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U.N. Security Council Wants Explanation from Russia; U.S. Urges Beijing to Use Influence with Moscow; North Korea Conducts Seventh Missile Test This Month; Some European Nations Announce Easing of COVID-19 Measures; Dresden Castle Robbery. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 30, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM, everyone, I'm Michael Holmes, appreciate your company.

Coming up, a new, ominous sign: Russia more than just building up its military near the Ukrainian border.

North Korea ramping up its missile tests and why the latest could be the boldest in years.

And the trial underway for a daring jewel heist caught on tape, more than $100 million in diamonds stolen in just minutes.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: The U.K. plans to pursue diplomacy with Russia, with the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, expected to speak with Russian president Vladimir Putin this week. Johnson has also directed the U.K. foreign secretary and defense secretary to meet with their Russian counterparts in Moscow in the coming days.

The U.N. Security Council is set to meet Monday with the hope that Russia will explain why it has amassed such an unprecedented number of troops near the Ukrainian border. Despite the massive buildup, the Kremlin insists it has no intention of invading Ukraine.

But there are signs that the Russian military is prepared for battle, including vital medical supplies to treat the wounded. CNN's Sam Kiley has more.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: U.S. intelligence officials have confirmed that they believe that blood supplies are being sent to Russian troops, who are supposedly exercising close to the borders with Ukraine and in Belarus. This has been interpreted by the United States as yet another

indicator that some kind of military action against Ukraine, a cross border incursion, at the very least, could be imminent.

From the Ukrainian perspective, they are treating these reports with some cynicism and some officials denying them, other suggesting that this is a normal part of what you would see in any military exercise.

The reason for the dissonance between the two very close allies -- remember, it's the United States is the biggest military donor to the Ukrainians in their effort, trying to see off any potential Russian invasion, is the economy.

The Ukrainians believe that anytime there is mention of an imminent threat to their country, there is capital flight. The economy takes a knock and that ultimately could lead to political instability, all of that playing into the hands of Vladimir Putin -- Sam Kiley, CNN, in Kyiv.

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HOLMES: The U.S. is calling on China to use its influence with Russia to urge a peaceful end to the standoff.

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VICTORIA NULAND, ASST. SECRETARY OF STATE: We are calling on Beijing to use its influence with Moscow to urge diplomacy. Because if there is a conflict in Ukraine, it is not going to be good for China, either.

There will be a significant impact, on the global economy and a significant impact in the energy sphere. And it will be all the harder for all of us to get back to what we should be doing.

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HOLMES: Experts say Beijing is unlikely to back Washington's position. But Chinese officials have urged cooler heads to prevail. During a call with the U.S. secretary of state, China's foreign minister said, Beijing is calling on, quote, "all parties to keep calm and stop doing things which stimulate tension and hype up the crisis."

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HOLMES: Joining me now from New York, Daniel Russel, vice president of security and diplomacy for the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Thank you for being with us. The U.S. has urged China to use its influence with Russia, pushing a diplomatic solution to all of this.

Would China choose to do that?

What is in it for China to do so?

DANIEL RUSSEL, VICE PRESIDENT OF SECURITY AND DIPLOMACY, ASIA SOCIETY POLICY INSTITUTE: I don't think there is any upside, from China's point of view, in putting pressure on Putin, on behalf of the United States.

What Putin and Xi Jinping have in common here, actually, is a desire to undercut U.S. credibility, to drive a wedge between Washington's allies in Europe or in Asia. I think Xi Jinping likes the idea that NATO would be weakened and there would be doubt about America's ability to defend other democracies.

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HOLMES: Right.

If an invasion does happen or a partial invasion or whatever and the West does apply the serious sanctions it threatens, how might China, perhaps, move to mitigate those sanctions?

Help Russia out?

RUSSEL: Well, there is a lot that China can do, behind the scenes, in backfilling; in other words, in providing some of the forbidden goods that Russia can no longer get, overtly from the West providing other financial forms of support.

But there's a real risk in Beijing in that and I think that China, clearly, wants to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. They don't want to be lumped together with Russia, as a target, for U.S. or European sanctions. They don't want to alienate the Europeans so much that it hurts China's economic interests and other strategic interests.

HOLMES: China will be watching like everyone else how the world reacts for another reason perhaps.

