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Ukraine President Calls For Diplomatic Solution To Crisis; Police: Protesters Launching Gas Canisters At Officers In Ottawa; Interview With Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL); Highs And Lows As 2022 Winter Olympics Comes To A Close; Ex-Cop Sentenced To Two Years For Killing Daunte Wright; Judge Rules Trump Can Be Sued For His Role In Capitol Riot; NASA's Perseverance Rover Celebrates One Year On Mars. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired February 19, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:23]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin with this breaking news.

Ukraine President Zelensky a short time ago calling for a diplomatic solution to the threat of a Russian invasion as tensions in the region rise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We want to have diplomatic resolution over a military conflict, exclusively I would like to emphasize, based on the international law.

So what in reality is happening now in Minsk in the peaceful process? Two years ago with the Presidents of France and Russian Federation and German Chancellor, we agreed about a full-fledged cease fire. And Ukraine is committed to these agreements. We are observing them. We keep not responding to the provocations. We are submitting proposals to the Normandy four and trilateral continent groups and what we see instead shelling and bullets. Our soldiers are dying, our peaceful population is dying. Civil infrastructure is being destroyed.

The last two days have become very symbolic. Massive shelling from the armament prohibited by the Minsk agreement. It's important to allow for the observers for they'll see to visit. They are being threatened. They are being scared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The U.S. says Russia now has somewhere around 190,000 troops in areas along the border with Ukraine. And President Biden says he's now convinced that Russian President Putin has made a decision to attack Ukraine. The Ukrainian president is attending a key global security conference in Munich today. And he spoke with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, telling her that he is ready for what happens next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKY: We are not going to advance on anyone, but we stand ready to respond to everything. We cannot remain passive. We cannot say on that daily basis that war will happen tomorrow.

What kind of state is it going to be? What kind of economy is it going to be? How can you live in this state when on a daily basis you're being told that tomorrow the war will happen? Tomorrow the advance will happens?

It means crushing national currency. Money is being taken out. Business flying out. Can you live in that kind of country? Can you have stability in that kind of country? No.

And those who want to disbalance our country from within are multiple. And everyone wants Ukraine to be weak. Weak economy, weak army. And if there's a weak army, you can just go ahead and invade. And we won't be able to protect neither our people, neither our children nor the economy. This is why our response is very calm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's get right to our coverage starting with our reporters on the ground globally. Sam Kiley is in Ukraine, Nic Robertson in Moscow, and Jasmine Wright at the White House.

So Sam, let me begin with you. I mean reaction in country there to Zelensky's comments and the fact that he left the country to attend this security conference?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that there's widespread support for the president in Ukraine to go and attend this security conference where he could lay out the problems that his country is facing. And he did come under pressure from the United States not to, but it's worth remembering this is a sovereign country and that's what this whole standoff effectively or at least publicly, is about.

It's about Ukraine's right to choose to apply for NATO membership and then the NATO membership to decide whether or not it admits Ukraine, something that Vladimir Putin wants taken off the table permanently and in writing. And to drive that home, the rebels that have been backed by Russia since they invaded in 2014 seizing parts of the east of the country, not far from some I am in Kramatorsk, indeed they were fighting here in Kramatorsk in 2014 and annexing the Crimea, they have been firing volley after volley of artillery into government territory in the previous 24 hours, over 70 incidents of artillery fire.

We were down very close to the front line this morning, which by lunchtime this morning, the Ukrainian government says that there have been at least 37 incidents of shell fire into locations along the whole front line.

[11:04:49]

KILEY: It's quite a long front line, I have to say between the two sides, but on the location we were at, which strangely enough is in a town called New York, Fred, there were at least eight very loud detonations fairly close to our location, not clear whether all of them were incoming, some were certainly incoming. Some may have been counter-fire from the Ukrainians.

But the Ukrainians are insisting that broadly speaking they are respecting what they're calling the Minsk agreement, which is a cease- fire.

