on Energy Policy within the European Union, on Defence Policy efforts more widely. So you can basically ask where is the spill over happening . Which direction is it going . I think it is clear that there are differences between france and germany on a number of things but this is why they tries so much to show this image and this picture of unity and why it is so important. We really should remind listeners that you can have disagreements between friends but that doesnt mean that the french it breaks apart, or that the coalition itself breaks apart. So as much as we need to talk things through and as much as some things really are seen differently in paris and berlin, we also need to remind ourselves of the big picture, the two countries, and indeed the three with poland. Two countries, and indeed the three with poland with poland. Doctor Ulrike Franke, Senior Policy with poland. Doctor Ulrike Franke, senior Policy Fellow with poland. Doctor Ulrike Franke, senior Policy Fellow at with poland. Doctor Ulrike Franke, senior Policy Fellow at the senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on foreign relations, thank you for your time. Officials in the ukrainian city of odesa say at least 20 people have been killed in Russian Missile attacks on a residential area. The governor of the Black Sea Port said another 75 people were wounded. Earlier, the kremlin said ukraine had carried out attacks in the region of belgorod in southern russia, and accused kyiv of attempting to disrupt russias president ial election. All this happened while russians have been heading to the polls Vladimir Putin the only serious candidate in the president ial elections and certain to win. The three day voting exercise, comes a month after the death of the main russian opposition leader, alexei navalny, whilst he was being detained in an arctic prison. The kremlin is widely deemed to have been responsible for his death. The countrys only independent Election Monitoring Organisation has been deemed a � foreign agent� and banned. Our russia editor Steve Rosenberg reports. Russia� s democracy is the best in the world, the kremlin says. And at Polling Station 38 in moscow, we found a choice of candidates, and plenty of voters. Democracy in action, right . Not quite. Realistically, only one man can win this. Vladimir putin the man who� s been on russia� s political stage for the last quarter of a century. Vladimir putin faces no serious challenger. His fiercest rivals are in exile or in prison. Not that this woman, whose son is fighting in ukraine, wants any change at the top. Of course i voted for putin, she says. I trust him. Across the country, there are Polling Stations that don� t look or sound like Polling Stations. And there is voting in parts of ukraine which are under Russian Occupation what russia calls its new territories. The Ukrainian Government called the election here illegal. Polls close on sunday night. Expect a putin landslide. Unpredictability is very much a feature of life now in russia, but that does not apply to elections. The political system here is built around one man, Vladimir Putin, and the kremlin tightly controls that system, including elections. So mr putin� s re election is not in doubt. It� s absolutely impossible to say about our president ial election that this election is fair and free. Politician Boris Nadezhdin had tried to get on the ballot but was barred from running, he claims, because his calls to end the war were becoming popular. We have propaganda and we have a myth that everybody in russia supports putin, and everybody in russia supports the special military operation. It� s really not the fact. And my Election Campaign showed that a lot of people are against putin� s politics and a lot of people are against the special military operation. You won� t hear the kremlin saying that. This is an election designed to show that Vladimir Putin has the full support of his people. Steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. Let� s cross over to kyiv to speak to Maria Avdeeva who is a Security Researcher and founder of the european expert association. On March The 18th Russians will wake up On March The 18th Russians will wake up to what we expect to be six more years of President Putin as president of the country. How will other World Leaders be looking at these elections, given that he is, as we have said, the only real candidate . As we have said, the only real candidate . ,. Candidate . These are socalled elections candidate . These are socalled elections. In candidate . These are socalled elections. In fact, candidate . These are socalled elections. In fact, there candidate . These are socalled elections. In fact, there is candidate . These are socalled elections. In fact, there is no. Elections. In fact, there is no democracy, there is no free will, there is no choice, so we can hardly call these elections. And everyone already knows who will be the only winner the. Vladimir putinjust voted for himself in his bunker. It was online voting for him for the first time. So this is all a show and the show is meant to legitimise putin for his own population to show that he is somehow supported and that he is somehow supported and that he is somehow supported and that he has power inside russia. So this is all staged and the main audience is in russia because no one else around in the world believes in these elections or sees them as fair and general as the Election Process at all. ,. , and general as the Election Process at all. ,. ,. At all. There is an additional d namic at all. There is an additional dynamic in at all. There is an additional dynamic in this at all. There is an additional dynamic in this vote at all. There is an additional dynamic in this vote of at all. There is an additional. Dynamic in this vote of course, at all. There is an additional dynamic in this vote of course, 4. 5 dynamic in this vote of course, li. 5 million voters in the four recently occupied ukrainian territories. I know you� ve been speaking to some of the People Living in those territories. What are they telling you about the process . The situation there is very you about the process . The situation there is very critical you about the process . The situation there is very critical and there is very critical and threatening. I have talked to people who are fleeing from the occupied territories to ukraine and one of the reasons they did this is because they were forced to first get russian passports and second to vote on the so called election. So this means that there is like a military man along with the Election Committee member going from door to door knocking on people� s doors in the occupied territories and demanding their vote. And of course the only vote can be for putin when you have a Military Presence and someone overlooking how you vote. This meant that people tried to hide and not to take part in this as much as they can. But sometimes they are forced, and ijust look at the numbers of the Russian Election commission. They have showed that already more than 30 of the people have voted and most of this number is also in the occupied territories, the territories recently occupied by russia. ~. , the territories recently occupied by russia. ~. ,. , the territories recently occupied by russia. ~. ,. , russia. What is your assessment of wh the russia. What is your assessment of why they are russia. What is your assessment of why they are encouraging, russia. What is your assessment of why they are encouraging, or russia. What is your assessment of why they are encouraging, or in russia. What is your assessment of| why they are encouraging, or in your words, asking people to vote in this way when there are so few political opponents to President Putin . Why is it important that russia sees that they go to vote . It important that russia sees that they go to vo