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Russian Parliament Votes Authorization for Russia President to Send Troops into Crimea; Interview with Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; L.A. Prepares for Oscars; U.N. Security Council Meets on Situation in Ukraine.

Aired March 01, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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

MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESMAN FOR U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Martin. There are some reports that the leader of the radical opposition on the Ukraine called for leader of Chechen terrorists to support Ukrainian opposition against Russia. Does the secretary general have anything to say on this development?

NESIRKY: Look, there are all kinds of reports, some more credible than others, floating about in cyberspace. And I think that we continue to monitor these developments closely. We're aware of various reports but we're not going to comment on every individual one that pops up like that. Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One follow-up. This is official. The governor of Belgorod region in Russia reported that there are thousands of Ukraine refugees fleeing into this region of Russia. Does the secretary general plan to discuss this issue with Vladimir Putin, maybe some support for the refugees from the United Nations?

NESIRKY: Well, I think the secretary general wants to speak to President Putin directly to express his concerns, but also to hear directly from President Putin his assessment of the situation. Now, with regard to refugees, this is something that if substantiated would be for the refugee agency to look at. I would then refer you to the refugee agency.

OK, if there are no other questions, thank you very much.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": So there he is, the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. That's Martin Nesirky speaking on behalf of the U.N. secretary general, saying that Ban Ki-moon is gravely, gravely concerned about what's going on right now, expressing hope that cool heads will prevail, there will be a calm approach. He said that Ban Ki-moon will be speaking to the Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss what's going on.

Once again, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. We're following the breaking news out of Ukraine, the tensions developing now between the Russia and the U.S. and other countries, it's a serious situation. Let's bring in our senior United Nations correspondent Richard Roth. He's in New York right now watching what's going on. Richard, you're over at the U.N., as we have been pointing out, Ban Ki-moon can make all sorts of statements, the U.N. Security Council can meet in emergency session. But Russia after all has a veto at the U.N. Security Council, so there's a limit to what actually is going to emerge other than a few statements.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Russia would certainly block any significant action by the U.N. Security Council. However they did meet, Russian met the U.N. Security Council yesterday. Despite what they could say publicly to the press, and we don't know what goes on behind closed doors. Ukraine's ambassador made an impassioned plea to the Security Council. That's why they're meeting again on Saturday here in an urgent session, Ukraine asking for this meeting.

As you said, Ban Ki-moon has issued statements about concern on many countries in crises over his six year office. There may be an open formal meeting where there could be angry opening speeches, unclear on that. The first session will be closed doors between the council members here at the United Nations. There are articles in the U.N. charter which say that the U.N. Security Council has the right to get involved when international peace and security is threatened. Wolf, this is at the heart of what the U.N. was originally set up for over 65 years ago when one country moves forces into another. Things have changed a lot with terrorism and offstage actors as they're known. We'll see if the Security Council has any power in this issue, Wolf.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens if the Security Council issues statements. I assume, Richard, all the ambassadors from the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council are there right now getting ready for this emergency meeting.

ROTH: Yes, they are trickling in now. Ambassador Churkin, I think he relishes at times the spotlight. He gives the most spontaneous and candid comments, pointed as they are at the Security Council's stakeout. That happened also yesterday. He kind of dismisses the secretary general's envoy to Ukraine and says it's still a serious matter. But he thinks Russia has the right to do what it wants to do based on previous treaties with Ukraine. Ukraine sees it quite differently.

BLITZER: I assume the U.S. ambassador Samantha Power is there as well, is that right?

ROTH: That's right. She spoke yesterday moments before President Obama. She's found herself in a lot of crises in her short time in office here. This is old style U.N. emergency sessions involving two different countries with, as you noted, potential widespread impact should something happen on the ground.

BLITZER: Echoes of the cold war, to be sure. I remember covering a lot of those meetings in the '80s during the so-called bad old days, the height of the cold war.

ROTH: Wolf, we had a 1:00 a.m. meeting on August 9 of 2008 when Russia went into Georgia. That was a true emergency meeting overnight. We don't know what's in store in the days ahead.

