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Russian Forces Now Control Crimean Peninsula; 106 Million Bracing New Winter Sloan; Interview with Gary McCarthy; Violinist Uses Music to Overcome Illness

Aired March 02, 2014 - 17:00   ET

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

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Some of them very big happening just in the last 20 minutes or so.

First, German chancellor Angela Merkel says she spoke to Russian president Vladimir Putin and proposed a fact-finding mission of some sort to the disputed areas there in eastern Ukraine. According to Merkel, Putin has accepted her proposal. CNN is working to confirm details of that mission.

Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official tells CNN that Russian forces now quote "have complete operational control of the Crimea peninsula." The U.S. estimates some 6,000 Russian ground and naval forces are in the region. In addition, administration official say the U.S. will cancel trade talks with the Russian set for next week and have cancelled a Russian visit to the U.S. to talk about energy markets.

And also, many developments coming in. We just learned that secretary of state John Kerry will travel to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine tomorrow night for talks beginning on Tuesday.

Right now, there is a military standoff at three bases in that Crimea region. Pro-Russian appear to be blocking the bases, surrounding them. Meanwhile, Ukraine Navy chief declared his loyalty to Russia and disavowed Ukraine's the new leaders just one day after he got the job.

I want to bring in our senior international correspondent Ian Lee in Kiev.

Ian, first question here, if Russia does not back down soon what will happen? And also, any update on what we talked about a short time ago which was the spread of an attack on Ukrainian base in the Crimean peninsula?

IAN LEE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, things just keep to be changing all the time here. We are hearing that Vladimir Putin talked to German chancellor Angela Merkel. In their conversation, re-affirmed his worries about ongoing crisis in the Crimea. But what we are hearing now is that a fact finding mission will be sent to the Crimea. That Vladimir Putin said that he will allow that to happen to go investigate the situation.

This is the breakthrough in the diplomatic efforts that we haven't seen yet that a fact-finding mission observers will go there to check out the situation. And that is the first step towards what the west has been saying as de-escalation of the situation in the Crimea.

SCIUTTO: I imagine the goal of the fact-finding mission would be to corroborate, investigate Russian claims that ethnic Russians in that area are on the threat. Is it your sense that charge, that allegation is true, that the Russian speaking citizens in that area are under threat from the Ukrainian majority in the country?

LEE: Well, the Crimea, it is an interesting question because this is something that the government here in Kiev has been asking for (INAUDIBLE) a long time. They have been asking for the United Nations, for the European Union, for someone in the international community to send monitors into the eastern part and into Crimea to prove that there isn't discrimination going on. The Russian -- pretext to them going in to the Crimea was that ethnic Russians would be discriminated against would it be oppressed albeit as they are a majority in the Crimea.

But this is definitely a de-escalation because on one hand, you do have Kiev that is going to be happy with this because this is something that they wanted all along. The west is going to be happy with this is because they are finally able to bring some diplomatic wiggle room into this crisis and the Russians are going to, you know, stick to their guns, so to speak, as of now. But they are saying that monitors will see that they were right all along.

So, it definitely what we are seeing, I think, you can categorized it as de-escalation as of now, though. But these things tend to come and go and ebb and flow as they say, you know, one minute we are hearing stories -- reports of tension increasing. And this time, now, they are decreasing.

SCIUTTO: No question.

Let me -- the other development recently, the secretary of state John Kerry will arrive in Kiev. How important is it to the parties in the new government there, a little more than a week old, to have America's most senior diplomat on the ground there? They have been asking for American diplomatic support. What will the reception likely be to secretary Kerry?

LEE: Well, he will get a warm reception here in Kiev. The government here has been pleading to United States for help. I was wondering who will see how much help they are able to give. We have heard a lot of a very tough words coming out in the United States, not just Secretary Kerry, but also President Obama towards the incursion by the Russians into it the Crimea.

