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At This Hour

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: "End of the World" if Russia Wins; Explosions Rock Kyiv, Thousands Seek Shelter in Subway System; U.N. Says More than 1 Million Have Fled Ukraine; Russia Seizes First Major Ukrainian City; U.S. Defense Official: Majority of Russian Missiles Coming from Inside Ukraine. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired March 03, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. We begin with breaking news on Putin's war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Zelensky delivering an ominous warning, telling reporters moments ago that Ukraine is the buffer between Russia and the rest of the world and, if Putin's military wins this war, it will be, quote, "the end of the world."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

This is genocide and Nazism. And I am ashamed that we are in the 21st century, in 2022, and we are seeing acts where people are told, forget -- I will call it the end of the world. The end of the world, forget my predictions of the end of the world. This is the end of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: That warning and that call for help coming just as Russian forces have, for the first time, seized a major Ukrainian city, the port city of Kherson, home to nearly 300,000 people in the south.

This significant shift now threatens to cut off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea.

And fierce fighting continues also in another strategic port in the city of Mariupol, which is surrounded right now by Russian troops. The deputy mayor there told CNN this morning, the city has no power, no water, no heat. Let's get to it. CNN's correspondents are stationed all over the region for this hour,

starting with CNN's Sam Kiley, live in Ukraine.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kate, The Ukrainian president once again addressed his nation as his diplomats enter negotiations, a long way away from peace talks. He even talks about a cease-fire seen remote.

But his people are now in negotiating a secret location with their Russian counterparts. The Ukrainian president making a direct appeal to the Russian people, saying, you don't have to back this man; he's not a czar. . But also more importantly, I think perhaps, once again and very loudly calling for a no-fly zone to be imposed because, as he says, the Ukrainians, civilian targets are being targeted and hit from the air all over his country.

And this of course coming as Mariupol, that very important southern city right on the edge of the area captured in 2014 by the last Russian-backed invasion, is now, according to its mayor, entirely encircled.

And this proving to be a profoundly dangerous situation. The mayor there saying they have no water, no electricity, no ability to really sustain life and even get civilians out. They're afraid to go out and get food.

We're seeing this increasingly across the country, this beginnings of an attempt of what might look like a siege also being imposed on areas at least of Kharkiv and of Kyiv, the capital, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Sam, thank you so much for that.

Russian forces are continuing to bomb as well Ukraine's capital city. Look at this new video, capturing massive explosions in Kyiv overnight. The blasts lighting up the night sky.

At the very same time, that 40-mile long Russian military convoy, it seems to be stuck on its way to Kyiv. The city bracing for a full- scale assault. Thousands sheltering in the subway system still. CNN's Alex Marquardt is live in Kyiv.

That video from overnight, Alex, is remarkable in how large that fireball was.

What have you been seeing today?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate. And those kinds of explosions happen throughout the day as well. They're just not as visible because it's not at night.

But we have continued to see a steady pace of these blasts in and around the city. Just a short time ago, our colleagues in the center of Kyiv reporting that there was a loud blast to the northwest of the city. There was that huge one that you just mentioned. That was to the southwest of the city.

All that to say these are coming from all over. And they are getting increasingly close to the center of this city.

Just yesterday, I was at one of the sites, just three miles from the city center, next to Kyiv's TV tower that had been struck on Tuesday by Russian forces. And then last night, we saw a blast right next to Kyiv's central railway station. That, of course, is where so many people have gone, to try to evacuate to the western part of the country --

[11:05:00]

MARQUARDT: -- to get out of the country to other neighboring nations. There was damage to a railway platform but also, very worryingly, there was damage to a critical gas heating pipeline. Of course that raises fears about what Russia may do to try to attack critical infrastructure.

For now, the interior ministry says this was a Russian cruise missile that may have been intercepted by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses and that the fallout from that was the destruction right around that railway station.

At the same time, as hundreds of thousands, in fact, more than a million now have left the country, many are seeking refuge below the city. We have seen video and pictures of residents of Kyiv, going down into the subway systems, taking shelter down there, lying on mattresses and blankets, pictures of kids getting stories read to them, people passing their time reading books or reading their phones.