BLITZER: We certainly don't. Thanks very much Richard Roth at the U.N.

Fred Pleitgen is our man in Moscow right now. He's standing by. So we heard the spokesman for the U.N. secretary general, Fred, issue a statement expressing gave, saying the secretary general is gravely concerned about what's going on, will be speaking shortly with Putin himself. How is this playing in Moscow?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think that it's one of the main, sort of areas that Moscow is looking at right now. Certainly Vladimir Putin is going to be speaking to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, but I don't think that's going to significantly change the course of Russian politics and certainly the course of this Russian military intervention that clearly is taking place.

I think right now what the Russians are trying to do is they're trying to decide for themselves what sort of end game they have in mind here. It's interesting that you were talking to Diana before about what exactly could be the future for this Crimea region? What exactly is Russian trying to achieve there? Does it want Crimea to separate itself from Ukraine? Does it want to become more autonomous? Those are the real questions that the Russians are going to be asking right now.

But one of the things, Wolf, from having been in Crimea over the past couple of days that we've been able to see is that what's going on there on the ground, it's hard to imagine that that is anything else but orchestrated by Moscow, if you see the forces that came out there, the way they were disciplined.

The interesting thing was, the earliest check points that were set up there in the Crimea were set up by a biker gang that's very close to Vladimir Putin. They're called the Night Wolves. And all of a sudden they surfaced in that area and they started setting up checkpoints together with the local police.

So clearly the Russians have been planning this for a while. This has been going on for a while and it's now come to this stage where we're seeing this overt military action that they have now waved through that you are own parliament. So clearly the U.N. is one of the places where there will be talking going on, there will be statements going on. Vladimir Putin is going to be talking to the secretary general. But the decision-making is something that happens here in the Kremlin with the view to what the people here in Russia think and to what Russia's strategic military interests are there in Crimea, and certainly also to what the Russian population in the Crimea is going to want to do. So those are the real issues that the Russians have right now. That's the real planning of what they're thinking about right now, Wolf.

BLITZER: We'll check in with Diana Magnay in Crimea shortly. Fred Pleitgen, don't go too far away. Let's go get some perspective now on what's going on, some context. Angela Stent is once again joining us. She's the director of the Center for Russian Studies at Georgetown University in Washington. So you heard the spokesman for the United Nations secretary general make a pretty strong statement, saying that Ban Ki-moon is gravely concerned about what's going on and will be speaking to Putin. Putin, you have met with him on many occasions, professor. Putin believes he's right, that the Russians are right, that the rest of the European Union, the NATO allies, the U.S., they are all wrong. Is that right?

ANGELA STENT, DIRECTOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, CENTER FOR RUSSIAN STUDIES: Certainly. These statements are all well and good, but Putin has calculated this. It's his uppermost priority again to make sure that this region is either completely separate from Ukraine or at least much more autonomous than it was before, to try and exercise as much influence as he can, Russia can, over the former Soviet states.

And so we have to understand that there's very little leverage that we have. And even if people don't go to the G-8 summit, it's clearly much more important for Putin to make a stand in Crimea than to have people come to Sochi to the G-8 summit. And I would just say that as for the U.S., our economic relationship with Russia is minimal. It's less than two percent of our trade. Yes, we were negotiating a possible new trade and investment treaty with them. But none of these things amount to great leverage that we have over Russia. And Russia has, as all your correspondents have said, a very direct and a very strong interest in Crimea, in Ukraine, and it's much greater than any other country has.

BLITZER: It seems to me, and I want to take a quick break, professor, but it seems to me in the old days of the cold war when there were these kinds of tensions there was a hotline between Washington and Moscow, that phone, that red phone, or whatever it was called. And the leader of the United States and the leader of Russia would get on and talk. Is it a possibility that the president of the United States would have this kind of conversation with Putin?

STENT: Well, we do still have a hotline and we know that President Obama spoke for an hour with President Putin last week. But frankly, ever since the Russians granted political asylum to Edward Snowden in Russia, the U.S.-Russian relationship has really deteriorated. They don't talk very often. There is a hotline, I'm sure they'll use it. People would like to deescalate the tensions, but we have now the worst relationship with Russia than we've had at least since the Russia-Georgia war, and it doesn't look like it's going to get much better.