So, we are expecting a warm reception. But we will wait and see how worth they can actually what sort of deals they can come up with sort of agreements because at the end of the day they need to get the Russians onboard. So while they will be well-received her, they still have a lot of work to do.

SCIUTTO: But we also have CNN's Barbara Starr, out Pentagon correspondent on the phone, joining us as well. Now Barbara Starr, a fact-finding mission going, is there anything to indicate as we hear from U.S. officials now 6,000 Russian troops on the ground, complete operational control that Russia's military moves into that area are slowing down as a result of this fact-finding mission? Because I imagine skeptics might say that could be a delay tactic as Russia continues to put more forces on the ground and take more control on perhaps areas outside of Crimea?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Well, that is really the critical point right now. I mean, fact-finding missions discusses all of that is the diplomatic realm and certainly this hope that will work trying -- I think perhaps, trying to give Vladimir Putin some light at the end of the day to work towards how can he make a choice and deescalate this and still keep the Russian pride.

But Putin might not be the least interested in any of that because he has 6,000 troops in Crimea within a matter of just a few days now. U.S. officials say Russian troops have full operational control over the Crimea peninsula. Nobody knows if they are going to move more troops in. They certainly have additional troops close by, right over the border. But gaining control of Crimea gives them very significant military leverage to control the very northern end of the Black Sea, a major (INAUDIBLE) navigational and shipping area if they choose to do so. Nobody goes in to the Crimea or comes out of the Crimea without the approval of Russian forces at this point. Thankfully, it has been turned into a shooting war. Unless they have to go that far. They have been sure in control. You know, if they can keep their control in the Russian area set therein, they may not have to do much more. They can just sit tight and see what develops and see how long Putin tells them to stay there, Jim.

SCIUTTO: You know, as we are speaking to you, we are showing these pictures of some of the Russian forces on the ground there including where they come nose to nose literally with Ukrainian forces as the Russian troops surrounds so many as Ukrainian bases.

You have covered these things for years. Whatever officials might be saying back in the capitals and western officials have commended the Ukrainian leadership for reacting so calmly to all this. But you have local troops on the ground in very dicey situation, You got guns drawn as we see in this. Some of them with magazine clips in. That is a dangerous situation to keep under control. We even heard of warning shots being fired around at one base earlier from our correspondent in Kiev. How difficult for commanders to keep something like this from spiraling out of control.

STARR: This is constantly razor edge to say the least. You are absolutely right. You have nose to nose as this video, directly points out. You have a level of comment because they are in the Russians, are in an area where there is significant Russian population. But there are plenty of other people in this region that necessarily do not want to see the Russians there. And the longer this goes on patience, typically in these situations begins to wear very thin. We have seen it time and again in history where a simple incident can flare very readily into all out conflict. If that were to happen, it would be extremely challenging for the Ukraine military to really be able to take the Russians on. Russians have superior air power, ability to control, to seize control and hold air, land and sea space. Not something the Ukrainians are going to really be able to challenge.

So I think you have a couple of issues for the United States right now from the military perspective. What if Putin moves further or is it going to be on this? How are far do you let him go? What can you do militarily to challenge him? And what would happen if we suddenly see an incident flare out-of-control -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: One more thing before I let you go. U.S. officials have been saying with some confidence in the days earlier to the middle part of last week, even until the end of the week, it was their assessment, Putin was not going to go in, of course Russian forces on the ground in numbers. Was this a major intelligence failure?

STARR: Well, it perhaps remains to be seen. But let me make a couple of points. They did not see he would go in full so (ph), 150,000 troops. They didn't see that happening. They did see Putin wanting to exert control and influence and Putin sending the message that he would do whatever he wished to do to protect Russian interests especially in the Crimea. He certainly has accomplished that. He certainly has sent a message to the United States, to Ukraine, to all of Europe that he is still this major player and he will simply do as he wishes.