They are very careful they say to avoid being provoked into a response into rebel-held territory that could cause the sort of casualties that Vladimir Putin might use as an excuse to trigger a wider invasion, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then Nic in Moscow, so these detonations one thing and then the Kremlin says, you know, it's flexing its muscles under the auspices perhaps of holding these military exercises. So what more do we know about that?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, perhaps the biggest of the military exercises in terms of a scale and reach of the armaments of course, you know, 150-plus thousand troops around Ukraine, many tanks.

But what we saw today was President Putin in his command bunker at the Kremlin with the Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko as missiles were fired as part of Russia's deterrent that was the Kinzhal (INAUDIBLE) hypersonic missile fired. There was the Caliber cruise missile fired. There was another hypersonic missile, the Zirkon has the speed of Mach 6. That was fired. The Yarz (ph) intercontinental ballistic missile was fired. That was fired from the north of Russia reaching all the way to the eastern end of Russia -- a huge reach in that missile.

There was a cruise missile launched from an aircraft. There was a ballistic missile launched from a nuclear submarine, the Sinova (ph).

So Russia putting on display all its real power and strength. The question is, was this the big moment in these military exercises, is there going to be a scale down?

The assessment continues to be not. Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general speaking at the Munich conference today said he's not seeing a drawdown. What he's seeing he says is a new normal from Russia where it uses threats to get what it wants. These were his words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: They demand that we should leave our enshrined commitment to open door? And they demand that we should remove all NATO troops and forces from almost half of the member states?

And then they have said that if you don't meet those demands, they have repeatedly said there will be what they call military technical consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And what the Kremlin is saying at the moment they don't have any intention to invade Ukraine. Those military technical consequences, they're saying, are not a military invasion of Ukraine.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jasmine Wright is at the White House for us. So Jasmine also at that security conference in Munich along with the, you know, Ukrainian president is Vice President Kamala Harris. What's her message that's being conveyed?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Vice President Harris promised economic consequences for Russia should it invade Ukraine. Really presenting an ultimatum to Putin saying that either he saw the path of diplomacy or he suffers the consequences. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If Russia further invades your country, as I mentioned early today, we will impose swift and severe economic sanctions. If Russia takes aggressive action against Ukraine we are prepared to implement and to do that work in a unified way with our allies around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So in a speech, she spelled out what those consequences would be -- from far-reaching financial sanctions and export controls, to targeting Russia's financial institutions and key industries.

And of course, we saw her meeting with President Zelensky there, where she reiterated what those sanctions would be according to a read-out released later, as well as, you know, messaging clearly the support that the U.S. has for Ukraine's sovereignty in these high-tension times.

Now these remarks from Vice President Harris come after a major shift in rhetoric from President Biden yesterday who now says that he's convinced that President Biden (SIC) has decided to -- excuse me -- President Putin has decided to invade Ukraine.

And now an official told CNN today that those comments were not planned. They were not put in his prepared remarks, but President Biden answered in the affirmative yesterday after he was asked by a reporter. And they say that he has come to that consensus after new intelligence information shows that more Russian troops are on the Ukrainian border, have been put in those attack positions.

[11:09:54]

WRIGHT: So now, we know that the president is spending his weekend here in D.C., instead of normally as he goes to Delaware really to monitor the situation.

A White House official tells me today that he and his national security team are staying closely engaged with the situation, monitoring what happens, so we expect potentially to hear more from the White House of how the president is staying engaged but we know that he is here watching the situation closely as it has taken real urgency in this White House.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jasmine Wright in Washington, Nic Robertson in Moscow, and Sam Kiley in Ukraine -- thanks to all of you. appreciate it. We'll check back with you.

All right. And we're also following this breaking news out of Canada.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys, guys. Guys, guys -- we're on CTV, ok, ok. We're moving back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. The police are cracking down on the trucker protests that have been causing disruptions for weeks now. This morning, tensions escalating for the second straight day in Ottawa.