BLITZER: That was back in 2008. All right, professor, thanks very much, Angela Stent at Georgetown University. We're going to continue to follow the breaking news out of the Ukraine. This is a fast moving story. We saw the president's national security advisors emerge from an emergency meeting over in the west wing of the White House. We'll resume our coverage right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: I'm Wolf Blitzer. We want to once again welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. We're following the breaking news in the Ukraine. Only moments ago, a spokesman for the United Nations secretary general read a statement on behalf on Ban Ki- moon saying the secretary general is, quote, "gravely concerned about the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine," and the secretary general making sure he wants to reiterate his call calling for full respect for the preservation of the independency, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Ukraine, clear, direct message to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, don't get involved militarily inside Ukraine, although Russian troops are already in at least small numbers are already in Crimea, which is part of the Ukraine.

Christiane Amanpour is our chief international correspondent. She's joining us from London right now. Christiane, it seems that 24 hours or so ago the president of the United States issues a strong warning, now the U.N. secretary general. There have been emergency meetings involving the president's top national security advisers in the White House. We anticipate a statement coming from the White House fairly soon. This situation seems to be escalating dramatically and not in the right direction.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, you're absolutely right. It is absolutely alarming what Russian is doing, and in the fact of direct warnings not just from the president of the United States but from the NATO secretary general, from here in Britain, the government, from the French government, from all the western and Security Council governments, direct warning not to intervene in Ukraine, a sovereign nation under which 1994 treaty Russia is bound not to intervene and bound to respect its territorial integrity.

Now the Russians are from Moscow itself that they haven't taken a decision on whether to accept the clearly staged Russian parliamentary vote to call for intervention in Crimea to protect ethnic Russians there. But it doesn't really matter because everybody believes that a certain amount of Russian forces, whatever uniforms they're dressed up in are in Ukraine right now, this violates and Russia's and the U.N.'s laws about invading other countries and disrespecting sovereignty.

It's the very thing that Russia is always on about in the international community, that no, we can't see any other countries invading, it's all about what's going on in Syria and everywhere right now. So it's absolutely unbelievable that Russia would be doing this right now and there is no legal basis for it.

So the United States needs to lead. All the other countries in the Security Council in the west, like-minded countries need to put their maximum pressure on and there is pressure, there is leverage, trade leverage, things that could affect the ruble, things that could affect the Russian economy.

And also the Ukrainian government now, the interim government needs not, repeat, not to launch any kind of military response. If they do, just like what happened in Georgia, they will be crushed by the Russians, and they need not to do that. And beyond that, the Ukrainians need to figure out how to reassure Russia that its rights will be respected, that its naval fleets and its base will be respected. Already the Ukrainian interim government is making unpleasant noises about trying to rescind they deal too on the naval base. That is not a good idea from the Ukrainian government. And they need to again reassure the Russians in Crimea that their rights will be respected. So maximum diplomacy and maximum leverage right now by all who have it needs to be exerted.

BLITZER: Yes. And what worries me, Christiane, is there are small numbers of Russian troops already in Crimea. The Russians have port facilities there, a warm water port. But just across the border there are reportedly 150,000 Russian troops engaged in military exercises right now. They could move into Ukraine very, very quickly and that would dramatically, dramatically escalate this crisis.

AMANPOUR: Precisely. And all of this that I was just suggesting needs to happen so that that does not happen. And it's very alarming, it's alarming because clearly Russia is not speaking with one voice, if we're to believe what Secretary of State Kerry has said, what the British and the French officials said, they were assured by the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov over the last several days that there would be no military intervention. Then all of a sudden you have the parliament taking action. You've got the forces that somehow seem to be aligned with Russia, militias that obviously do Russia's bidding there, and maybe they're even more sophisticated than just militias, but they're there. And they're there violating a promise that they made that they wouldn't be there.