Vladimir Putin knows full well that the NATO nations, as wee as the United States and part of NATO, all of them are cutting defense spending, all of them are cutting their military budget. And after 13 years of war for so many countries in both Afghanistan and Iraq, there is no appetite for further military action that had became part, I would say, of Putin's calculations.

SCIUTTO: All right, well, thanks very much CNN's Barbara Starr at pentagon. Also earlier, we had our Ian Lee in Kiev.

Major developments happening very quickly just in the last hour. Russian forces taking full operation control of Crimea, that, in southern Ukraine. We also have word of secretary of state John Kerry traveling to Kiev arriving on Tuesday, a major diplomatic mission. We also heard that the German chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken with Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested a fact-finding mission on the ground in Ukraine. President Putin accepting that suggestion.

So things moving very rapidly as we move along here. We are going to have all the latest coming up right after this break. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

SCIUTTO: Well, breaking news by the minute and new developments by the minute happening in Ukraine.

Russian forces now control the Crimean peninsula. That is the word a short time ago from a senior U.S. official. In addition, we have also now learned that secretary of state John Kerry will travel to Kiev on Tuesday.

In a situation with few good options for the U.S., I spoke last hour with CNN military analyst Spire Marks and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine's Steven Pifer. I asked General Marks if the military action there amounts now to an invasion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RETIRED), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Jim, it is an invasion incurred a couple of days ago when Russia put forces from its nation, its sovereign nation into the sovereign nation of the Ukraine by way of Crimea. And it is not unusual for us to see Russian forces now surrounding the Ukrainian bases in Crimea to ensure that they, the Russian Forces, have complete controls of the land mass with the primary focus on Sevastopol to ensure that that doesn't flip or that anything that takes place in Sevastopol is in questioned in terms of the Russian view.

It is not unusual at all that we would see this. And I think what we are really seeing is the initial steps diplomatically of some form, maybe premature on my part, but that is OK, of an annexation of Crimea by Russia.

SCIUTTO: Ambassador Pifer, if I can bring you in, we know that Ukrainian forces are greatly outnumbered out armed by Russian forces. What aid might they be asking in addition to the diplomatic support that they are asking for? What other aid might they be asking from the EU, from the U.S. at this point, as we hear of what very much appears to be annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory?

STEVEN PIFER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Well, first of all, they make a distinction about what we are seeing now as with the Russian forces in Crimea. It seems to be that the Ukrainian government has basically exercises a huge degree of restrain in terms of telling Ukraine on forces in Crimea not to resist. They have maintained their bases. They have stayed in bases. They have not (INAUDIBLE) the Russian forces on the Crimea peninsula.

If, however, this is a prelude to a larger, broader Russian military intervention in the east Ukraine though, I think the game changes very, very significantly and you likely will see the Ukrainian army fight and then the game becomes much different in what we are seeing now.

Now, in terms of political, I think it is a very a good move by secretary Kerry to go to Kiev. One of the things that the United States and Europe should be doing and foreign secretary (INAUDIBLE), I bet he is in Kiev today, is to do everything that we can to bolster a government which has only been in place now for about seven days and it faces huge domestic challenges, in addition to this huge crisis they have on their hand with Russia.

SCIUTTO: So, we have the diplomatic options there. Is there, General Marks, any military options? And again, Barbara Starr and I were talking about just a short time ago. We are not talking about invasion of shooting, you know, bringing planes and then so on, but military options to send a message.

Barbara Starr mention the later this week, there is a regularly schedule circulation of American war ships in the Black Sea where the Crimean peninsula is. Do you think that a show of force like that again, regularly scheduled, would be a good sign for the Obama administration to send at this point?

