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CNN International: Zelenskyy: Without U.S. Aid, Ukraine Will Lose the War; Japan's Prime Minister Speaks Ahead of U.S. Trip; Remembering the 1994 Rwandan Genocide; Vatican to Reveal New Document on Gender, Surrogacy and More. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 08, 2024 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine will lose the war with Russia if the U.S. Congress doesn't approve military aid. Zelenskyy's warning comes as House Speaker Mike Johnson faces mounting pressure to decide whether to move forward with an aid bill.

Joining me now from Vienna is Franz-Stefan Gady, an Associate Fellow of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. I mean, it was very clear language, wasn't it, from President Zelenskyy? But it's the sort of argument that's been made in Washington for some time for all of those who feel that Ukraine needs that money from the U.S.

FRANZ-STEFAN GADY, ASSOCIATE FELLOW, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: Well, I think it's fair to assume that we are currently in a transitional phase when it comes to the war in Ukraine. Russia is conducting probing attacks along the front line.

It is trying to advance where it can. And it is preparing what seems to be a future offensive down the road. And this is, of course, very, very worrying because Ukraine currently is also already losing territory, men.

And the biggest handicap that Ukraine currently has in its war against Russia is manpower. It is, of course, related to ammunition, but it's not exclusively the lack of Western support. I do want to emphasize this here.

FOSTER: Losing the war. How do you read that? Does that mean Russia keeps the land that it's got, or that Russia continues to take the rest of Ukraine?

GADY: Well, I think it would be premature to say that Ukraine is losing this war. I think overall, yes, it is true that there are certain negative trends that are ongoing in 2024 for Ukraine.

But I also think at the same time, this war is far from over or, you know, far from lost for Ukraine. The major issue here is manpower, ammunition, and Ukraine needs both in order to at least hold on to what they are currently, you know, holding on along the front line.

And so I think what we need to or should perhaps expect down the road is some tactical withdrawals, some Russian advances along parts of the front line, perhaps even down the road, a partial collapse of certain sectors of the Ukrainian front line.

But this doesn't mean that Ukraine is going to lose this war. It just means that we probably need to be ready for some bad news down the road. But it's not indicative of Ukraine losing the struggle in the long term.

FOSTER: Europe has obviously been stepping up as much as it can to fill the gap with, potentially, the gap with U.S. money going into Ukraine. Also coming up with new plans for how that war could be supported from Europe, taking some pressure off the United States. But is there any way that Europe could replace what America is giving right now?

GADY: Well, not in the short term. In the long term, I think the situation might look different. But this year, Ukraine really needs U.S. support. There are certain weapons systems, certain logistical support, which the European countries simply cannot provide to Ukraine. So U.S. aid remains crucial, particularly when it comes to ammunition, when it comes to other weapons systems, such as infantry fighting vehicles, long-range air defense systems in particular. Because if you've been following the news, the last couple of weeks have seen an uptick in so-called glide bomb attacks, which are really terrible and are really causing a lot of havoc along the front line.

And Ukraine desperately needs long-range air defense systems. And the United States is the only country that can really supply those, for example.

FOSTER: Obviously, Trump comes into this argument because many of his supporters are very much against funding Ukraine. But when you look at the language of Trump, you know, it's not entirely clear what he would actually do in a situation if you base it on what he says ahead of it. But do you think he's really saying that he would stop funding Ukraine and stop supporting Ukraine, or is his bigger issue just the, you know, some European countries simply aren't paying their fair share into NATO?

GADY: I do think it's a wake-up call for Europe on many, many fronts when it comes to these comments by the former President of the United States. Having said that, I do think the Europeans have realized that they need to step up, that they need to do more. Whether it's enough, that remains to be seen. For the moment, there is no substitute for U.S. military aid, unfortunately.

I also want to emphasize, though, that we need to decouple the discussion about European, Western, American military aid to Ukraine and the duration of this war, because the Ukrainians would continue to fight even without any Western aid, because they simply have no choice but to resist Russian aggression.

FOSTER: OK. Franz-Stefan Gady, thank you so much for joining us with your insight today.

And the war in Ukraine is just one of the concerns for Japan's Prime Minister as well. Ahead of a trip to Washington, Fumio Kishida will be meeting with the U.S. President Joe Biden as he looks to bolster Japan's defenses amid spiraling global tensions in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He says the world is at an historic turning point. But after decades of pacifism, this move is not without controversy.

The Prime Minister spoke with our correspondent in Tokyo, Hanako Montgomery, who is joining us right now. So what did he say? What's he going to get out of this trip?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, during our conversation with the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday, he emphasized the importance of a strong U.S. and Japan alliance, especially right now, given some of the hostile environments that Japan is facing in the region.

Here's what Kishida had to say about some of those security threats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In our neighborhood, there are countries that are developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and others that are building up their defense capabilities in an opaque way.

Also, there is a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in both the East China Sea and South China Sea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:35:04]

MONTGOMERY: Now, we know that at this upcoming state visit, the two leaders will discuss a wide range of topics from artificial intelligence, semiconductors, space and, of course, defense cooperation.