The Russians have told the world that they would not be intervening militarily. Clearly they've got personnel in there. As you say they've got these military exercises that they say were coincidental, but nobody quite trusts that, with, as you say, not only 150,000 troops, but hundreds of tanks and aircrafts and dozens of artillery and other kinds of weaponry that's happening there.

So they are flexing their muscle. The question is how hard are they going to flex and how far are they going to take this flexing? And will robust diplomacy go to work right now to use all the leverage possible and to stop, you know, sort of -- I'm sorry, but not standing up to Russia's moves, which Russia has been pulling these kinds of moves for a long time now, whether it's over Syria or whether it's over all sorts of issues, and they need to be told where the red line is.

BLITZER: The problem, though, is credibility. As you know, Christiane, does the west, the NATO allies, the European Union, the United States, do they have that kind of credibility with Putin that if we were to take such action there would be a response, because presumably, he's saying to himself, you know what, they can cancel the G-8 summit in June in Sochi Russia, they can expel Russia from the G- 8. What's so much more important to Russia he believes is having control over at least the Crimea area of the Ukraine.

AMANPOUR: Well, unfortunately, under international law, the Russians don't have that right, it is a violation of international law and everybody knows it. We have been talking since Monday when all of this started with all of the officials and interlocutors. I spoke to the Polish foreign minister who was along with the Germans and the French those who tried to make this deal to try to resolve the crisis that happened last weekend. And they told us it is this 1994 law which spells it out in black and white enshrined by the United Nations that the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Ukraine must be respected. Russia signed it along with the United States and Britain. And I know you've been discussing this a lot over the last 24 to 48 hours, and this is because the Ukrainians voluntarily gave up their nuclear arsenal, and in return they were guaranteed these protections.

At the same time, the rights and the protection of the ethnic Russians in Crimea need to be protected. And presumably, Russia's long-term having this Black Sea fleet in Sebastopol also needs to be respected. All of that has to happen by diplomacy and not by military action.

If Russia moves in, this is going to be a multi-year problem to get them out again. And it puts Russia then outside the realm of international law. And Russia of course is the country that's always preaching to the rest of the world -- as I say, Syria, the most recent example -- of not intervening in other countries and not invading other countries.

So it's a very serious situation right now and very serious and creative diplomacy as to start, and presumably it's under way of course. And the U.S. and its allies have to be there to support it.

BLITZER: I assume they were going through diplomatic and other options when they were meeting in the west wing in the White House moments ago, the president's top national security advisors. Go ahead and make your point, Christiane.

AMANPOUR: No, no. The point is all of us are alarmed that just yesterday the United States and others were saying we see no preparations, no sort of, you know, the preparations, I guess, for Russian invasion. And then we hear all these developments today.

Now there hasn't yet been a major Russian invasion, but clearly, by sleight of hand they can do a lot of damage in terms of putting troops, personnel, and people in there. Everybody needs to take a step back and resolve this diplomatically. And let's face it. There was not the kind of attacks against ethnic Russians in Crimea that in any event demanded any kind of emergency action by Russia of a military sort whatsoever.

BLITZER: I want to show you some video, Christiane. This is from Crimea. These were pro-Russian demonstrators in Crimea. And remember the Crimea area -- that was actually in New York. Here's the video from Crimea, Christiane. These are pro-Russian demonstrators in Crimea. Here's what the Russian argument is, and this is what I have heard from various sources close to the Russians. They're saying, look, they're inviting Russian help because --

AMANPOUR: They don't have that right

BLITZER: Well, this is what they're arguing, I'm just giving you the rush shank argument, that they still recognize the ousted Ukrainian president Yanukovych as the duly elected, democratically elected president of Ukraine. He's now in Russia, obviously got limited authority, limited power. He's now seen by the Ukrainian parliament as in effect a war criminal given the deaths that developed on the streets of Kiev. But the Russians are arguing he's still the president of Ukraine. He wants help from Russia, the ethnic Russians in Crimea want help, and that's why the Russians are justified in doing what they're doing. That is the Russian argument that Putin will make.