MARKS: Well, I think it is a perfect sign if it is previously scheduled, if it is not dramatically in response to what is taking place in the Ukraine. I think it is a good move. Going into the black sea under these conditions makes it a little more problematic. The United States certainly doesn't have to fight its way in. It may have to fight its way out. I know I may anticipate any of that. But it is important that the United States continue to exercise military options. And the primary mission at this point is to deescalate. We have to demonstrate strength. We have to demonstrate resolving. We also have to demonstrate look, that Putin might think this is business as usual, we can't just simply be in response to his efforts. He clearly has the momentum.

But there are options that we can take. And the key thing is that the United States has to present a capability that allows the United States and partners to build on extent presence so it can build and if necessary, respond as directed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Coming up, it has actually taken months of protest and tension to get to this point in Ukraine. So, how did we get here? That story, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

SCIUTTO: Now, each hour seems to brought a new development in the Ukraine crisis, sometimes it seems each minute brings a new development. So we wanted to slow down and pause and dig down to what led to this point, why Russia's ties with Ukraine are so deep. But also, why the west and the U.S. have interest in what's going on here.

First, just a reminder, Ukraine is in Europe. It is not a million miles away. It is in Europe. And when you look at these countries just on its western border here, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, they are all strong U.S. allies members of NATO. Under the NATO treaty, the U.S. has an obligation to protect these countries, defend them if they come under threat. Ukraine, not a member, but there have been talks in recent years about bringing them into a closer relationship with NATO.

But let's go inside Ukraine as well so we can understand the divisions there that are driving some of this. Eastern part of the country, border is Russia, the red area, 75 percent or more speak Russian. You get to the western part of the country, these lighter yellow areas, only five percent of the people speak Russian, are ethnic Russian. That gets to the division here. And the poll between the west and Europe closer association with the EU and NATO. And here in the east, clone closer association with Russia. Although to be clear, that doesn't mean, everybody is pro-Russia or everybody speaks Russian, just in the Crimea, really, the center of this crisis, It is only 60 percent of the people are ethnic Russian. So 40 percent there might have a very different view of the Russian occupation.

This also plays out in the elections that have taken place in the country. Go back to 2010 when the former president Viktor Yanukovych who recently fled the country was elected. His support, again, in that eastern part of the country, ethnic Russian where they speak Russian. That's where most of his vote was, 50 percent here, above 75 percent here. In the western part of the country the support for Yulia Tymoshenko, bordering polling there, 75 percent or more. Here 50-75 percent where Kiev, the capitol is, where this all started. Remember, after that election, Yulia Tymoshenko was put in jail on what the U.S. says were trump at corruption charges. She has been released in the last week and promises to be another leader of the pro-western part of the country.

So, you do get a sense looking at the map here where the divisions are. And now, just a reminder, as we learned from U.S. officials, Russian troops are now in full operational control here of the Crimean peninsula where they have a very important days naval base.

Now in that area, a very strange standoff right now took place between Ukrainian and Russian troops. And our owned senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman was there as it happened. Here is his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): God save your people these women sing outside the main gates of the base of the Ukrainian army's 36th brigade. Protect us with your cross.

Inside the Ukrainian troops have vowed never to surrender to the hundreds of other troops without insignia, very tight lip, but presumably Russian marines deployed outside. (INAUDIBLE) a Ukrainian, tells me they, Russians, say they are here to protect us but who will they protect us from, she asks? No one has attacked us.

Under the Soviet Union, Crimea was part of Russia until 1954 when Soviet leader, Mikita Crusjef (ph) unilaterally handed it over to the Ukraine, also then part of the Soviet Union as a symbol of the fraternal ties between Russia and Ukraine. Those once fraternal ties now afraid almost beyond repair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Waving a Russian flag, 66-year-old Nicoli petuhab (ph), a former soldier insists Crimea is Russian and should return to Russia with the help of President Vladimir Putin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) WEDEMAN: Logically, say Nicoli (ph), Crimea should be part of Russia.

We have all of the elements here for a tense standoff. But it is not quite as tense as it appears. The soldiers here for instance don't have any ammunition in their weapons. And even though we have here opponents and supporters of the Russian presence, so far, there has been a lot of talk but not any action.

