Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Biden Says He'd Be Willing to Apply Sanctions on Putin; White House: Russian Invasion Remains Imminent; EU Leaders Stress United Support for Ukraine; Awaiting Results of Investigation into Downing Street Parties; Israeli Panel Recommends Fourth Shot for Adults. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired January 26, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares in London and just right here ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There will be enormous consequences if he were to move into Ukraine.

NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Russia's surging of troops into Belarus is a cause for deep concern.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: No one can get into the mind of President Putin or Russian leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: The U.S. warns of an eminent Russian attack on Ukraine, as President Biden issues a fresh warning to Vladimir Putin. We are live in Kyiv this morning.

A post party hangover. Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, is fighting for political survival. We'll take you to Downing Street.

Plus, Israel says a fourth COVID vaccine dose offers better protection. Live for you in Jerusalem with the details of the country's new booster recommendations.

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Isa Soares.

SOARES: Welcome to the show, everyone. It is Wednesday, January 26th. And world leaders are pushing the deterrence and diplomacy but as tensions rise on Ukraine's border, they're also preparing for a possible Russian invasion. The White House says the threat is imminent though acknowledges only Russian president Vladimir Putin knows what he will ultimately do. President Joe Biden says he's made it clear there will be severe consequences if Russia takes military action. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Would you ever see yourself personally sanctioning him if he did invade Ukraine?

BIDEN: Yes.

COLLINS: You would?

BIDEN: I would see that. There would be enormous consequences if he were to go in and invade, as he could, the entire country or a lot less than that as well. For Russia not only in terms of economic consequences and political consequences but there will be enormous consequences worldwide. This would be the largest if he were to move in with all of those forces. It would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: President Biden speaking to our Kaitlin Collins. Well, with more than 100,000 Russian troops amassed near Ukraine, more U.S. security assistance and military equipment has arrived outside of Kyiv -- as you can see. The Russian Embassy in Washington claims those weapons will end up in the arms of -- in the hands of militants as well as terrorists. Ukraine's foreign minister had this message for Russia in an exclusive interview with CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We will not be in the position of a country that speaks on the phone, hears the instruction of the big power and follows it. No. We paid a lot, including 15,000 lives of our citizens to secure the right to decide our own future, our own destiny and we will not allow anyone to impose any concessions on us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: The State Department meanwhile says the U.S. has not seen any concrete signs of de-escalation by Russia and issued a warning to Belarus where Russian troops have been arriving for what is said to be drills.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Just as we've been clear with the Russian federation about the severe cost that would befall them were this to move forward. In recent days we've also made clear to Belarus that if it allows its territory to be used for an attack on Ukraine, it would face a swift and decisive response from the United States and our allies and partners. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Meantime, Moscow has accused U.S. and NATO of escalating tensions even as Russia continues its buildup near the Ukrainian border.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PSAKI: What we have seen is a range of preparations including 100,000 troops at the border, bellicose rhetoric and actions, as we've talked about in here, including false flag operations to try to spread misinformation throughout the region and even the world setting up the predicate for an invasion. So, while of course our preferred path is diplomacy, and we can't predict where the mind of President Putin is, we've certainly seen aggressive actions and preparations increasing at the border.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:05:00]

SOARES: Meantime, in Europe, the French and German leaders met to discuss the unfolding crisis ahead of a meeting today between representatives of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine. This comes as the EU's chief diplomat warns Europe is facing, quote, the most dangerous moment since the cold war.

Well, CNN correspondents are tracking all the developments as this crisis unfolds. Melissa Bell is joining us from Paris. You can see there. Sam Kiley is standing by in Kyiv. But let me start this hour with Sam. As the diplomatic efforts, Sam, continue in Europe, as we just outline, we've been hearing from President Zelensky who's trying -- from what I understand -- to really reassure worried Ukrainians. Has it eased their concerns?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The really striking thing I have to say about Ukrainians at the moment, Isa, is that they are worried but they are not panicking. And that has been the message that how they should continue to behave coming from their President Zelensky.

Now he was speaking or has been speaking of broadcasting using Facebook following the decisions by the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany to withdraw all diplomats and ship some of the diplomatic families out of the Ukrainian capital here in Kyiv in preparation for or protect them from a possible, not a certain, but a possible Russian invasion. The Ukrainians saying, they don't see evidence of an immediately imminent Russian invasion.

Although of course, they are deeply worried, more than any other people on earth, obviously, about an invasion in the future. They are hoping for some kind of diplomatic breakthrough. They're also very anxious, indeed here, as we heard in that interview with Clarissa, about schisms or differences of opinion, differences of attitude beginning to emerging from the Europeans. There has always been a different effort made. And indeed, we're going to see a lot more diplomatic efforts made in Europe in meetings later on today that may change the tone or give opportunities to Vladimir Putin to exploit differences in approach if not in terms of actual principle among NATO partners and other European allies. And that is an opportunity for Putin that the Ukrainians really don't want to see taken.