AMANPOUR: Probably. And probably those self-appointed officials now in the Crimea region are making the same argument, as we know they are making that argument. The only problem with that is that it lies outside the bounds of international law and it does not seem to be any major reason for that to happen. There have not been mass killings of people in Crimea like there were in Kiev, which is what precipitated the fleeing of Viktor Yanukovych, and the arrest warrant that's being put out for him now.

The fact that he's on the lam, yes, he's saying he's still the legitimate president. But they have an interim government in Kiev. It is supported by the west. You have conversations between Vice President Biden and the interim prime minister. You have had support from the west. You have a date for new elections, and that is the process that is underway right now.

Again, Crimea has a certain amount of autonomy, but it is not an independent state that can call for a foreign country, a foreign country, to invade its borders, no matter what Russia believes about its near abroad or it's sphere of influence. And this has been a major problem between Russia and the west for the last many, many years. It was a problem, as you can see, what happened in Georgia.

But of course Russia does have the military might. And if the Ukrainians try to take on any Russian incursion, they will be crushed. And this will be a very, very bloody situation, much, much worse that it is right now.

So again, the interim Ukrainian government needs to assure all those in Crimea plus Russia that it only has the Crimean interests at heart, that it will keep them protected, they are part of Ukraine, that it will allow Russia to keep its fleet in Sebastopol for a certain number of years or however they decide to deal with this in the future. And at the same time, the international sovereignty of the Ukraine, under law signed in 1994, by the United States, Britain and Russia, is the law, territorial integrity and sovereignty. And I'm afraid under the current law, unless I'm mistaken, Crimea has no right to invite another country in.

BLITZER: Christiane, I want you to stand by with us. We're going to continue the breaking news coverage out of Ukraine. And I anticipate there will be a statement coming from the White House fairly soon, much more of our coverage right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're following the breaking news out of Ukraine, an escalating very tense situation unfolding. We're tracking some of the major developments in this situation. Christiane Amanpour is joining us once again from London, our chief international correspondent. When we see this situation, it reminds me of the bad old days of the cold war. Some are already making comparisons to Bosnia, Kosovo, stuff like that. How concerned should we all be right now that this could really get out of control?

AMANPOUR: I don't see any similarity at all to Bosnia, Kosovo, and all the rest of it. It's very similar to the U.S. invading Iraq, if you want to take the Russian point of view. They didn't like that. Nobody likes the idea of them invading Ukraine.

Again, the international law states very clearly what the law is, and here the British foreign secretary has called in the Russian ambassador today to once again reiterate the need to respect Ukraine's independence -- and Crimea is part of Ukraine, it does have some autonomy but it is part of Ukraine -- to respect Ukraine's independence and i's territorial integrity as well as its sovereignty. This is the law of the international community, to which Russia is a signatory, particularly of this particularly Budapest agreement that I'm talking about signed back in 1994.

So really intense diplomacy has to happen. Everybody has to step back from the brink. And the notion somehow that Crimea is begging for Russia to come in and help them, for what reason it hasn't yet been clearly said. But having said that, obviously in this state of political turmoil that we have seen Ukraine since November, frankly, and escalating over the last week very dramatically, Ukraine does need, the new interim government does need to reach out to people all over the country, including to Crimea where there is a majority of ethnic Russians, Russia speakers, people who see their future and their life with Russia, needs to reassure them that actually they are there for all of Ukraine, not just for those who are pro-European. Wolf?

BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour reporting for us from London, Christiane, thanks very much.

Let's get some more perspective right now from the former United States ambassador to Russia Steven Pifer who helped negotiate that territorial sovereignty agreement involving Ukraine back 1994. He's joining us by Skype. Ambassador, thanks very much. You tweeted earlier that Russia is violating its commitments in this situation. What do you mean by that?

STEVEN PIFER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: It was very clear the 1994 Budapest memorandum on security assurances that one of the commitments of the parties was to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. And the sorts of military maneuvers that you're seeing in Crimea now suggest that Russia has gone beyond that.

Russia did have some military forces in Crimea. There were certain moves they were allowed to make, but not taking over civilian airports, not setting up check points around the country, and not bringing in additional forces from outside of Crimea without Ukrainian permission.