Further away from the gates, electronic troops do have ammunition and in mid afternoon more of them arrived. The base may be surrounded but it is not sealed. Its Ukrainian commander Colonel (INAUDIBLE), entered unimpeded but for a crowd of curious journalists.

Father Evan runs the church by the bases' front gate. He is here to sank the souls of Ukrainians inside and the Russian outside, praying to turn stand off to stand down.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, south of (INAUDIBLE), Crimea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: We are going to continue to follow all the developments in the Ukraine crisis. But there is another big story we want to tell you about and that is weather right here in the U.S.

After the break, we'll show you who is going to get hit by another big winter storm right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

SCIUTTO: And there's more breaking news on the crisis in Ukraine. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and proposed a fact-finding mission of some sort to Ukraine. According to Merkel, Putin has accepted her proposal. CNN is now working to confirm details of that mission.

Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official tells CNN that Russian forces now have, quote, "complete operational control" of the Crimean Peninsula. U.S. estimates some 6,000 Russian ground and naval forces are in the region. In addition, administration officials said, the U.S. will cancel trade talks with the Russians set for next week and they've already cancelled a Russian visit to the U.S. to talk about energy markets.

Also as the news is breaking we've learned that Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Kiev, Ukraine, for talks. He'll land on Tuesday.

And right down there in Crimea, in the middle of it all, there is a military standoff at three bases in that region. Russian and Ukrainian troops, nose to nose, as you're seeing there. Pro-Russian forces appear to be blockading, surrounding those bases, many of them armed. Now we're not going to go far from the Ukraine story but there is other news out there to tell you about right here in the U.S. 106 million Americans are in a major winter storm's path. Louisville, Kentucky, and Philadelphia are two cities that are right in the bull's eye.

We have CNN's George Howell in Louisville and Alexandra Field in Philadelphia.

George, I'm going to start with you in Louisville. We've been looking at the radar and we see snow and sleet around the capitol. Around Louisville there, I should say. Are you seeing any of it on the ground in the city yet?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, it is starting to come down. We're starting to see this light sleet coming down here in the Louisville area and where we are right now this is where the center of activity starts, quite frankly starts. You can see the trucks that are loading these snow plows, the plows that will go about the streets and treat the roads, put salt down on the roads in advance of the storm that's coming in.

Again, 105 million people, rather 106 million people in the path of this big storm.

Jim, I have lost count. I don't remember how many big storms we've had come through here this winter. But as we understand this will be a big one.

Here in this area the big certain, Jim, is obviously the trees, the power lines. As you know, you have relatives here in this area. A big problem when the sleet comes in. Then after midnight, we know that a lot of snow will come down. We've heard estimates anywhere from five inches plus so the Louisville area is preparing as the weather condition deteriorate.

SCIUTTO: Thanks, George.

Word to my Louisville relatives and everybody else there, stay indoors. Looks like it's going to be a tough night.

Also in Philadelphia where we have CNN's Alexandria Field.

I know the weather is coming your way. What's the scene there and what are the preparations that they have under way? They're expecting a few feet of snow, aren't they?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jim, it's already getting cold here and it's about to get very ugly. The winter storm warning goes into effect here at 6:00. That's less than a half and hour away. Right now we're getting some rain here in Philadelphia but soon we will see sleet and around 10:00 tonight, that's when the snow starts to fall. If the forecast is right, what we'll see tomorrow is six to eight inches of snow.

It's a lot of snow in this city. That's on top of the 59 inches of snow that have already fallen here over the course of the winter. And while that sounds like a big number, it isn't quite enough to make this a record breaking winter. The record was actually set back in 2009 when some 79 inches of snow fell here. And I think I can speak for a lot of people --

SCIUTTO: We seem to have lost our Alexandra Field there in Philadelphia. But giving us the latest. Another city that is in the crosshairs of that rapidly moving storm, talking about several inches of snow expected to fall tonight.