If Putin were to invade Ukraine or part of Ukraine, like the Donbas region, and get away with it or survive whatever penalties, might that embolden China when it comes to Taiwan?

RUSSEL: Well, I think embolden, yes, but that is not the same as precipitating a military invasion. I think it is unlikely China will seize the moment, just because the West is preoccupied with Ukraine to try to invade Taiwan.

They are very different situations. But as you say, if Putin can invade Ukraine and get away with it, so to speak, to just tough out the sanctions and hold on to the territory, that would certainly encourage Chinese military planners to think that maybe China could do the same.

But the Chinese strategy, the principle is to win without fighting. So that's certainly not Xi Jinping's preference. I think the bigger impact, frankly, Michael, would be on Taiwan rather than on Beijing.

Because if the people in Taiwan saw that despite all of Washington's efforts and NATO's tough talk that they didn't deter Putin and the sanctions didn't succeed and forcing him to withdraw, then they are going to ask themselves, can we, on Taiwan, really count on the United States in a crisis?

And you can be absolutely sure that Chinese propaganda would hammer that point home. So in that situation, you might see actually the Taiwan leadership start make a few more concessions to Beijing.

HOLMES: That is, actually, a really, really good point. Daniel Russel, thank you so much.

RUSSEL: Thank you, Michael.

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HOLMES: North Korea raising the stakes with its suspected seventh missile test this month. Pyongyang apparently launching an intermediate range ballistic missile on Sunday, would be the first such test in nearly five years.

And South Korea now says the move could indicate a big shift in Pyongyang's missile policy. CNN's Will Ripley is in Taipei and joins me live.

So the seventh test this month alone.

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HOLMES: But what about the significance of this particular type of missile?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is the longest range missile that we've seen North Korea test since 2017, Michael. November is when they launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.

They also launched an intermediate range missile that same year, in 2017. And this is the pattern that South Korea believes North Korea is now on track to repeat five years later.

In 2017, they started with short-range ballistic missiles, which we have seen a number of those launched this month, we've seen cruise missiles launched this month as well. Then they moved to the intermediate range missiles, like the one today; it traveled to an altitude of 2,000 kilometers, more than 1,200 miles high.

It was in the air for 30 minutes. But after that, they could potentially move to long-range, the intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach 5,500 kilometers, more than 3,400 miles.

And these are the sorts of weapons that have the potential to deliver a nuclear warhead, pretty much anywhere in the world, certainly anywhere in the mainland United States.

And that's the big concern, analysts say, is that North Korea is now moving toward a more militarized posture with their testing. South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, believes that North Korea is on the verge of walking away from its self imposed moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear testing it put in place in 2017, right before the Korean detente, that period of diplomacy where the former president Donald Trump -- that could mean a North Korean nuclear test, a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

And the fact that they are escalating their pace of testing, just days before the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, has a lot of people wondering whether North Korea is going to try to do something big during this international sporting event that is supposed to be a symbol of peace.

Of course, North Korea is not participating in the Olympics, citing the coronavirus and U.S. hostility.

Could this be the way that North Korea inserts themselves into the Olympic narrative?

We will find out in the next few days, Michael.

HOLMES: Mr. Kim certainly likes to get attention, Will Ripley in Taipei, good to see you.

China reporting more COVID-19 infections linked to the Beijing Olympics less than a week before the games are set to get underway. Another 34 cases have been identified; among those 16 are athletes and team officials.

Meanwhile, crowds packed Parliament Hill in Ottawa, protesting cross border vaccine requirements for Canadian truck drivers, along with all COVID related mandates. Police were on alert after violent rhetoric was reported before the rally. But things remained largely peaceful.

And Austria joins a list of several European nations, announcing the easing of some COVID restrictions, even though infections there are still high. Let's bring in Scott McLean, live for us in London.

Let's begin with Austria and this relaxing of some restrictions. Give us an update on the rest of Europe as well.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael, it would be a weird time to do a road trip across Europe right now because, so many countries, as you cross borders, have taken very divergent paths when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus.

So Austria, the chancellor, just yesterday, said starting next week, curfews would be relaxed on bars and restaurants and the number of people allowed to gather would be allowed to double, though it is still only 50 people.

The country is also finally giving a bit of a break to the unvaccinated. Remember, Austria has not been kind at all to vaccine holdouts. They have been under a stay-at-home order since November, though, on Monday, that is finally ending.