SOARES: And do stay with us. Let me go to Melissa. Melissa, and can we pick up really in what Sam said. Talk to us -- explain to us those differences, those patterns that Sam was talking about. Where does Europe stand, for example, on the question of sanctions. We heard President Biden talking of personal sanctions against Putin. Is Europe trying to diffuse tensions another way?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Europe has agreed on a series of sanctions. It hasn't published exactly what it intends to do should Russia choose to invade Ukraine. But that was the point of the foreign minister's meeting in Brussels on Monday. They have been working behind the scenes on their own set of sanctions even if there has been disagreement within Europe -- between European partners, Isa, on exactly how far they should go in terms of cutting off Russia, for instance, from the financial system.

There will be, and of course, for the time being we don't know the details of them since the idea is that they will be applied should that invasion of Ukraine take place. But there is a lot of focus of course from Europe, on the point, in the hope of negotiations. Hence, that resumption of the Normandy format talks. Today, it is an important step. Because you'll remember that it was the Normandy format talks.

So, talks between Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France back in 2014, 2015 that it allowed for the Minsk agreement of that, the progress to be made towards peace in Ukraine. Of course, that process halted by frequent breaches of the cease-fire in the Donbas region. And that's going to be at the heart of what's going to be discussed today.

Now bear in mind, these are just diplomat-level talks. What we heard from Emmanuel Macron last night, is that they hope that they could lead level talks in Berlin in the near future. That would be a huge advance, of course. And for the time being is nowhere near on the cards. But the fact that all those parties are sitting down to talk, an important step.

We've been be hearing just a few moments ago, from a spokesman for the Ukrainian president's office saying, look, it is good that these talks are happening, and they are keen to get back to the negotiating table to talk about those frequent breaches, they say, of the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine. But reminding the world that there will be no direct talks between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists at all and at any point.

So, if we look ahead to those important talks to see what emerges, and we should be hearing from both the Ukrainian and Russian delegations later today. But the hope from Europeans very much that talks can have some effect rather than sanctions being needed at any point -- Isa.

SOARES: Indeed. Melissa Bell there for us in Paris and Sam Kiley in Kyiv, Thank you to you both.

And coming up in about 20 minutes or so, my interview with Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.K. What he says President Biden and the West need to do in case of a Russian invasion.

[04:10:00]

The U.S. Energy Department announced the release of more than 30 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to seven companies. President Biden announced a plan to release up to 50 billion barrels to fight rising gasoline prices in the U.S. and to ease the lack of oil supplies globally really. Most oil prices fell after that announcement but have returned to seven-year highs. We'll stay on top of that.

There is help coming to Americans to pay their home heating bills. The government is adding $100 million to an assistant program which helps families heat or cool their homes. It's the first installment of $500 million contained in an infrastructure package that was passed, if you remember, last year. Experts say there is some unprecedented level of funding. It will probably fall short of meeting all the needs.

It was another volatile day on Wall Street, as you can see there. But this time stocks ended in the red. The Dow swung more than 1,000 points from a high to a low for a second day running before ending down 67 points. The S&P 500 finished down, 1.2 percent, as you can see. The Nasdaq was the one that saw the sharpest losses yesterday, down more than 2 percent -- 2.2 percent or so.

Well, U.S. futures are higher as investors wait, of course, for the Federal Reserve policy decisions on inflation. That is expected in the coming hours. Futures though looking at least slightly brighter from what we saw at the close on Wall Street on Tuesday.

The coming hours could be make or break for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his battle to stay in power. We are waiting the results from an investigation into whether 10 Downing Street violated COVID restrictions by throwing parties while the rest of the country was under strict lockdown. The cabinet minister tells CNN that the Prime Minister's office is prepared for the report to be released today. It is not clear if the new inquiry by the London metropolitan police could cause a delay. What is clear though, Boris Johnson is fighting for his political life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I welcome the Met's decision to conduct its own investigation because I believe this will help to give the public get the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Let's bring in CNN's Salma Abdelaziz who has been following this closely, right from party number one. And Salma, this is going to be a decisive couple of days for the Prime Minister. The question though is, will he have the unanimous support of his cabinet following the Sue Gray report and the police investigation.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, Isa, it all comes down to the next few hours. Absolutely a flurry of activity just behind me here at 10 Downing Street. We understand at this hour 10 Downing Street has yet to receive that report from Sue Gray. We're expecting that that will be handed over to the Prime Minister and his staff eminently. They say -- Downing Street staff say, they will work to release it as quickly as possible.