BLITZER: How do you calm down this tense situation, ambassador?

PIFER: I think right now this really depends a lot on Moscow. Russia needs to deescalate a crisis which they seem to be intent in the last couple of days on escalating up. Right now I think you see in Crimea the introduction of additional Russian military forces in a situation where the Ukrainian military, which has bases and troops in Crimea, has shown military restraint. They have not gone out of their bases to challenged Russian military forces.

What I fear is that Russians are considering military action elsewhere in Ukraine, against eastern Ukraine, and then you could have a situation where some Ukrainian military would fight, and that brings this to a whole new level.

BLITZER: Because the Russians, Putin and others, they are concerned clearly that Ukraine was moving closer and closer towards the EU, maybe even NATO membership, if you will, something that was totally unacceptable to them from their strategic interests, their national interests. So they say they will never allow that to happen. You've heard those kinds of arguments from the Russians over the years.

PIFER: I would divide the questions down. On the question of NATO, I think it's very clear that Ukraine and Ukraine's population don't see a future in the NATO alliance. In 2008, there was a bid for membership action plan. But even then polls showed only about 30 percent of the Ukraine population supported that. So I think NATO for now is off the table for the indefinite future.

The European Union, though, is not NATO, and what Ukraine is talking about is an association agreement that would include a free trade arrangement. I would argue that a Ukraine that has a free trade arrangement with the European Union and still has good relations with Russia that can be repaired after last week, that should not be a problem for Moscow. But somehow Mr. Putin and Moscow seem to perceive that kind of Ukraine has a threat because it's not fully anchored in the Russian sphere of influence.

BLITZER: Do they still believe that Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted as president of Ukraine, do they still recognize him as the legitimate president of Ukraine?

PIFER: There have been statements to that effect coming out of Moscow, although I think it's very interesting given the crisis of this nature, it looks like Mr. Yanukovych has been in Russia now for two or three days. As far as we know there's been no effort by President Putin to meet with him. And his press conference yesterday did not take place near Moscow. It was many miles away down in southern Russia. So it's almost like on one hand the Russians are still saying he's the president of Ukraine, but they're also keeping him very much at arm's length.

BLITZER: Is there some sort of mediator that can calm this down? We got a statement, you heard it here on CNN a little while ago from the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, his saying that secretary general will be speaking with Putin shortly about the situation in Ukraine. Would he have any impact realistically on Putin, Ban Ki-moon?

PIFER: That depends on Putin. I mean there could well be a role for a mediation provided by the United Nations or someone else if the Russian is prepared to have this conference mediated. But this is the thing that I find worrisome is you look at what happened in Kiev a week ago, which the new government after Mr. Yanukovych fled. And what you say was there was no threat to Russian interests in Crimea. No one was talking about expelling the Russian forces or ending the Russian bases which are in Crimea by treaty. And instead you had this escalation that looked like it was almost provoked by the Russians with the idea of trying to trigger some kind of a broader conflict.

Again, the question about mediation, it can work if the Russians want to have an immediate end to this crisis, but at this point unfortunately it's not clear they want to go down that path.

BLITZER: Steven Pifer is the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Ambassador, thanks very, very much for joining us.

We're going to continue to watch the breaking news out of Ukraine, the tensions developing between Russia and the United States, among other countries. Much more coverage after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: I'm back at the CNN Newsroom. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We want to once again welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. We're tracking major developments, fast moving developments in Ukraine, in Washington, in New York, the United Nations Security Council meeting right now about Russian military moves in Ukraine. You just heard from the U.N. secretary general's spokesman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NESIRKY: The General continues to closely follow the seriously and rapidly unfolding events in Ukraine, including developments in Crimea, and is gravely concerned about the deterioration of the situation. The secretary general reiterates his call for the full respect for and preservation of the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He calls for an immediate restoration of calm and direct dialogue between all concerned to solve the current crisis.