They've taken their pets, their cats and dogs, down into the subway system. There has been a steady stream of air raid sirens heard throughout the city for the past week.

And the mayor of the city said, as soon as you hear those sirens, you must take shelter.

Now one of the main things the residents of Kyiv are really worried about is the 40 mile long convoy that we have been watching for several days now. It does appear to be stalled.

But at the same time, U.S. Defense officials say that the Russians may be reassessing, taking their time, taking a break. And of course, they could launch all manner of attack with the kind of weaponry and vehicles that they have in that -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Alex, thank you for your great reporting still. I really appreciate it.

As Alex was talking about, people are seeking shelter in the subway systems. It is very clear that, with the missiles and rockets still flying, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is unraveling.

The United Nations says more than 1 million refugees have fled the war-torn country in the last week. That number is soaring by the day. Sara Sidner is in Poland, where half the refugees have gone so far.

What is the situation there today?

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you imagine the size of Poland but, more so, the size of the cities they're coming into. They're very small cities. I'm at the train station in Poland. I'll take you inside to let you see what happens throughout the day and into the night, Kate.

It is filled with people from all over Ukraine. There are babies, there are children, there are many, many mothers. You'll notice a lot of women but there are also students. So you have men from different parts of the world, who were students in Ukraine.

But this place is never not busy. At about 2:00 am, they clean. And so it gets very quiet. But I mean, people are just coming with just anything that they can. Usually it's one bag each. And you see those people sleeping there.

You see those people sleeping there. She says there are 10 people from her family that are here with them and they're all women and children.

I'll show you a little further in. You see these people that have signs. They're saying, look, we'll take you to Frankfurt. There are a lot of people from Germany here, who, we have noticed, have been trying to help Ukrainian refugees, offering places for them to go, places for them not only to live but to work.

But there are lots of people in every corridor that you go. There are lots and lots of people.

Now I want you to hear from one of the refugees. This woman here is carrying her baby in her arms. And this is how she traveled over from Ukraine on the train.

People are exhausted. People are upset. They have left everything behind and, mostly, they are upset about their husbands and their fathers, who they had to leave behind, who were there to fight against the Russians.

Here's what one refugee told us, as she tried to shield her 9-year-old daughter when she left Odessa, from seeing the horrors of war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm Ukrainian and I'm going to fight against Russians. They shall not pass.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): No. I'm never afraid to fight for my homeland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: All right, that was the wrong person but that was another person who was from Ukraine, living in Poland. And he decided to leave his life here in Poland, where he lives and works, to go back over to Ukraine to fight for his country.

Now I'm not sure if we have that other piece of sound from the mother, who has a 9-year old. But I'd like to let you hear that. OK, I will just tell you what she said. She is in tears. She is breaking down, here is what she has said. Her name is Olga (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLGA (PH), UKRAINIAN REFUGEE: The Ukrainians are very friendly. We don't want to have war. We don't want to have quarrels with somebody. We want just peace.

[11:10:00]

OLGA (PH): We want to have children to go to school, to go to work you know. And we want -- war, we ask Russian president, we ask -- oh, gosh, please stop the -- because the city is so dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: That's Olga Shevchenko (ph). She was with her 9-year old, leaving Odessa in a panic. They had one bag each. Her husband and her child's father, still in Ukraine, fighting with whatever he has. He's not a soldier, he is not trained in any way.

And the police, he's just a man trying to save his own country. Now one last look at what's happening at the train station.

When people show up here, look at this woman from Poland. She is here. She is just giving food. So that when you show up, you're not hungry or you're not in need of anything. They have water, they have snacks for kids. They have blankets.

And then let's take you out to the actual tracks. And Jerry (ph), my photographer, is going out to give you a look at what is going on here. And what is going on here is that, if you see far over the tracks, that is where the trains stop. You'll see a yellow train there.

They stop and drop off people, usually from Lviv. They've come from there. And they are dropping people off. And then they come down into a tunnel. And you will see them just coming in droves as the trains stop. Kate, that is the situation here in Poland.