Coming up, the latest on the crisis in Ukraine.

Plus CNN's new series, "Chicagoland" shows people fighting to stop gang gunfire from killing the city's children. Up next Chicago's police superintendent explains how he's tackled youth violence and dramatically lowered gun incidence.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: CNN's new original series "Chicagoland" shows a city in America's heartland trying to save its children from violent deaths.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel brought in Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy back in 2011. McCarthy faced a youth violence epidemic. Fifteen-year-old honor student -- you may remember -- Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in a Chicago park one week after she performed at President Obama's second inauguration last year.

In another Chicago park a 3-year-old boy was shot in the face in September. Police called the shooting a gangland ambush. That little boy survived but now he's afraid to go back to the park that he once loved.

In "Chicagoland" the police chief opens about the challenges of fighting crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY MCCARTHY, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: My biggest issue in Chicago is dealing with gangs, guns and the press. It's not cultural change in the department, it's not acceptance of an outsider, none of those things. They all pale in comparison to those challenges right there. And the media. They keep talking about the rising toll of gun violence in Chicago while the numbers are going in the other direction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While the press continues to focus on Chicago's violence, there's actually been a decline. In 2012, there were 161 murders in the first quarter. In 2013 there were 93. That's more than a 40 percent reduction.

MCCARTHY: We're taking a more holistic approach to crime reduction here in Chicago than I think has been done in most places in the country?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What are you trying to achieve? MCCARTHY: I'm trying to save the world. Can't you tell?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know. I want to say that, too, but --

MCCARTHY: Yes, well, right now I'm trying to save Chicago. So here's --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trying to save Chicago. Any particular part of Chicago?

MCCARTHY: All of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, we're going to bring you now the hero of the film, Chicago Police Superintendant Gary McCarthy. Also Chicago Family Services Commissioner Evelyn Diaz.

If I could start with you, Superintendent McCarthy. We see that youth violence decreased in Chicago by 40 percent in 2013. That's a remarkable number in any span of time but in one year, how did you -- how did you make that happen so quickly?

MCCARTHY: Hey, Jim, thanks for the accolades but, you know, I'm -- I just get the blame or the credit being in charge of the department. We've got great people on the ground but, you know, we did -- we did a complete retooling of the department. We kind of tipped the balance from relying on specialization to relying on beat officers which was a big change of pace with specialization to support it.

But the single most important thing that we did was we created a comprehensive gang violence reduction strategy because when we got here it was really evident that we had one of the worst gang violence problems in the country and we had things that we did about gangs but we didn't have a comprehensive strategy.

So we developed that, it revolves around the intelligence. It revolves about knowing whose and what gang. Who they're in conflict with so when one issue happens it doesn't kick off a whole series of events. We can go and try and prevent that retaliatory shooting based upon intelligence that we have.

It focuses on the people, places and things that are causing gang violence in the city. The people obviously being the gang members and a lot of attention has been drawn recently to our custom notification program which revolves around a formula created by sociologist of social networking of criminals that we can actually identify individuals who are a thousand to 2,000 times more likely to be involved in homicide as either a victim or an offender.

So there's a lot of things going on but at the end of the day that gang violence reduction strategy is probably one of the most comprehensive in the country.

SCIUTTO: It is. I mean, the numbers speak for themselves. I want to bring you in, Evelyn, as well because I know -- it's not just about law enforcement, it's also about prevention programs. And you've been leading the way on that programs like becoming a man, mentoring program.

Can you explain to our viewers how that works and how that keeps young men out of the -- out of the gangs and may be from ever going in but also taken to that -- taking them once they're in.

EVELYN DIAZ, COMMISSIONER, CITY OF CHICAGO FAMILY SERVICES: Right. So the main idea behind becoming a man is that youth frequently engage in kind of quick, automatic responses in their behavior but specifically -- in particular around violent behavior and so programs like BAM help youths learn how to reflect on their decision-making process and think before they act.

