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U.S. Ambassador Warns Russia of "Massive" Consequences if it Invades Ukraine; Day 2 of Avenatti Cross-Examination of Ex-Client Stormy Daniels. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired January 28, 2022 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:32:14]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan reiterated this morning that Russia will face massive consequences, including devastating economic sanctions if Vladimir Putin decides to invade Ukraine again.
Sullivan also said that the White House is still waiting for an official response to its written answers to Russia's security demands. But added the document lists potential areas for progress, potential ones, including the placement of missile systems in Europe as well as military drills there.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: It comes as Russia is warning this morning that it sees no room for compromise on its central demand that NATO pull out of Eastern Europe. CNN National Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood joins us now from the State Department.
Kylie, really interesting because the White House made it clear that both NATO's response and the White House's response were on the same page. And yet you hear from Russian officials, and they call the U.S. response the gold standard, not so much in terms of what they were hearing from NATO. I thought that was interesting.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look, I mean, the State Department has heard what Russia has been saying over the last 36, 48 hours after they receive this written document from the United States with these proposals, with these ideas, obviously meant to de-escalate the situation with Ukraine, but the State Department is holding off on giving any actual response to what Russian officials are saying until they hear directly from the Kremlin, until they hear directly on a message that has been signed off on by President Putin.
We heard yesterday from a senior State Department official who said, the only thing that matters right now, that the Russians are saying is the fact that this document that we gave them is in the hands of President Putin.
Of course, we all know why that is because President Putin is the ultimate decision maker here. Now, the U.S. Ambassador to Moscow said this morning that there were many surprises in this document that was given from the U.S. over to Russia. That is what we have heard from folks here in this building as well, identifying areas where the U.S. thinks, the U.S. and Russia can work together on issues of strategic stability, on issues of security. But he also said this interesting thing, which is very, very noteworthy about how challenging it is to work with the Russians right now, as they continue this military buildup along Ukraine's border. Listen.
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JOHN SULLIVAN, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA: It's the equivalent of, if you and I were, were having a discussion or negotiation, if I put a gun on the table and say that I come in peace, you know, that's threatening.
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ATWOOD: And now, the State Department is working in conjunction with the rest of the whole of U.S. government, of course, as they wait for Russia to respond. They aren't holding off on the other things that they are doing, right? So, identifying what the sanctions are going to be, that they would use respond if Russia invades, lining up alongside other allies, trying to make sure that there's really no daylight between the two.
[09:35:08]
And then of course, identifying energy solutions. If Russia were to cut off any oil, energy, gas going into Europe from Russia. Guys?
SCIUTTO: Lots of preparations, no question. Kylie Atwood at the State Department, thank you.
GOLODRYGA: The leaders of the Bipartisan Congressional Ukraine caucus are reiterating calls for decisive action against Russia. The group just published a piece in USA Today saying, Putin plans to crush liberty and Ukraine. Free world must unite to stop him.
Joining me now to discuss is Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio. She sits on the House Appropriations Committee and is the co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Ukraine Caucus.
Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining us. I want to quote some more from your piece, you say that the free world cannot sit back as he alone, Putin, isolated from the norms of decent behavior, beats the Russian drums of war. I'm curious, who is this piece targeted towards? Is it more the administration? Is it a Russian audience? Or is it certain factions within the U.S. population, certain TV hosts and opinion hosts who seem to be coddling up to Putin and suggesting that the U.S. should not be intervening in any way?
REP. MARCY KAPTUR, (D) OHIO: Well, first of all, I think our efforts are aimed at strengthening America's position in terms of the defense of liberty on the European continent. We have a change in generations in terms of leadership on many levels, and many have forgotten how many Americans lie in graves across Europe for the cause of liberty. Ukraine is the scrimmage line for liberty in Europe today. And it has been the Congress Article I of the Constitution, the Congress that has stood strongly behind Ukraine's right to be free.
Back in the 90s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the people of Ukraine voted 90% to be independent. They want to access West, only one country is standing in their way, Russia.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and --
KAPTUR: And --
GOLODRYGA: Go ahead.
KAPTUR: It was partly informative, but we're doing informative, but also reasserting the Congress as the lead in terms of standing just right beside Ukraine every step of the way, including its defense.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, I was just going to go back and add into that history that you just outlined that Russia also promised to honor Ukraine sovereignty once it gave up its nuclear weapons as well. And Russia clearly has shown that it has disregard for its own promises made in the past, but in terms of what can be done now, to prevent a second invasion, do you think the administration has done everything possible on its end, to deter Putin at this point?
KAPTUR: I think President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Secretary Blinken from the State Department, Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, we have the finest people in our country, attempting to address this situation with our European allies, the ambassadors and the heads of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, now France and Germany are more vocal in terms of what they are willing to do. And our own efforts to help to secure energy independence for the European continent remain firm.
And we see the Biden administration working on many levels right now. Congress is right behind them. I'd like to thank Congress's in the lead, because we actually have provided the defense security funds for Ukraine, as well as opposition on both sides of the aisle to turning on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, right to the heart of Germany. We need to find ways to make Europe as well as Ukraine, energy independence.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, that listen, that's a question that many have been asking, they have some of the richest economies in the world had years to become energy independent. And clearly now they're scrambling to find an alternative right for perhaps what Russia could do that it's done before and that's weaponize oil and natural gas supplies.
It was interesting, I was listening to a former Ukrainian official yesterday say that while this U.S. aid and military aid is helpful, what the country really needs now specifically is anti-aircraft defense, right, that there a lot of attention has been focused on anti-tank prevention, right? Javelin missiles and what have you, but they are really concerned about what could happen overhead and the Russian Air Force, which is out powerful, you know, powers them to begin with, but they are concerned about what could happen if there is an invasion within the early hours. Do you think the U.S. is doing enough on that front? KAPTUR: I believe that those weapons are being moved into position. Of course, they are very long range, and Russia must understand that the answer to this situation lies at the negotiating table.