Under Kishida's leadership, we've seen Japan, the U.S. and South Korea agree to share real-time information about North Korea's missile tests, which, of course, is very important for Japan, given that North Korea is a close neighbor.

Now, during our interview with the Prime Minister, I asked him about his relationship with North Korea, and he told me that he is still seeking a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, despite receiving a lot of mixed messages from the leadership.

Now, in the backdrop of all of this and the state visit, of course, is Japan's changing defense posture. Under Kishida's leadership, we've seen Japan agree to boost its defense spending from 1 percent of its GDP to about 2 percent.

We've also seen Japan agree to buy Tomahawk cruise missiles made in the United States, the first time that Japan is acquiring counter- strike capabilities in decades. But this will be key to help deter a potential invasion of Japan, according to the Japanese government, as will a very strong U.S.-Japan alliance, which Kishida is aiming to achieve and will work on during his state visit with Biden -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Hanako, thank you so much, and we look forward to seeing that whole interview.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the U.S. won't accept new industries being decimated by an influx of Chinese imports. Those comments came during a news conference in Beijing earlier, wrapping up a weekend of meetings with both local and national leaders discussing the U.S. and Chinese economies and areas of concern for both parties.

Yellen says she addressed concerns of Chinese overproduction and its potential effects on the global economy, as well as U.S. national security concerns. Both countries also discussed the need for better communication to prevent future financial crises from escalating.

Mexico says it will report Ecuador's raid on its embassy in Quito to the International Court of Justice. Ecuadorian police on Friday forcefully entered the embassy to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president. Mexico's foreign minister says her country plans to denounce the move and expects the court will agree, ordering Ecuador to repair damage to the embassy.

Meanwhile, Mexican diplomats arrived back home after the country broke its diplomatic ties with Ecuador in response to the raid. Mexico's foreign ministry greeted them with their families, and that was when they landed in Mexico City on Sunday.

Mexico's presidential candidates have just wrapped up their first debate ahead of the general elections, which are in June. The frontrunners are both women, meaning Mexico may soon have its first ever female president.

Claudia Sheinbaum is leading the polls. She's part of the ruling party of President Andre Manuel Lopez Obrador. She is promising to continue his policies, saying the election is a choice between his progressive policies or returning to corruption.

Close behind is Xochitl Galvez. She's a candidate of an opposition coalition. She is promising to end violence in Mexico and to, quote, bet on health and education.

Now still to come, gender roles, surrogacy and human dignity. They're all subjects discussed in a new document the Vatican is publishing today. We'll share what we know about it after the break.

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Rwandans are remembering the genocide that devastated their nation 30 years ago when an estimated 800,000 people, mostly members of the Tutsi ethnic minority, were slaughtered during a 100-day spree of killing and raping acts committed by Hutu extremists. CNN's Christiane Amanpour looks back now on the violence and how it unfolded, the international community's failure to act, and the reconciliation period that followed. A warning, many of the images you're about to see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): A genocidal rampage that wiped out nearly 1 million people in just 100 days. Men, women, and children hacked to death with machetes, clubs, and bare hands.

When extremists from Rwanda's dominant tribe, the Hutus, set out to exterminate the Tutsi ethnic minority 30 years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They threw grenades at us and started hacking us all over our body.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): The systematic campaign of mass murder was sparked after the Hutu president's plane was shot down, April 6, 1994. And when I first traveled there, the scale of the atrocities was only just emerging.

AMANPOUR: Investigators have now turned up evidence to suggest that the massacre of Tutsis was pre-planned by the Hutu-led government. The U.N. report calls that slaughter genocide.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): While the international community failed to act, hundreds of thousands fled for their lives. The scenes were biblical, to neighboring Tanzania, to Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The genocide finally ended when the Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country.

That army was led by Paul Kagame, who eventually became president and remains so today.

AMANPOUR: Did you expect the international community to intervene?

PAUL KAGAME, RWANDAN PRESIDENT: Absolutely. All along, we thought that's why they were here.

AMANPOUR: And why do you think they couldn't and didn't?

KAGAME: They didn't care.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): A 2022 Freedom House report found that while Kagame's regime has maintained stability, it has also suppressed political dissent through pervasive surveillance, intimidation and torture. Kagame denies any of those accusations.

After the bloodshed in 1994, I saw the country's jails overflowing with alleged perpetrators. Everyone in prison claims to be innocent. Human rights workers say at least one in five people may have been falsely accused.

The government pursued a policy of unity and reconciliation, which often sees perpetrators and victims living side by side, as I witnessed when I returned to Rwanda years later.

Ephigenia (ph) was preparing a plate of food and serving it to Jean Bosco Bizimana, one of the men who murdered five of her children.

AMANPOUR: It's amazing for us to sit here and share food with families who've been through so much. Did you expect Ephigenia to forgive you and give you mercy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I felt that they would forgive me.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): As for international accountability, in 1998, President Bill Clinton apologized to the victims.