And so what we've learned is that that formula is working to reduce violence. And that's why last week you heard President Obama use BAM as a model for his Brother's Keeper's initiative. There was a BAM participant who got to introduce the president and it's also why Mayor Emanuel in Chicago has tripled his investment in the prevention programs since he started. It is really a great example of what we are doing in Chicago that is different. We are investing in programs that are proven to reduce viol violence.

And then we're investing more to make available to more and more young people who can benefit from them.

SCIUTTO: Yes, I'm glad you mentioned the president's program, interestingly, this week. A similar attention to young men in need. Particularly ones in broken families. And I think in situations like this, people like simple solutions, one dimensional solutions but it's not a one-dimensional l problem.

I wonder, Gary, you're from New York, you also worked in Newark, new Jersey. What challenges did Chicago's gang culture pose that you didn't see here on the East Coast?

MCCARTHY: The biggest challenge I have is the proliferation of firearms in the city of Chicago. And we keep talking about it. We recover more guns than any city in the country. Up to nine times the number of guns that are recovered in New York City, up to three time the number of guns that are recovered in Los Angeles.

So, you know, I've worked with great police officers my whole life. And we're 99 times better at getting the guns, it's just that there's that many more here. And that's because of the structure of the gun laws in the state of Illinois. But beyond that, you know, you mentioned Hadiya Pendleton. Nobody goes to jail for gun possession in the state of Illinois. The individual, the accused killer of Hadiya Pendleton plead guilty to a gun possession in November in 2011 and killed Hadiya Pendleton in January 2012.

He shouldn't have been on the streets. He wouldn't have been on the streets of New York because they have a mandatory minimum requiring significant jail time. That is probably our greatest challenge. We've got the department working in affectionate -- is very efficient. We could obviously always do better but it's about systems management and the criminal justice system has to help support the reduction of gun violence in the city.

SCIUTTO: Well, listen, you're both doing remarkable work there.

Gary McCarthy, Evelyn Dian, thanks so much.

MCCARTHY: Thanks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: You can see a lot more from both of them. The new CNN original series "Chicagoland" debuts this Thursday night from executive producer Robert Redford. "Chicagoland" follows the struggles and successes facing this quintessential American city. It's a fight for change that will not be easy.

Again, "Chicagoland" premiers Thursday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 9:00 Central.

So will Ukraine go to war with Russia? That's the question hanging over the growing crisis at this hour.

Coming up we'll take you to the streets of Moscow to show you what people there are doing as they watch this crisis unfold.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: A violinist used her love of music to help her overcome a life threatening illness. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her story in this week's "Human Factor."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alison Lint began playing the violin when she was just 7 years old.

ALISON LINT, VIOLINIST: I started piano when I was 8. Then I also play viola and a little bit of guitar. Those are the main instruments. Yes.

GUPTA: At 16, the high school junior and student at the Cleveland Institute of Music started to feel exhausted. Then she had difficulty breathing.

LINT: I couldn't perform everyday tasks. I couldn't remember how to dial the phone.

GUPTA: She was misdiagnosed with bronchitis and then pneumonia and a few months later, she was rushed to the hospital coughing up blood from a lung hemorrhage. She spent 2 1/2 weeks then in an induced coma.

LINT: There was about a period of a week and a half where they weren't sure if I was going to live.

GUPTA: When she finally left the hospital, doctors still didn't know what was wrong with her.

LINT: I had a relapse. I was again coughing up blood so they sent me to the Cleveland Clinic where I was diagnosed with Wegener's Granulomatosis.

GUPTA: Which causes a form of vasculitis or inflammation of the blood vessels.

LINT: It took a toll on me emotionally and mentally.

GUPTA: Depression, weight gain, they both followed, and then the chemotherapy to treat the disease caused her hair to fall out.