[09:40:04]
If you remember back just a few years when Russia shut down the Malaysian airliner, we know their capability to do harm to innocent people. And we cannot leave Ukraine vulnerable. I want to thank the nations of Poland. And as I mentioned, the Baltic countries as well, for their courage and for their strength in alliance. I believe that the nations of Europe, there were 30 of them that met with Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, recently in Geneva, and every single one stood by Ukraine side.
GOLODRYGA: Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, we'll have to leave it there. Thank you so much. We appreciate your time.
Up next, newly released text messages are painting a chaotic scene inside the White House on January 6, as staffers tried to get then President Trump to intervene.
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SCIUTTO: Completely insane. That's a quote. That's how a top aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows describe the situation inside the White House during the January 6 attack. Those details revealed new text messages obtained by the Committee investigating the insurrection.
GOLODRYGA: CNN Law Enforcement Correspondent Whitney Wild is following this. Whitney, what more are these messages revealing?
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think they reveal just how tense the situation was within the White House. And then further how there was real concern among people inside the White House and former officials about what was taking place. And there was, you know, really big effort to try to figure out how to start to untangle the damage here. So, again, very stressful moments within the West Wing at these very critical moments on January 6.
We're learning that these text messages are between a former member of the press office there, Alyssa Farah, now a CNN contributor and a top aide to Mark Meadows, Ben Williamson. Williamson, earlier this week testified in front of the House Select Committee, a source familiar with that conversation says it lasted between six and seven hours. And then more broadly, we're learning from a source familiar about some of the questions that the committee was asking Williamson.
And they touched on some of these broad themes. So, for example, one of the bigger questions is what was the backstory behind this video that Trump took so long to put out the video that he finally which, he finally told rioters to go home, just by telling them that they were very special? So, our understanding is that the committee asked about that.
Further, the committee was interested in conversations that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was having with the former president, as well as conversations between meadows and members of Congress. So again, touching on these really broad themes that have come up several times now in the course of the last year of reporting on what actually happened within the West Wing and an outward from the West Wing.
But the Williamson testimony is significant. And here's why. Meadows at present is still facing the possibility of being charged with current criminal contempt of Congress because he's not cooperating with the committee. So, the fact that a top aide went and spoke with a committee and our understanding is did not plead the fifth, unlike other top Trump allies have done is significant as the committee seeks to find out what exactly happened. Back to you.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, and so many witnesses inside the White House describing just how chaotic it was then and how seriously, they were taking what was going on January 6 in the efforts inside to overturn the election. Whitney Wild, thanks very much.
GOLODRYGA: Well, no lawsuit claims that negligence by the parents of suspected school shooter Ethan Crumbley as well as some staff members at Oxford High School resulted in the fatal shootings of four students last November. The lawsuit says Ethan was only able to commit the attack because his parents and some school officials failed to act.
SCIUTTO: This lawsuit comes as we are learning the Crumbley's attorneys plan to use an insanity defense at his trialed. He's charged with one count of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder for killing those children.
Right now, Michael Avenatti is back in court to cross examine his former client Stormy Daniels for a second day. She's accusing him of stealing hundreds of 1000s of dollars from her. He's been asking Daniels about her belief that she could speak to the dead. I'm not making this up.
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GOLODRYGA: Adult Film Actress Stormy Daniels is facing a second day of cross examination by her former lawyer Michael Avenatti. Avenatti is representing himself as prosecutors accused him of stealing $300,000 from Daniels as part of a payment for a book deal.
SCIUTTO: They're quite some scenes from inside this courtroom. CNN's Kara Scannell has been covering this. She's outside the Manhattan courthouse in New York. Kara, tell us about some of these interactions between Daniels and her former lawyer?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: Well, Jim, Bianna, the stormy Daniels is back on the stand this morning. She has been testifying for about 30 minutes, and Michael Avenatti is picking up where he left off, focusing a lot of his questions on Daniels belief in the paranormal. He's been asking her about a number of statements she has made in the past about having seen and heard voices at her home and -- at her then home in New Orleans. He asked her about a vision she had of a woman in the kitchen who was crying. And then Daniel said that she suddenly had blood all over her arm.
So, he's going through a lot of these different statements that Daniels has made publicly. Now, Daniels is not denying any of this on the stand. She said she did a lot of it, including visiting her old house and talking to it as part of filming for the show spooky babes that she has in production.
At times there have been some sort of glimmers of will might possibly be more tense exchanges. The judge has had to correct Avenatti twice to restate his question because he was getting a little worked up in going back and forth with Daniels. The judge has warned him outside of the presence of the jury that if he gets too combative, that if Daniels gets combative, he will ask them both to settle down.
But Avenatti saying that he has six hours of questions that he has for Daniels. The judge has also warned him again outside the presence of the jury that he thought that often less is more when it comes to cross examination, and he said he -- the judge said he does have the authority to cut Avenatti off.
[09:55:10]
Now, Avenatti is expected to delve into some of Daniels finances. He also had asked her a number of questions today about statements she had me hoping that Avenatti would be rip in prison. It was obviously trying to get at some bias there against her, but we're expecting a long day ahead of us of this epic showdown. Jim, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Showdown indeed, Kara Scannell, thank you.
Well, back to our breaking news, alarming images out of Pittsburgh where you see there a bridge collapsed on what's being called a major artery in the city. Now, fortunately, there are no known deaths. We'll be speaking live to the fire chief just ahead.
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