The secretary general will be speaking with President Vladimir Putin of Russia shortly about this situation in Ukraine. As the secretary general is about to fly to Europe, he has asked the deputy secretary general to attend today's Security Council session, to brief members of the council on developments in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Earlier at the White House, this was the scene, several members of the president's top national security team leaving after closed door meetings. The defense secretary, the director of national intelligence, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they were all there. All of this coming several hours after Russia's parliament approved the use of military force inside Ukraine. Ukraine's government has condemned Russia's approval of military force, calling it, quote, "a direct aggression," and the opposition leader has called for Ukraine's parliament to convene right away.

We're going to continue to watch what's going on in Ukraine, the fallout in New York at the United Nations in Washington and the Europeans capital.

Much more coming up, but quickly I want to check some other headlines at this hour. Happening near Denver, in fact, a major car pileup, take a look at this, after a snowstorm caused an accident along a busy interstate. Our affiliate KDVR tweeted this photo of cars wrecked and jammed. Interstate 25 is now closed no word on when it will reopen.

Out west in California, folks there experiencing another kind of frustration after suffering its worst drought in 100 years. Take a look at this scene in Los Angeles, heavy rain triggering dangerous mudslides. Thousands were forced to evacuate their homes. A fire official says it will be hard to stop the flow of mud coming down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE MARTIN, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: The natural reaction is you want to save what you have, you want to try to stop that mud from coming in, so we have some folks that are getting outside and they're working in very, very dangerous conditions and in very precarious areas to try to stop this flow of mud. You're not going to be able to do that on your own. The fire department doesn't have equipment at this point in time to stop the flow as it's coming down off the mountain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: One couple there told us they have endured this rain and much more crazy weather. They stay they have simply had enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM KRALIK, MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA, RESIDENT: We had fire, drought, and now torrential rain. So pretty much everything.

DENNIS KRALIK, MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA, RESIDENT: We have hit all four elements at this point. I think we're done at this point with any more crazy storms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: I want to bring in our meteorologist Karen Maginnis. Karen, the Oscars is in L.A. tomorrow, the biggest threat of a storm in southern California. Is it out of the way or is it still there?

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is still there. And in a season where we have seen probably the worst drought in southern California, now comes a flooding rainfall. And it has been very unpredictable with some areas receiving almost a foot of rain. Even into the desert regions, we could expect another one to three inches. In the mountains of California, across the sierra Nevada, there could be as much as four feet of snow. Here's some of the rainfall totals in northern California. San Francisco, yesterday, set a record rainfall total for the day. But they have already seen just about two-and-a-half inches of rain. In Big Sur, those rainfall totals have been three and four inches, but some areas did see four inches right around Van Nuys, California.

So some of these rainfall totals are unlike what we have seen in quite some time. They are already saying that this next storm system that is moving in is going to really pack a wallop as far as the winds are concerned, also across the higher elevations, as much as 90-mile-per- hour winds have been reported there.

Here's some more rainfall totals as we take a look. Pinion Peak saw just under 10 inches of rainfall. This is not the end. This storm system is going to continue to push across the interior west. And as it does, for the Midwest, what a terrible winter it has been already. More snow, more ice is in store for areas from Kansas City, to St. Louis, to Indianapolis, extending into Kentucky, looks like Paducah, and then going into the northeast, coming up on Monday in New York City you could see four to eight inches of snow. Very dynamic situation, we'll stay on top of it.

BLITZER: We certainly will. Thanks very much, Karen Maginnis reporting for us.

Other news we're following, 27 people were killed in a violent attack on a railway station in southwest China today. More than 100 people were hurt. Police say a group of men stormed the train station, but officials don't know who they were.

And Disney is cutting off the Boy Scouts. The company says the group's continued ban on gay and lesbian troop leaders violates its standards of business conducts and donations to the Boy Scouts of America will stop by 2015. Disney has offered benefits to same-sex partners of its employees for decades and allows same sex marriages on Disneyworld's grounds.

More trouble for former NFL star Darren Shaper who is accused of raping multiple women in several states. The NFL has terminated Sharper's contract as an analyst days after the former Pro Bowl player turned himself into police in Los Angeles. Sharper is accused of raping women in Louisiana and California, and he's under investigation in Arizona and Nevada. Sharper's lawyer says all of the alleged rapes were actually episodes of consensual sex with women who, quote, "wanted to be in his company."