Two weeks from now, they will be allowed back to go to bars and restaurants, if they can show a negative test, which at the moment is not good enough. You have to show proof of vaccination or of recovery.

Life is going to get tougher for them again though, in mid March, when the country will start enforcing its vaccine mandate, meaning, if you are not vaccinated, you could face a fine of around $700.

All of this is happening around a time when many countries across Europe are seeing huge spikes in coronavirus cases, as Omicron takes hold. Turkey, for instance, just set a record high case count. But that country's government is not worried.

In fact, the health minister said the virus is weaker, which we know that it is, and he declared the world's agenda is returning to normal. And the Danes would largely agree. Despite that you can see there, that the case counts are surging well beyond anything they have seen in the past.

On Tuesday, they will lift virtually all restrictions, save for a bit of testing for some people when you enter the country.

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MCLEAN: And that is largely because so many people are vaccinated or have natural immunity. It's similar in the U.K. Case counts remain quite high. But there are virtually no restrictions left, at least in England, though it seems not everyone is ready to let go of the pandemic just yet. Masks are still required in many places and on public transit.

And Michael, one of the things to mention, look, there is a big East- West divide between how European countries are getting over this. Russia and Ukraine don't just have war to worry about. They also have the coronavirus.

They are setting records and, remember, the pandemic has hit them in a different way, because so many people there are unvaccinated; less than half the population in both cases. The deadliest period of the pandemic for Russia and Ukraine didn't come 2 years ago, Michael. It came just 2 months ago.

HOLMES: Yes, exactly. Scott, thank you, in London.

We will take a quick break. When we come back on CNN NEWSROOM, the Australian Open men's final beginning soon. Rafael Nadal on the brink of history. A live report from Melbourne, coming up.

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HOLMES: Now the unsolved mystery of the missing jewels. A trial underway for the suspects in a heist, worthy of a Hollywood movie. We will be right back.

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HOLMES: Just check that out. That is ocean waves there, crashing into windows, at a hotel in Plymouth, Massachusetts, as a powerful nor'easter plumbers the northeastern United States. Coastal flooding reported in many places and almost 1 million people, still, under winter weather alerts.

Officials say tens of thousands of, homes and businesses, are without power. More than a half meter of snow, in Boston, Massachusetts. Saturday was its snowiest day in January ever.

And much of eastern and northeastern Maine are under blizzard warnings.

The trial is underway, in Germany, for six suspects charged in one of the boldest jewelry heists of all time.

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HOLMES: CNN's Bianca Nobilo with the unbelievable details.

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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A daring heist of millions of dollars' worth of diamonds, stolen from one of Europe's oldest museums. It sounds like a plot to a Hollywood movie. But it's a stunning, real life robbery.

On Friday, six suspects, appeared and addressed in court, accused one of the world's biggest jewel thefts. Police say the men, aged 22 to 28, are charged with gang theft and arson, in the brazen burglary of the Green Vault museum in 2019.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): In this robbery, a total of 21 pieces of jewelry, made from three sets of diamonds, from the time of Augustus the Strong, were taken. The total value of stolen pieces is estimated to be over $128 million.

NOBILO (voice-over): Though the suspects are now on trial, the jewels, still, are missing. Museum officials say that the stolen artifacts are priceless. More than 4,300 individual diamonds, encrusted on unique pieces from the 18th century.

Art experts say likely, it is the stolen pieces were broken up, the metals were melted down and the single stones were sold. The caper took just a few minutes to unfold. Police say that, early in the morning, the robbers set fire to a power box, to cut the street lights.

Then, entered the museum through a window, the bars previously sawed for quick access. Surveillance video shows one of the thieves using an ax to smash the glass cases. Then they grabbed the jewelry and later, set fire to the getaway car. Police say it took 13 minutes, from when they got to the vault, to the

time that they sped away. It would take another year and an extensive police operation, involving more than 1,600 police officers and special forces to round up three of the suspects, with three more than taken into custody in the next several months.

Authorities say, they are part of the infamous Remmo Clan, one of Germany's most powerful crime families. The trial is scheduled to last until at least October but police say the investigation will not be over until they find out what happened to the jewels -- Bianca Nobilo, CNN, London.

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Thanks for spending part of the day with me, I'm Michael Holmes, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. "ECOSOLUTIONS" starting after the short break. I will see you in 30 minutes.

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