BOLDUAN: It's like organization and chaos, resilience and panic. It's all of this together. Thank you so much for being there, Sara, I really appreciate it.

We'll continue to follow with much more on this humanitarian crisis that is unfolding a little later in the hour.

Back here in the United States, the U.S. military is now cancelling a planned missile test. The Biden administration acknowledging that the reason is to avoid sending any signals that could be misunderstood or misconstrued by Russia in this moment.

The decision announced just days after Putin put his nuclear forces on heightened alert. CNN's Kylie Atwood live at the State Department with more on this for us.

Kylie, what can you tell us about this decision?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, the Pentagon said yesterday that they are postponing this missile test, that was scheduled for this week.

The reason they're postponing it, as you said, is because of these heightened tensions that have been created due to Russia's invasion into Ukraine, with the Pentagon spokesperson saying that the United States doesn't want to take any action that could be misconstrued or misunderstood at this time.

But also saying the United States remains confident in its strategic posture right now and in its military capabilities around the world.

We're also learning overnight that, yesterday, the White House asked lawmakers on Capitol Hill to greenlight $10 billion in assistance to Ukraine. That's lethal and humanitarian assistance.

Now this is part of an overall emergency funding package that the United States, the White House and lawmakers have been talking about for a few weeks now. The expectation was that that would focus on COVID-19 relief.

But of course, because of this crisis in Ukraine, the majority of that money, $10 billion, the White House is saying, needs to be sent to Ukraine. And they're saying this is the part that needs to be sent immediately. But there could be more requests for more additional assistance to Ukraine. That number could rise. Kate.

BOLDUAN: Especially as this war drags on. Kylie, thank you so much.

Coming up for us, Ukrainian president's warning that, if Russia wins in Ukraine, it is the end of the world.

What is the next move from the West to stop Vladimir Putin?

We discuss it next.

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[11:15:00]

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BOLDUAN: Breaking news: moments ago, Ukraine's president laying out his most direct warning yet, saying that if Russia wins this war, then it will be, quote, "the end of the world." President Zelensky vowing this morning, Ukraine will not surrender.

Russian forces have seized their first major Ukrainian city, Kherson, on the Black Sea and now the port city of Mariupol is under siege as well.

The mayor there warning humanitarian catastrophe is coming, as Russian forces have the city surrounded. Joining me now for more on this, CNN political and national security analyst, David Sanger, correspondent from "The New York Times."

And also with us retired General John Allen, the former commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the presidential envoy to counter ISIS.

Thank you both so much for being here.

David, first, I want to get your take on what you make of this warning from President Zelensky today.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, President Zelensky is giving no ground and I think he's recognized that his greatest strength lies in rallying his people.

And obviously, he's given the Russians a much bigger run for their money than they ever expected. That said, I fear the disaster could be coming. His warning is correct that the Russians, after a week's attacks, are clearly getting ready to move in on major cities.

I think the next few days could have horrific casualties. And I think that one of the big questions, Kate, that is sort of facing the administration right now is the question of where Putin would stop.

And they are worried about Moldova, a neighboring country, where Secretary Blinken is now planning to visit, I think, this weekend. They're worried about Georgia, which previously Russia had attacked. And they're worried about whether or not NATO was really willing to go stand up for some of its newer and smaller members.

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SANGER: And so there's no particular reason to think, based on what President Putin has said so far, that he's limiting this campaign to just Ukraine.

BOLDUAN: Terrifying. And just what Zelensky is getting at.

General, we have now, in the state of this war, is the first major city has fallen to Russian forces. Bloody battles ongoing in another key port city in the south. And also, a U.S. Defense official just said just now that almost half of the Russian missiles being launched are coming from inside Ukraine.

We've got this map constantly updating, in the red showing the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine.

And I'm wondering, how big is the difference between taking control and maintaining control over time, as this fight drags on and Russian forces push in?

GEN. JOHN ALLEN (RET.), FORMER SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY: OK, thank you, again, for inviting me. And I want to thank CNN and your brave correspondents for the -- shining the light on this humanitarian catastrophe that you're doing. Well done to you.