And the red carpet is out and the gold statues are ready. The Academy Awards are Sunday night, and the competition is tight. Our entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The 86th Academy Awards is set to be Hollywood's biggest party. With Ellen Degeneres as ringleader, expect nominees like Meryl Streep and Matthew McConaughey to get their grove on with the talk show queen. Hollywood heavyweights like Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt are up for some of the nights biggest awards, ensuring there will be no shortage of star power.

1970s con artists are pitted against astronauts for the most trophies. "Gravity" and "American Hustle" lead the pack with 10 nominations apiece. Facing off against "12 Years a Slave," Philomena," "Captain Phillips," "Her," "Nebraska," and "The Wolf of Wall Street" in one of the tightest best picture races in Oscar history.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For some reason my Xanax isn't kicking in.

TURNER: Golden Globe winner Cate Blanchett is a best actress contender going to head to head with the likes of Sandra Bullock, Amy Adams, Judy Dench, and with a record 18th nomination, Meryl Streep. First time nominee Matthew McConaughey lands into the best actor category against Christian Bale, Bruce Durham, Leonardo DiCaprio. But this year could be all about the music.

(MUSIC)

TURNER: Farrell, U-2, and Karen O are set to perform the best original song nominees, making the Oscars one of the biggest concerts of the year. With hot performances and a host like Ellen, it may not be the winners that get everybody talking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And remember, tonight you can get ready for an all new CNN film "And the Oscar Goes To," the ultimate in Hollywood's biggest night. That will air on CNN, 9:00 p.m. eastern.

We'll take a quick break. We have much more news we're following, that rare meeting over at the United Nations Security Council, the crisis in Ukraine escalating right now. We'll be right back.

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BLITZER: At this hour more breaking news. A rare Saturday emergency meeting over at the United Nations Security Council in New York. Talks began about 45 minutes ago, and they're discussing military movements of Russia inside the Ukraine.

The Security Council meeting comes after President Obama's national security team met over at the White House. The secretary of defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA director, among others, participating, all of this coming several hours after Russia's parliament approved the use of military force in Ukraine. Ukraine's government has condemned the vote, calling it direct aggression. And the opposition leader has called for Ukraine's parliament to convene right away.

Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting with his own advisers, his own aides, he's also speaking with Ukraine's leaders. Let's bring in our foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott. She's getting new information. What are you learning, Elise? ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I'm told Secretary of State John Kerry did speak today with the interim Ukrainian president. Why is that important? Because right now the president has just said that he's ready to direct all of Ukraine's resources to answer any Russian intervention in Ukraine.

We look at what's going on in Crimea right now, but we're also looking at the fact that over the last week, Wolf, Ukraine underwent some monumental changes in the political situation on the ground. President Yanukovych is out. A new interim leadership is there, and so the U.S. really wants to stand by this new fledgling leadership, making sure that they know that they're going to help with whatever is possible in terms of economic and diplomatic support as they go through the next couple of days.

BLITZER: U.S. officials, as you know, at least they're threatening not to show up at the scheduled G-8 summit in Sochi in June. Is that a serious threat to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin?

LABOTT: Wolf, we saw this in 2008 after the Russian invasion of Georgia, there was talk about not allowing Russia to come to the G-8, kicking Russia out of the G-8. Clearly this is not important to President Putin, although this is in Sochi where the Olympics just took place and an area where President Putin wants to highlight on the world stage. Clearly is a zero sum game for him in the Ukraine and he has made the decision that he can live without a meeting of the G-8. He can't live without Russian sphere of influence in the Ukraine and I guess is willing to take a pass on it.

BLITZER: I'm sure U.S. national security official were discussing the president other options on the table. We'll learn more about those, that's coming up. Elise, thanks very much. We'll take a quick break, much more on the breaking news out of Ukraine right after this.

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BLITZER: The United Nations Security Council meeting in an emergency session right now. We're anticipating some sort of statement coming from the White House. Much more of our breaking news coverage right after this.

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