Shes urged the west not to recognise what will be putins fifth term as president. Our russia editor, steve rosenberg, is in moscow with more. Russias 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 whos been on russias 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. But not everyone who came out today was actually voting. This, one of a string of attacks on Polling Stations across russia. They are unprecedented. After chaotic scenes here. An arsonist is detained. And green ink poured into a ballot box. The authorities called the attackers scum. Some voters were greeted with a show. Well, its one way to bang the drum for russian elections. There is voting, too, 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 putins re election is not in doubt. And neither is the message the kremlin will be sending after this. That Vladimir Putin has the full support of his people. Steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. Leaders of germany, france and poland met in berlin to ease tensions over support for ukraine. The french president , emmanuel macron, called on kyiv� s allies not be cowards, and said he would not rule out deploying western troops on the ground in ukraine. That suggestion was rejected by the german chancellor, olaf scholz. Now, european allies have agreed a mechanism to supply kyiv with long range artillery. A shortage of weapons including ammunition, has been blamed for russian advances in the war. Mr macron detailed why the eus support of ukraine is so important. Translation it is our future, 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. Meanwhile, russia and ukraine continue to Exchange Fire in the battlefield. Officials in the ukrainian city of odesa say, at least 20 people were killed in a double Missile Attack on a residential area. More than 70 people were wounded. Earlier, the kremlin said, ukraine carried out attacks in the region of belgorod in southern russia, and accused kyiv of attempting to disrupt russias president ial election. Our correspondent, Sarah Rainsford is in kyiv with the latest. This is the deadliest attack in some time on odesa. And it is the details that are particularly grim, because ukrainian officials are saying two missiles were fired by russia from Crimea The First One landed on the city, and it was when emergency teams rushed to the spot that a second missile was fired from crimea and hit exactly the same place. Now we know that a medic was killed, a young firefighter was also amongst those killed and injured. Many dozens of people are in hospital. Now we are being told that those missiles were fired from crimea we are saying we dont know exactly what russia was targeting, but we do know there were some interior Ministry Personnel amongst the casualties. Now president zelensky has called this a vile attack, saying ukraines military will respond, but i do think it is a stark reminder of what that vote in russia means for here in ukraine. Because of course, more Vladimir Putin in the kremlin means more war here in ukraine, more Missile Attacks, and more days like today in odesa, with dozens dead and injured. But turning now to the middle east. The white house says they are cautiously optimistic after a new truce proposalfrom hamas. The us says that it is within the bounds of a deal they have been working on for the last few months. Israels Prime Minister has downplayed any chances of a truce in gaza, however saying that hamas is making unrealistic demands. Despite that, an israeli team is heading to qatar for new talks about a possible ceasefire and hostage deal. Meanwhile, mr netanyahus office has approved a plan for an offensive against hamas in gazas crowded rafah city where almost 1. 5 million palestinians are currently sheltering. Israel says they are preparing to evacuate people to other parts of gaza. It comes amid emerging signs of discontent within the Biden Administration about a lack of progress towards a resolution between the two sides. Us Secretary Of StateAntony Blinken said the United States needs to see a clear plan for israels proposed assault on rafah, including how civilians will be moved out of harms way. And on friday, President Biden praised a speech made by Us Senate LeaderChuck Schumer in which he said the israeli Prime Minister was a threat to peace and called for new elections. Do you have any comments around Senator Schumer� s speech on israel yesterday . Senator schumer contacted my staff, my senior staff, he was going to make that speech. And he. Im not going to elaborate on the speech, he made a good speech and i think he expressed a serious concern shared notjust by him but by many americans. Mr netanyahus government has sharply dismissed the comments made by Senator Schumer. Meanwhile, aid agencies are continuing to sound the alarm over the humanitarian situation in gaza. A ship carrying Food Supplies for gaza has arrived and is now waiting off the coast. Its a test run for what is hoped will become a new route to get aid into the territory. Live now to michael singh, Managing Director at the Washington Institute and former senior director for middle east affairs at the National Security council. Thank you forjoining us on bbc news Thank You Forjoining us on bbc news we Thank You Forjoining us on bbc news we saw Thank You Forjoining us on bbc news. We saw a Thank You Forjoining us on bbc news. We saw a gradual Thank You Forjoining us on bbc news. We saw a gradual and i Thank You Forjoining us on bbc. News. We saw a gradual and they were news. We saw a gradual and they were more news. We saw a gradual and they were more marked news. We saw a gradual and they were more marked shift news. We saw a gradual and they were more marked shift in news. 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Is it unusual to| give Military Support with criticism. Is it unusual to give Military Support with one hand and then arrange ad drops and criticise the approach on the other . And criticise the approach on the other . �. ,. , the other . Ive heard this many times but the other . Ive heard this many times but this the other . Ive heard this many times but this is the other . Ive heard this many times but this is a the other . Ive heard this many times but this is a dilemma times but this is a dilemma that the United States is facing many times. You give military aid or you sell military aid or you sell military armoury to governments like egypt and saudi arabia and have found ourselves in this position. I would say what makes this unique for President Biden is that israel has strong support within the United States and yet this war has been more controversial than other past israeli actions. So it makes it much more difficult for him to walk this political tight rope. It for him to walk this political tight rape tight rope. It would appear that prime tight rope. It would appear that Prime Minister tight rope. It would appear that Prime Minister netanyahu was not paying much attention to those warnings and the Strong Language that is coming from the Biden Administration. Does the president still have a level of influence over the israeli Prime Minister . The cufious israeli Prime Minister . The curious thing israeli Prime Minister . The curious thing here israeli Prime Minister . The curious thing here is israeli Prime Minister . Tie curious thing here is that israeli Prime Minister . Tt;e curious thing here is that both men are almost making a virtue of opposing the other. President biden is showing distance from israel by criticising Prime Minister netanyahu and i think he is sensitive to the political feelings especially in places like michigan which are important for the president ial election. President netanyahu on the other hand is trying to shore up his own Political Support especially the support of the right wing, showing that he is willing to stand up to american demands for things like working with the Palestinian Authority or acquiescing to a two state solution. And in a strange sense the friction in the combat may help both men, to some extent, politically. President biden has described the offence into rafah as a redline but Prime Minister netanyahu said he has the plans ready and he will do that. How do you see that playing up between the two . It do you see that playing up between the two . Between the two . It is a conundrum. Between the two . It is a conundrum. Even between the two . It is a conundrum. Even the i between the two . It is a conundrum. Even the rhetoric decided as a conundrum. Israel feels as though it has to go into rafah, it feels that that is where the hostages are in the leadership is and those are two of the big war aims, freeing the hostages and eliminating the leadership. Yet there are also 1. 5 million civilians densely packed into rafah. It would be a potential disaster on a humanitarian level to go in. So israel has a dilemma that it needs to go in but it cannot go in without moving those civilians and then you see this long delay in implementing any kind of plan to go into rafah. Most of the world including the white house would prefer that israel simply not do it, would prefer that israel simply refrain from going into rafah and find another method to achieve its aims. � , , another method to achieve its aims. , ,. , aims. And ust briefly, one final aims. And just briefly, one final question, aims. And just briefly, one final question, an aims. And just briefly, one final question, an israeli. 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