Moments ago police say protesters fired gas canisters at officers. The demonstrators opposed to COVID health restrictions have been out there in droves. At least 100 have been arrested so far.

CNN'S Paula Newton is in Ottawa. Paula, what is the situation?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, really unprecedented scenes on Ottawa's streets and what's going on is that police are enforcing historic emergency right now that is going on in this country and they are using police forces and different methods of policing to, in their words, take back the streets of Ottawa.

Now Fred, as you just mentioned, we saw scenes of dozens of devoted protesters saying that they would not leave, and that is when police started to confront them. They are saying that they will continue to use more aggressive tactics throughout the day. Police insisting that they want to keep everybody safe, but it's time to get the streets back to the residents.

You know, Fred, just to give you an analogy here, it would be as if that is going on right in front of Capitol Hill. These protesters have been entrenched for three weeks. They've basically set up camp. It's become kind of a village, an encampment, if you will and yet it has brought this city to its knees.

In order to be able to hem in those protesters -- Fred, that state of emergency has allowed for that downtown core to essentially be in lockdown. There are checkpoints -- a hundred of them to just get into the downtown core. And police say that is what is enabling them to thin out the crowd, thin out the protesters and gradually advance on them. Now, so far there have been remarkably few injuries, but the confrontation continues and police are reminding protesters, quite bluntly that we will continue to use more aggressive tactics.

But I have to tell you, the other thing that's extraordinary here is just a few hundred feet from the scenes that you're watching there is that the Emergencies Act itself. While it is in place, it is being debated by legislature so they are in that building debating away, as they can likely hear a lot of the commotion outside.

Police have been clear, they want to take back most of those streets by the end of the day today. Protesters being just as clear that they will stand their ground.

Again, Fred, you mentioned this is against COVID-19 measures. It started as a truckers protest on one side of the country. And they said they were actually protesting a vaccine mandate. But it has turned into so much more in terms of grievance. Not just all COVID measures, but certainly indication that some of them wanted to overthrow the government.

And with this Emergencies Act, at least three protesters now -- protest organizers have been arrested along with, as you say, about a hundred people arrested so far.

Police say they will continue to get out there. And this is key. They are giving protesters and truckers the opportunity to leave. They're saying if you want to leave voluntarily, your time, your window is still there. Leave the city now.

WHITFIELD: And then if they extend that window, then we're talking about arrests?

NEWTON: Absolutely. And we have seen those arrests, again by people confronting police head on. You just said right there that they were using of course, those gas canisters. That's what police say.

They say they will not tolerate any aggressive action. Again, extraordinary that in more than three weeks so far, Fred, there have been remarkably few injuries and certainly no serious ones.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paula Newton, thanks so much.

All right. Still ahead, outrage from the family of Daunte Wright after former police officer Kim Potter was sentenced to just two years in prison for killing Wright. The emotional reaction, straight heed.

[11:14:23]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's return to our breaking news.

Ukraine's president telling a global security conference in Germany a short time ago that he wants a diplomatic solution to the crisis but won't be passive in the face of Russia's threat. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKY: We are not going to advance on anyone, but we stand ready to respond to everything. We can not remain passive.

We cannot say on a daily basis that war will happen tomorrow. What kind of state is it -- going to be? What kind of economy is it going to be? How can you live in a state when on the daily basis you're being told that tomorrow the war will happen? Tomorrow that advance will happen.

It means crushing national currency. Money is being taken out, business flying out. Can you live in that kind of country? Can you have stability in that kind of country? No.

And those who want to disbalance our country from within are multiple. And everyone wants Ukraine to be weak -- weak economy, weak army. And if there's a weak army, you can just go ahead and invade. And we won't be able to protect neither our people, neither our children or the economy. This is why our response is very calm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:19:51]

WHITFIELD: All right. Joining me right now Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democrat from Illinois who serves on the House Intelligence Committee. Good to see you, Congressman.