We understand, of course, that there's also questions as to how it will be released. In what form, will it just be the summary of that report or will it be the report in full? Downing Street responding by saying, unless there are specific reasons, such as security concerns, to redact parts of the report. They say it will be published in complete form, in a full form. But we'll wait and see what happens.

We now have two investigations taking place as you mentioned, Isa. But both of these working in some ways in conjunction with each other. Because over the course of the last few weeks Sue Gray, that senior civil servant, has been looking into these allegations of partying, partying across multiple lockdowns, across two years, all taking place right behind me here at 10 Downing Street.

The Gray report and her staff worked throughout their investigation, in touch with the metropolitan police. And we now understand yesterday from the police, that they believe a number of events, not all the events -- when I say parties, Isa, I'm talking here about nearly a dozen parties if not more we're talking about across two years.

So, some of those events now have reached that threshold that investigators need to see if there has been a breach of COVID rules. If there was a criminal offense committed. Because, Isa, rules here were not just followed, as you know, they were enforced. Police were on the streets. They were issuing fines. Fines as high as 10,000 pounds.

So potentially, potentially if there is found to be a breach of COVID rules Downing Street staff could be fined and most importantly the Prime Minister himself. Because that's the question here, could be incriminated in either the Gray report or the police report.

And what happens with that information comes down to his party, the Conservative Party, whether or not they decide to keep Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to continue to support him or if this information -- if this is simply what tips the scale and they push him out -- Isa.

[04:15:00]

SOARES: We shall wait for that Sue Gray report. I know you'll stay on top of it. But it's definitely not a good look for a sitting Prime Minister, of course, to be investigated by police. Keep us posted. Salma Abdelaziz outside 10 Downing Street. Thanks, Salma.

Turning now to a CNN exclusive. Federal prosecutors are reviewing fake electoral college certificates that declared Donald Trump the winter of the 2020 elections in states he actually lost. The documents were sent to the National Archives in December 2020 and they were signed by Trump supporters who falsely claimed to be the rightful electors in Arizona, Georgia and five other states. Here's what the Deputy U.S. Attorney General told CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA MONACO, DEPUTY U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We are going to follow the facts and the law wherever they lead to address conduct of any kind and at any level that is part of an assault on our democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Newly released a video shows a rioter throwing a police officer to the ground during the attack on the U.S. Capitol last January. The pictures help to convict one defendant sentenced to two years of probation. Another clip shows an active-duty marine highlighted here in the white sweatshirt, as you can see, helping rioters into the building. He has pleaded not guilty to several charges including assaulting a police officer.

And still to come right here on CNN NEWSROOM, Israel may offer a fourth COVID vaccine dose to all adults. But will this additional shot help battle the Omicron variant? We are live for you in Jerusalem next.

Plus, parts of the U.S. pair for yet another weekend of intense winter weather and then this --

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And a potential blockbuster storm system around portions of the Northeast. Some of the models bringing in a significant amount of snow around parts of the major metro cities of the Northeast blockbuster. Others ones a little less impressive. We'll break down the forecast of the potential tracks and exactly how much snowfall we could occur around portions of the Northeast. Coming up in a few minutes.

[04:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: In the coming hours we may get details about a new universal coronavirus vaccine. President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says the vaccine will hopefully cover all different variants of COVID-19. Right now, almost every new COVID case in the U.S. is being caused by the Omicron variant. But a new CDC study shows the disease is currently less severe in patients than it was during Delta yet or the first winter surge. Meantime, there's been an alarming rise in pediatric COVID cases in the United States -- as you can see there. The American Academy of Pediatrics says weekly infections in children topped 1 million for the first-time last week.

Meantime, Israel's COVID advisory panel is recommending a fourth vaccine dose for adults if more than five months have passed since the third dose. Although researchers warn it may not necessarily prevent infection by the omicron variant. Right now, only those 60 and high- risk individuals are eligible for fourth shot. CNN's Hadas Gold joins me now live from Jerusalem. And Hadas, how is

the news of the recommendation of a fourth dose being received where you are?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far, I think people were almost expecting this recommendation to come through because Israel had already begun giving out the fourth dose of vaccine to those over the age of 60, the immunocompromised and healthcare workers since January. And that's a similar pattern we saw in the previous doses. But it started with those at-risk copulations and then it went down to the rest of the population.

This is a little bit different though. As you noted, the COVID advisory group is now officially recommending that anyone over the age of 18 or more than five months have passed, get a fourth dose of the vaccine. And they say they're doing this because they've been studying the numbers of the group who have already received that fourth dose since January. And they say among those 400,000 people who have received the fourth doses they found three times the level of protection against serious illness and two times the level of protection against infection.