There's a big difference between taking ground and holding ground. Putin has already learned a hard lesson. He came in light, he came in too light, expecting he would be able to decisively defeat the Ukrainian military, the resistance fighters, who are now in large numbers beginning to push back.

And he didn't have enough combat power to do that and, frankly, the performance of the Russian military early along wasn't very good. So now he is, as you see, the Russians are defaulting to their reflex, which is to use massive firepower to make up the difference in their capabilities otherwise.

So to your point, he's got the capacity to take probably some of the cities. But holding those cities and, ultimately, controlling Ukraine, he's barely had a presence in the western one-third of that country. All of the border crossings are still uncovered with the friendly NATO countries.

Taking it, holding it, are two different things. He doesn't have the combat power right now to take it. We'll see what he does when he tries to hold it.

BOLDUAN: You call this a true humanitarian crisis, General. And I've also seen you say that there's no question at this point that Russia and Putin is guilty of war crimes. President Biden, though, has said it's still too soon to say that. Tell me what you are seeing and why this is so important.

ALLEN: Sure. The law of armed conflict requires that, if you're going to apply force in combat, there has to be a necessity first;

Second, that you can discriminate between combatants and non- combatants;

And third, that you use force in the proportion necessary to accomplish your mission.

All we have to do is look at your videos to see that the force is being applied in a manner that is completely indiscriminate, with massive use of high volume or high yield warheads on cruise missiles, aerial-delivered ordnance -- rockets, the rocket artillery, tube artillery.

And they're firing -- there we are; we're looking into a physical fitness center. They're firing into civilian areas, to take the life of innocents intentionally, to use more firepower or more combat power than is necessary and to do it without necessity.

Those are all three violations of the law of armed conflict, which apply to them, by the way, as well as it applies to us. So we can debate in some quarters of the American government as to

whether they've violated the law of armed conflict or not. To me, it's pretty clear. They have and it's not just the law of armed conflict. This is a violation of international humanitarian law.

And so the list of Russian commanders, who should go on the list of those who committed war crimes, should be pretty long at this point. And we should be pretty unambiguous about that.

BOLDUAN: David, I want to play something one Ukrainian MP has said, as they're asking for more help from the West. And she crystallized in the most clear terms yet the ask and the frustration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLEKSANDRA USTINOVA, UKRAINIAN MP: Asking to fight for us, we're just asking for technical protection over the sky, we're asking for stronger sanctions.

And, unfortunately, even here, the world has to go into compromise and they would put sanctions on Russia but exclude the energy sector out of it. And that what feeds Putin and his army.

They would turn off SWIFT. But they turned SWIFT only for seven banks out of 300 banks in Russia. Those are partial sanctions. And Putin understands that he can go as far as he wants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Do you sense that the administration gets it, David, or that there's a shift coming?

SANGER: I think there is. I think the shift is happening. In fact, in some ways, one of the concerns I hear in the administration is that that some of the sanctions have rolled out a little faster than they expected.

They want to leave themselves some room to accelerate, if Putin accelerates. And they wanted to leave some room to decelerate if Putin decelerates.

[11:25:00]

SANGER: And of course, we haven't seen that happen. They could bring about sanctions that cut off all the energy revenue. The problem is, Putin launched this quite deliberately in the winter, when he knew the Germans and Italians and others would still be dependent on Russian gas.

I think if there's any big lesson that comes out of this, beyond the humanitarian disaster that General Allen just described so well and beyond the war crimes and the fact this entire thing is simply driven by the whims of one leader, Vladimir Putin, I think it's the lesson of the importance of having an independent energy supply.

Germany, much of Europe became more dependent on Russia in the past two years, rather than less. And that was a huge strategic error and is leading to the problem that you just heard about from that Ukrainian lawmaker.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. David, thank you.

General, it's great to have you on. Thank you so much.

Coming up for us, congressional investigators are accusing Donald Trump and one of his lawyers of being involved in a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.

What will the Justice Department do now?

That's next.