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): Same here. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So what are your thoughts on what he had to say and what President Zelensky's posture is?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Well I think on the right -- on the one hand, I'm glad that they are showing restraint and they're not giving in to what appear to be an unprovoked escalation by the separatists perhaps directed by the Russians.

On the other hand, they have to be ready for an attack. And it appears to be imminent. And they have to be ready to defend themselves. And of course, the United States will support them.

WHITFIELD: And then listen to what the president had to say to the idea of this threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKY: It's important for all our partners and friends not to agree about anything behind our back. And I do believe in our partnership. And I do believe that this is the case.

And I had very important meetings today with the leaders of different countries and still more to go. And I would like you to hear, to see, to ask questions and get the answers, to understand the level of resilience of our country. That we're not panicking, we're very consistent. That we are not responding to any provocations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So he also said he's very confident about his military and you heard him just now say too that he doesn't want his allies to agree to anything behind his back.

you believe that's direct messaging to the U.S. and NATO allies?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Sure. And I don't think there's any intention to somehow concede sovereignty or make decisions on his behalf. At the same time, I do think that the President -- President Biden is Biden is absolutely correct to warn of an imminent attack against Kyiv and the country.

Kyiv is the size of Chicago, the are that I represent. It's a very large area in Ukraine, and it would behoove everyone to prepare for this attack, as well as for Americans to get out of Ukraine.

I think it's also good that the president exposed the intelligence that he has to basically wrong-foot President Putin, to get him thinking that we know more about what's to come, perhaps to get him to hesitate and give a moment for diplomatic solutions that potentially were.

I think that the Russian leader might be engaging in a miscalculation in the sense that he might think that you know, this Ukrainian adventure might end in a matter of weeks or perhaps months, when it actually could be another Soviet style occupation of Afghanistan that did not go well for them.

The Ukrainian troops currently are outnumbered, but there are about 7 million men of military age in Ukraine, many of whom would join the fight and an insurgency.

And I'm pleased to have introduced legislation with my Republican colleagues on the intelligence committee to prepare to support that insurgency as well.

And so we need diplomacy to work right now but at the same time, be prepared for anything.

WHITFIELD: President Zelensky also said in this interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, that potential sanctions against Russia need to be happening now. And we heard the vice president, while also in Munich, say that if there is an invasion by Russia then there will be severe consequences in the form of sanctions.

Does the Ukrainian president have a point, it's not much a deterrent to allow Russia to invade and then impose sanctions? He said in that interview it should come first, before an invasion. Do you agree?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Well, I respectfully disagree in this sense, which is that if you trigger the sanctions right now, it gives less incentive for the Russians to potential do the right thing and not invade. We want them to have an incentive to basically find a diplomatic solution with the west.

So putting in sanctions right now would probably be viewed as escalatory and might provoke an invasion.

WHITFIELD: President Zelensky also said today that he wants more security guarantees, so what more can be offered that hasn't already?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I'm not sure. I'm not sure what he's exactly getting at. What we know is that we are providing both lethal and non-lethal assistance in terms of military assistance to the Ukrainians. We're also trying to provide economic assistance.

And we're working with our NATO allies to make sure that the borders are secure in those countries as well. If there's anything else that he seeks, I'm sure that he's communicating that.

[11:24:50]

KRISHNAMOORTHI: But at the same time, we are not going to deploy American troops in Ukraine. I think the president has made that very clear, and nor should we. And the American people don't want that. And I think it would be escalatory again.

WHITFIELD: And what's your response to the White House saying that you know, President Biden went off script, you know, when he said that he is convinced that Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine. What is -- what is the potential gain for the president to say that?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think that it's important for the president to kind of lay it out there and basically make it clear to everybody, including our friends, Americans in Ukraine, as well as to the Russian leader, that we know what they're up to.