But throughout several relapses, Alison, she never gave up on her music. Despite struggling with strength and endurance, she enrolled at the Oberlin Conservatory, even played Carnegie Hall with their symphony orchestra. Then she started Violin for Vasculitis, and she plans to travel to all 50 states, telling her story and performing to raise awareness and money for this disease.

LINT: It's given me the ability to combine these things in my life, my illness and my music, in a way that I never would have thought possible.

GUPTA: Last October came an invitation to join the Akron Symphony.

LINT: It's a goal I've had for a long time. And it feels really, really neat knowing that I overcame all of this and I'm still able to play.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

SCIUTTO: The crisis in Ukraine is reaching a boiling point. A senior U.S. official confirms Russian forces now have complete operational control of the Crimean Peninsula. It's believed some 6,000 Russian ground and naval forces are in the region right now.

And a short time ago the U.S. announced Secretary of State John Kerry will fly to Kiev, that's the capital of Ukraine, on Tuesday to lend support to the interim government there. Meanwhile, in Russia, the continued aggression in Ukraine sparked dueling protests today.

Now as we have been talking about this, we wanted to remind people not only the West's interests in Ukraine, but also Russia's.

I just want to draw your attention to the tip of Crimea. This is the port of Sebastopol. It is a very important Russian naval base, it's only warm water naval base. All the northern bases would get frozen up in winter. This is the key to why Russia considers this a vital interest to its country. Also just so our viewers know this isn't a million miles away. It is in Europe. Crimea is where Florence Nightingale made her name during the mid-1800s during the Crimean war.

Also the site of the famous Charge of the Light Brigade that was made famous by the Alfred, Lord Tennyson poem. So this is a place that has been very connected to Europe, very connected to European history for some time. And certainly a vital interest to the Russians because they have that key naval base right here.

In light of the military interests we're talking about, I want to bring in our own General Spider Marks who we've been -- who's a CNN military analyst. We've been speaking to him extensively about this.

Spider, can you help explain to our viewers how and why in Russia's view Crimea is so important, so vital to them from a national security standpoint?

MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Jim, thanks very much. Yes, you touched on it, absolutely specifically. And it is access to Sebastopol. This is where Russia and previously the Soviet Union had housed their Black Sea Fleet. And as you indicated, it's the only warm water port that Russia -- the Russian federation has access to.

So it's incredibly important in terms of their national security interests, access to the Mediterranean and then onward, free access and flow along all those lines of communications that have affect not only their security, but also their economics, all of their commerce, et cetera. So it's extremely important. And also in light of what is taking place in Syria right now, this is really quick access to that region as well.

And as we realize, the United States' influence in the Middle East is waning. Russia now as we have seen has taken a very upper hand in terms of events in Syria. And it's amazing to us that we can see Russia quite easily control events and dictate the pace in Syria. They conduct the Olympics in Sochi, and now they're asserting themselves almost without resistance in the Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: And also, just about the Black Sea, You know, you have this major Russian naval base there. But the Black Sea is also -- the U.S. Navy has access there. In fact, there are regularly scheduled exercises with U.S. warships going into the Black Sea. This is still not -- that is still not territory, though. That is -- that is open water.

MARKS: It is, absolutely. Russia does not claim that, nor should they. Certainly it borders turkey as well as Russia, Ukraine, and others. But it's very important to realize that under these conditions, where it is now in extremis, it is hostile. Russia has asserted itself. The United States has planned maneuvers as you've indicated, Jim, into the Black Sea with Marines. They're coming up very shortly. I wouldn't be surprised --

SCIUTTO: General -- General, and apologies. General Marks, I'm going to have to cut you off there just as we're coming to the end here. But thanks very much. I'm Jim Sciutto. Please stay with CNN and CNN.com for continuing developments on the Ukraine. But next, a live CNN red carpet special, "HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST NIGHT."