[04:45:02]

BILL CLINTON, THEN-U.S. PRESIDENT: We did not act quickly enough after the killing began. We did not immediately call these crimes, by their rightful name, genocide.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): But the scars run deep in Rwanda and mass graves are still being found 30 years later. A painful reminder of the country's darkest hour.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now in the coming hours, the Vatican is set to reveal a controversial new document addressing moral questions when considering human dignity, gender and surrogacy. The new document, called the Dignitas Intifada, will be presented by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez. He's the Pope's doctrinal czar, appointed late last year. It comes after a declaration last year from the Pope authorizing blessings for same-sex couples. Pope Francis has openly tried to make the Catholic Church more accepting of LGBTQ plus individuals, but he remains the vocal minority within the Church, which holds to the belief in traditional gender identity and roles and only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman.

CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb joins me now. It couldn't be addressing more sensitive issues, this document.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, it's going to be a very closely scrutinized document because it is covering those hot-button issues, gender theory, sex change, surrogacy.

Now, this document comes, as you mentioned, after another Vatican doctrine office declaration on same-sex blessings, which sent shockwaves through the Church, continues to send shockwaves because of that openness to allowing for blessings of same-sex couples, the first time the Vatican has done that. This document, I expect, to reaffirm the Catholic teaching and the Catholic position on these sensitive and contested areas.

It points to the Pope's broader approach. The Pope, on the one hand, has tried to do a balancing act between being open to people from the LGBTQ plus community, he's helped and supported trans Catholics at a parish outside of Rome. But on the other hand, he's been very critical of gender ideology. So it's this balancing act that the Pope has tried to do, to be open and pastoral, but also maintain Church teaching and doctrine. So it'll be very interesting to see later how he approaches it, how the Vatican approaches it with this document.

FOSTER: But if he is going to balance it, it's going to be a compromise and it's not going to have any real change, is it? It'll just be nods towards what some people within his Church, perhaps the side that he leans towards, are thinking.

LAMB: Well, it's difficult because it comes after that same-sex blessings move and I think there has been pressure on the Vatican to show that it maintains the teaching. So it is always difficult and it can involve compromise.

I think what the Pope is always trying to do is maintain the unity of the Church. He doesn't want to see splits and et cetera. He has obviously come under a lot of pressure from conservatives.

But Francis is not, quote-unquote, a liberal. He does and has always followed the Church's teaching. It's just how he seeks to apply it that's often been quite progressive.

FOSTER: Is he struggling with a, you know, wave of support towards the more conservative side, as parts of the world engage with the Church and are, frankly, more conservative?

LAMB: Well, he has to, I think, balance the different constituencies. He has, as I say, been someone who's shown a progressive side, an open side when it comes to particularly same-sex couples. But he has also been on the receiving end of really unprecedented attacks from conservatives in the Church who want him to isolate certain issues, culture war issues, which he refuses to do.

And I expect this document will try and set all the contested issues within a wider remit of human dignity.

FOSTER: OK, Christopher, thank you very much indeed. Back with you when we get that report.

We'll be back in just a moment.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: A sweet revenge for South Carolina. The Gamecocks now have their third NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship. They dashed Caitlin Clark's title dreams with an 87-75 victory over Iowa.

The Hawkeyes knocked South Carolina out of the tournament last year. Donning her Iowa jersey for the last time, Caitlin Clark said despite the loss she doesn't have time to, in her words -- her words sulk and called her team's season special. Certainly was.

We are now only hours away from the biggest game in men's college basketball. Defending champs the Yukon Huskies will be looking to win two titles in a row when they take on Purdue for the men's NCAA National Championship. 7-foot-2 Yukon star center Donovan Clingan will go head-to-head with Purdue's even taller star Zach Edey. He's 7-foot- 4. It's a match-up the Huskies coach is calling a battle of the giants.

And the stories in the spotlight this hour.

The U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders says he's deeply grateful to the efforts of law enforcement after a man suspected of arson at his Burlington office was arrested. The suspect is accused of spraying an accelerant on the door, the office door, then lighting it on fire. If convicted he would face, he could face five, between five and 20 years in prison.

The FAA says it's investigating a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver that had to make a quick return when an engine cover fell off and hit the wing flap of the Boeing 737-800 plane. No injuries were reported and Southwest says its maintenance teams will review the aircraft. This is the latest in a string of mechanical issues to plague Boeing aircraft across a range of airlines over the past several months.

Boeing declined to comment on this incident.

[04:55:00]

Finally, Maryland's governor says the timeline to open a major channel and get the Port of Baltimore up and running is, quote, realistic.

On Sunday, workers started removing the shipping containers from the cargo ship Dali almost two weeks after it slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people. Speaking to CBS, Governor Wes Moore said crews will work around the clock to make sure the channel is fully operational by the end of May.

Do join us later today for the total solar eclipse as it travels from Mexico across America and into Canada. Experience the total eclipse from numerous locations along with plenty of science and excitement along the way. Our special coverage starts at 12 p.m. Eastern time.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. CNN THIS MORNING, up next after a quick break.