And also to get him thinking that we might know more than what he thinks we know, including about subsequent military hostilities. The Russians are constantly trying to do false flag operations. They have something called Maskarova (ph) as a doctrine which means using deception in their military operations.

And so exposing that helps us to get them to hesitate. And hopefully that hesitation also leads to a different calculation about whether a diplomatic solution is more optimal for the Russians.

WHITFIELD: Do you remain optimistic that diplomacy is still an option? Or are we just simply past that point?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Yes, why?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: No. I still think that diplomacy is an option. I don't think that Russians again are going to initiate hostilities during the Olympics which lasts for at least another couple of days. And so we have a very small window to basically try to find that off-ramp. Perhaps with regard to beginning a new round of talks on arms control agreements that the Russians sought with the Trump administration that had been declined by the previous administration. We can also talk about military exercises, and the positioning of missiles and other armaments near the borders of Russia.

Those are all fair game but we are not going to decide matters for the Ukrainian people as to who they're going to partner with. Nor are we going to close the open-door policy that NATO has.

WHITFIELD: All right. Congressman Krishnamoorthi, always good to see you. Thank you so much.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you so much, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, the winter Olympics wrapping up this weekend. Next, a look at the highs and the lows and the scandals that have cast a shadow over the games.

[11:27:45]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: After more than two weeks of incredible athletic feats, the Winter Olympics will wrap up Sunday in Beijing. This year's games also saw a fair share of drama on the slopes and ice casting a shadow over the game's integrity.

CNN's Selina Wang reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For China, the 2022 Winter Olympics has been a victory. Beijing managed to pull off the games in the middle of a pandemic without any major COVID outbreaks, showing the world a powerful and wealthy China. And Beijing becoming the first city to host both the summer and winter Olympics.

But diplomatic boycotts, human rights concerns and a doping scandal overshadowed China's Olympic moment.

Bartenders in full hazmat suits, robot waiters, and a stringent bubble that separated the Olympic participants from residents. Almost 3,000 athletes from 91 countries gathered for the second Olympic games during the pandemic.

Despite the fears, China successfully organized the games with no major outbreak reported inside or outside the bubble. A stark contrast to Tokyo 2020, held last summer after delays under a state of emergency and record numbers of cases in the city.

But it had a shaky start. Several nations, including the U.S. and Canada joined in a diplomatic boycott of the games to protest China's alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.

China has denied reports of abuse and games organizers deflected the criticism.

YAN JIARONG, SPOKESPERSON, BEIJING 2022 (through translator): I think the so-called forced labor in Xinjiang is lies made up by deliberate groups.

WANG: Weeks before the games began, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai alleged sexual assault by a former top party official, then disappeared from public view, prompting worldwide concern as people asked where is Peng Shuai.

She appeared alongside International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. She called her earlier allegation quote, "an enormous misunderstanding", but some observers still question whether she can speak freely.

Controversy erupted when it was reported that Russian figure skating phenomenon Kamila Valiyeva tested positive for a banned substance. The Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed her to skate despite continuing investigation prompting widespread criticism. The controversy weighed on the 15-year-old. And the world watched her break into tears on the ice.

The game's slogan, "Together for a Shared Future", knocking against the looming threat of war in Ukraine, which pulled attention from events in Beijing to the Kremlin.

[11:34:55]

WANG: American viewership hit a record low, around 16 million Americans watched the opening ceremony, a steep drop from the 28.3 million for Pyeongchang four years ago, according to the broadcaster.

While Americans tuned out, China tuned in. Games broadcasters say no Winter Olympics has been followed this keenly in China. Some spectators were even allowed in the stands, creating national heroes and overnight stars.

U.S. born Eileen Gu skating for Team China was the games' biggest star in China. Even before she won two golds and a silver in freestyle skiing, she was the face of the games, appearing on billboards and even on the cover of Vogue Hong Kong.

Another Chinese athlete Sui Ming (ph) was propelled to stardom after his gold and silver win in snowboarding. Having already won more medals than in the three previous winter games, China will remember Beijing 2022 as a great succeed.