Now to be clear, this is not yet going to take place. And it's not clear whether the health ministry will take the advisory panel's recommendation and actually start issuing the fourth dose of the vaccine.

Now, so far through this pandemic they have mostly been taking the advisory panel's recommendation. So, we'll have to wait and see whether the health ministry will do this. However, this has actually been -- this recommendation is actually in contradiction to another Israeli study that came out just a couple of weeks ago, from one of the top hospitals in central Israel. Sheba Medical Center, a few weeks ago, began administering a fourth dose of the vaccine to around 300 of their healthcare workers. And they found that after a few weeks while their antibody levels went up quite a significant amount, the fourth dose didn't necessarily provide enough protection against the Omicron variant.

And so, when they issued their very preliminary results of their study, they said we don't see really a reason to administer a fourth dose of the vaccine to the entire population. Yes, it will be good for those who are at risk because we want to give them as much protection as possible. But for the rest of the population, not necessarily.

So, yesterday after the advisory panel released its recommendations, the Sheba Medical Center released a statement from one of their infectious disease specialists and said that the added value for the fourth dose is currently unknown and not expected to be substantial.

And I think it's really important this next statement that they added. This is something we're seeing debate around the world about these boosters versus the rest of the world. Some people who haven't even received their first or second doses. Saying that the global community should now focus on prioritizing and delivering vaccines to vulnerable unvaccinated populations in third world countries where vaccine coverage rates are still low, against necessarily trying to provide these fourth dose of the vaccine to places like Israel -- Isa.

SOARES: Hadas Gold for us there in Jerusalem. Thanks very much Hadas, good to see you.

Elton John's concerts in Dallas, Texas are on hold after he tested positive for COVID-19. The concert venue said singers long-delayed farewell yellow brick road tour would not run Tuesday or Wednesday. Tickets are still good for all the new date which should be announced soon.

[04:25:00]

The venue says Elton John is fully vaccinated and boosted and only has mild symptoms. It is unclear whether the tour will make the dates in Arkansas and Oklahoma this weekend.

Canceled flights and roads at a standstill. That's just some of what travelers in Greece and Turkey are enduring after a rare and severe snowstorm -- as you can see there. Thousands of drivers were caught on the road to Istanbul. Flights were suspended for a second day due at cities airports due to the winter weather.

Meantime -- have a look at this -- Athens, Greece, was crippled by the storm with power outages affecting much of the city and central services are open today. Residents say they are frustrated with how ill prepared the country was to deal with the disaster.

A storm known as a bomb cyclone could threaten parts of the United States this coming weekend. Heavy snow, ice and floods are all on the table. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has a look at what to expect. Good morning, Pedram.

JAVAHERI: Yes, good morning, Isa. Changes in store here across the United States -- the Eastern U.S. really. All eyes on this pattern that forecast to develop as right now very quiet pattern but notice the date stamp. Notice the time stamp, we transition Thursday into Friday. Here comes a frontal boundary across portions of the Northeast. A low-pressure center forms along the southeastern coast line. And that's the elements we need here for potentially a nor'easter.

Because as system this migrates towards the north -- again look at the time stamp -- we're talking as early as Saturday around 2 a.m. Still a few days out, a lot can change in this forecast. But if the elements come in place where that front lines up around the Northeast, supplies the cold air, this disturbance pushes up along the eastern seaboard, supplies the moisture. Yes, viola, we have the recipe for a significant amount of snow showers to accumulate around portions of the Northeast and a classic nor'easter to develop.

But there is a significant difference between the guidance on the forecast models. Some of the models want to take this in a little too close towards the coastline. If that's the case, much warmer air, plenty of rainfall in store. Some of the other models want to take us a little too far offshore. If that's the case that reduces the moisture if the cold air is in place but we don't get much more snow out of it, at least not a significant amount.

But there is a few models that have kind of this goldilocks zone where the system lines up between these two tracks. If that's the case, plenty of cold air, plenty of moisture and yes, plenty of snowfall potentially in the works across some of those major metro cities of the Northeast.

But again, the American model, you kind of see how it reduces the significance of the impacts around New York and Philly. While the European model really becomes more of a blockbuster event lined up around this region as well. So, Boston, one of those areas where snowfall almost certainly going to be occurring but the other areas still remain to be seen. Leaving you with this, New York, highs 27 degrees today, while around Denver, were going to have highs right around 40 degrees -- Isa.

SOARES: Thank you very much, Pedram.

A loud conspiracy theorist meets with lawmakers investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Who could soon get more information from another key Trump ally? Plus, this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: How would you rate President Biden's action, response to what has been happening? Do you think it should have been happening sooner?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES (voice-over): I sit down with Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.K. to discuss the standoff with Russia. His response after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)