That's despite some negative coverage overseas. It's all more evidence of the growing gap between the two worlds.

For many, Kamila Valiyeva's doping scandal has tainted the entire Olympic games. And the story isn't over yet. The medal ceremony for the team event is delayed under the entire investigation is over which could take months and months. This controversy and geo political tensions and human rights concerns have stolen some of the athlete's limelight as well as Beijing's. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Selina wang, thank you so much.

All right. Still ahead --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE WRIGHT, DAUNTE WRIGHT'S MOTHER: Today the justice system murdered him all over again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The family of Daunte Wright says they feel cheated over the two-year sentence for the former officer who killed their son. The emotional moments from the courtroom, next.

[11:36:41]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Former Minnesota police officer Kimberly Potter was sentenced Friday to two years in prison for fatally shooting 20-year- old Daunte Wright. The sentence was far lower than expected.

CNN'S Adrienne Broaddus has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

K. WRIGHT: Daunte Demetrius Wright, I will continue to fight in your name until driving while black is no longer a death sentence.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tears and raw emotion filled a Minneapolis courtroom as former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter was sentenced to two years in prison.

In December Potter was convicted of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright, when Potter said she mistakenly pulled her gun instead of her taser.

ARBUEY WRIGHT, DAUNTE WRIGHT'S FATHER: Because of Kim's recklessness, Daunte's life was cut short by Kim Potter who claims she thought she had a taser. She pointed her gun into my son's chest and pulled the trigger, not only killing Daunte. She also damaged my whole family's hearts.

BROADDUS: Both of Wright's parents broke down during their victim impact statement.

K. WRIGHT: She took our baby boy with a single gunshot. Through his heart she shattered mine. My life and my world will never, ever be the same.

A. WRIGHT: Everything we do as a family ends in tears because all we have is memories left of our son.

BROADDUS: The mother of Wright's 2-year-old son also spoke before the sentencing.

CHYNA WHITAKER, MOTHER OF DAUNTE WRIGHT'S SON: Kim Potter took my son's best friend away from him and things haven't been the same since. I am now a single mother, not by choice, but by force.

BROADDUS: Potter tearfully apologizing to Wright's entire family, turned and spoke directly to Wright's mother.

POTTER: I understand a mother's love. And I'm sorry I broke your heart. My heart is broken for all of you. I am so sorry that I hurt you so badly.

BROADDUS: Judge Regina Chu appeared to hold back tears as she handed down her sentence of 24 months in prison and a $1,000 fine.

JUDGE REGINA CHU, HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA: Officer Potter made a mistake that ended tragically. She never intended to hurt anyone. Her conduct cries out for a sentence significantly below the guidelines.

BROADDUS: Spelling out the actual time Potter will spend behind bars.

CHU: You shall serve two-thirds of that time or 16 months in prison and a third on supervised release.

BROADDUS: Prosecutors initially asked Potter serve more than seven years in prison. Wright's family requested the maximum penalty.

A. WRIGHT: I walked out of this courthouse feeling like people are laughing at us, because this lady got a slap on the wrist. And we still every night sitting around crying, waiting for my son to come home.

K. WRIGHT: Kim Potter murdered my son. And he died April 11th. Today the justice system murdered him all over again. This isn't ok. This is the problem with our justice system today. White women tears trump justice.

BROADDUS: Adrienne Broaddus, CNN -- Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Coming up, the National Archives says that they found classified materials in boxes at Mar-A-Lago. What it could mean for Trump's legal troubles, next.

[11:44:52]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The National Archives says it has discussed with the Justice Department that classified records were found in boxes at Mar- A-Lago after former President Trump left office. That development comes as a judge has also ruled that Trump could be culpable for the January 6th insurrection and says lawsuits against the former president can proceed.

Here's CNN's Paula Reid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The National Archives says it's still combing through these 15 boxes of materials that it received from former President Trump's Mar-A-Lago residence last month.

[11:49:51]

REID: Now, among the items that the former president took with him when he moved to Florida are items that are marked "Classified National Security Information". The Archives said it has shared this discovery with the Justice Department, but it's not clear if they have made a referral.

Now, the Archives says it hopes to be done with its inventory process next week, but in this letter, the Archives said it has had concerns about Trump destroying documents for years. In their letter to the House Oversight Committee Friday, the Archives says that it reached out to the Trump White House in 2018 and spoke with the deputy counsel about this habit that they had read about in the media that the former president had of tearing up documents. The deputy counsel said it would be addressed, but the Archives said based on what they received it was clearly not.

And the former president continued to destroy documents that he had an obligation to preserve under the Presidential Records Act. The archives said members of Trump's team had been tasked with trying to find other records that may not have been turned over.

These are pieces of history that are currently not in the Archives where they should be under law.

Now, more bad legal news for the former president. A judge on Friday ruling that plaintiffs in three civil suits can move forward and try to seek information from the former president about his role in the attack on the Capitol.

Now, the suits accuse former President Trump of conspiring with people like Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump Jr., even extremist groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys to undermine confidence in the 2020 election which, of course, culminated in the violence at the Capitol.

This is an effort to hold him accountable. And Trump's lawyers have previously tried to argue the he's immune from suits like this. They argue that when he spoke at the rally that preceded the Capitol, he was acting in his official capacity and should be protected.

But the judge in this case rejected that argument, and that is no small thing to say that a former president could potentially be liable here.

Now, the biggest consequence, the immediate consequence for the former president in these civil suits is that he may have to provide documents and even a deposition in these lawsuits. And that of course, comes just a day after a judge ruled that he will have to sit for a deposition along with two of his children for the New York attorney general's civil investigation into his business practices.

A difficult legal week for the former president.

Paula Reid, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead, we continue to monitor the escalating situation between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky is calling for a diplomatic solution after President Biden warned he is convinced Russia will invade in the coming days. More on that straight ahead.

But first, this Presidents Day weekend, CNN is premiering a new original series focused on the life and presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson. He passed -- rather he signed major legislation like the Civil Rights Act and The Voting Rights Act. But his decision to escalate the war in Vietnam overshadowed his legacy.

See how his presidency was as complicated as the times he served when "LBJ: TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY", premieres tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: LBJ was intensely aware that he came into the office under the cloak of tragedy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It drove him to try to do things no one else had ever achieved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said to his aides, what the hell is the presidency for? If you're not going to do something bold, why be here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Lyndon Johnson would be seen today as one of our greatest presidents because of all that he did. But he made one bad mistake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vietnam really pulled him apart. He couldn't make a win out of this no matter how hard he tried.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: LBJ said I wish they knew that I want peace as much as they do.

LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's important to reflect and look back and see what has been done because there's no better way to judge the future than by the past.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "LBJ: TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY", premieres tomorrow night at 9:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:54:19] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right.

NASA is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Rover Perseverance arriving on Mars. The landmark achievement has been instrumental in giving us here on earth a better understanding of the Red Planet.

Now Perseverance has a new mission. Let's go to CNN's space and defense correspondent Kristen Fisher for more on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: The Perseverance Rover has done exactly what it was designed to do during its first year on Mars. It has collected the very first rock samples from another planet and it's now carrying six of them and the goal is that someday a future mission to Mars will be able to collect those rock samples, bring them back to earth so that scientists can really study them and search for some signs of ancient life.

[11:59:42]

FISHER: The other big thing that this Perseverance Rover has brought to the Red Planet is the Ingenuity Helicopter. And this was really a big surprise. It was kind of a late addition to this mission and it has now flown 19 successful missions.

Think of it. This is like a drone being operated on a completely different planet. The first time that humans have ever been able to do this. And now it's really become kind of this companion to the Perseverance Rover.