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Outgunned Ukrainians Repel Russians Invaders For A Fourth Day; Ukrainian PM Agrees To Talks As Putin Raises Nuclear Alert; Biden To Deliver State Of The Union Address Tuesday; First Lady Jill Biden Reflects Rising Anxiety Over Ukraine; FIFA Condemns Ukraine Invasion; Hollywood Remembers Ukraine During SAG Awards. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired February 27, 2022 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:00]

BOB MCNALLY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ENERGY ADVISER: in oil, and you get these wild sort of space mountain like volatility in oil prices. But, you know, what's adding to it right now is this geopolitical risk.

Again, Russia exports, about 4.5 million barrels a day of crude oil. If you look at all of the spare capacity or the extra kind of buffer we have in the global crude oil market that Saudi Arabia and OPEC, plus that, it's less than that. So were we to lose Russia's oil exports traders are concerned, you know, oil prices could go even much higher to the point where they have to kill consumption, become too expensive for us to keep driving in order to bring the market into balance. So it's a very precarious moment in the global oil market.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Certainly. Thank you, Bob. The next hour starts now.

I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world.

Ominous images this evening even as air raid siren sound again in Kyiv. Satellite pictures from just a few hours ago show a massive Russian military convoy stretching more than three miles long on the roadway to the capital city. Now, we're working on more details about this.

But also tonight, there are reports that Russians now have taken control of a southern Ukrainian city, home to 100,000 people as well as a naval base. As tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees flee to neighboring countries, Ukraine's ambassador to the US repeats her President's promise, Ukraine wants peace but it will not surrender.

And as Vladimir Putin faces condemnation around the world, one Russian citizen shows her disgust by setting her passport on fire as you see right here. Meantime, the defiance in Ukraine remains unshaken. Just look at this incredible video after Ukrainian forces destroyed a column of Russian military vehicles near Kharkiv.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Air raid sirens again tonight in Kyiv. CNN's Matthew Chance is there.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDET: Here in Kyiv, the air raid sirens just minute stopped, of course, as is their way. And I haven't heard any explosions that have followed them yet. But that doesn't mean that the city isn't potentially in for more strikes. And we've seen fighting elsewhere, of course, as well and a Russian advance elsewhere.

The southern town, the port city of Berdyansk, which is on the Sea of Azov, which is a stretch of water between Ukraine and Russia. It's very strategic, very important as a naval base in that town, and a hundred thousands people. That has now been moved into by Russian forces. The mayor of Berdyansk saying he was told by the Russian forces that were moved, and all the administrative buildings were now under Russian control, that's a significant development in the south of the country.

In the north near the Russian border, the city of Kharkiv, you saw those pictures that show just how ferocious the Ukrainian resistance is. This is the second biggest city in Ukraine and Russian forces have been making a concerted effort to take it over. But they have not succeeded at this stage. There is fierce fighting on the streets of that city as the two sides battle for control of Ukraine's second biggest city.

Then in Kyiv, of course, forces of Russia all, not all the way around it but insignificant places around it, and these appalling scenes that we've come to us from the west of the cities, in the west of Kyiv, of a column of Russia armored vehicles absolutely devastated. There's no sign of any of the people who are inside these vehicles, the Russians who are inside. But all of them have been turned into twisted metal on the outskirts of the Ukrainian Capitol, Kyiv.

One voice on the social media video that's come to us from there, saying you came to our country, slightly paraphrasing it, you came to our country now go to hell, and also swearing a lot as well. And so, it just gives you us a sense of how much resistance there is across the country to this Russian invasion.

Now, it's not necessarily, you know, going to be sustainable because tomorrow there are talks about what will happen next. Talks on the border between Ukraine and Belarus, between the Russians and the Ukrainians, are they peace talks, is it an ultimatum that the Russians are going to be giving the Ukrainians.

[22:05:00]

All I can say is that, the fact is, is that the Russian invasion so far seems to have been somewhat underpowered. It doesn't seems to have an experience or got achieved, the strategic objectives that Moscow perhaps wanted to achieve in this timeframe. So, is Putin going to back down or is he going to redouble his force to attack this country?

BROWN: That's a key question tonight. Matthew Chance, thank you. It is the fourth night that Ukraine has been under siege. The Ukrainians are outgunned by the Russians but the capital city, Kyiv, stands strong and its people defiant. Joining me now is Ukrainian filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk. She is a director and writer who was born in Kyiv. And she is staying at a friend's house outside of the capital city in Ukraine. Hi, Iryna. Thank you for joining us.

First of all, how are you doing? Do you feel that you and your son are in a safe place right now?

IRYNA TSILYK, UKRAINIAN FILMMAKER: Hello. It's difficult to say where is that safe place in Ukraine now. Because, you know, it seems like it's a lottery. And two days ago, we decided to move here. this place is near to Kyiv and I sought it's more safe. But, you know, the same night when we arrived, one of Russian missiles hit the oil terminal, which is actually quite close to the place with stayed. And during the night I was watching the fire from my window. So I don't know where is this safe place in Ukraine now.

BROWN: How is that for you as a mother? You have a young son, how are you handling that? I mean, so many Ukrainians like yourself have to be parents also warriors. I mean, you don't know what's going to happen in any minute.

TSILYK: You know, the Ukraine is actually going on for eight years -- in Ukraine now, and many people got used to this war conditions. But, of course, I've never expected that this full scale invasion could attack my Kyiv, my city and other Ukrainian cities. So we are not ready to be honest.

Of course, I know that many people, Americans as well warned us, but this morning when we woke up all together and realized that the war, the big war has started. It was a nightmare. And, you know, last four days were probably the longest days of our lives.

So my son is trying to be brave, at least he's pretending. But, you know, when we were sitting in our corridor in the Kyiv's apartment, and he was listening to sounds of rats, it was so scary. And our children are traumatized now, I understand this. And when the war will be ended, we will have a lot of work to do.

BROWN: Yes, that is so sad. You think about these kids and what they're experiencing seeing a Russian missile hit an oil terminal, as you described right there. You said the last four days have been the longest of your life, how are you getting through each minute? What is it like? Are you even able to sleep given what is going on right now?

TSILYK: You know, it seems like we are inside of someone else's movie and I don't know who has written the script and what is ahead of us. But in fact, I believe that Ukrainians written this script all together now, because despite everything and despite the fact that we are facing the real Russian fascism right now, we are resistant like hell. And, you know, I've seen something like that during the Revolution of

Dignity. I was a participant of this revolution. But now it seems like the whole country become this (inaudible) and everyone I know is helping Ukrainian army or fighting themselves. And, of course, some people had to flee or to hide in shelters but we are working all together, you know, to win.

BROWN: It's been incredible to see. Deep down, what do you -- how do you think this is going to play out? You say, look, you feel like you're in someone else's movie and the Ukrainians have put up an incredible fight. There is so much resolve and will to protect their homeland. But deep down, what do you think? What do you think -- how do you think this is going to end?

TSILYK: It's difficult to predict something but I believe we will protect our freedom and our right for democracy for our future because, you know, Ukraine has changed a lot during the last eight years, during the last four days.

[22:10:06]

And, of course, we will go to the end and that is true. But we need also the support of the whole world because, you know, we are not that iron men and women who can protect ourselves forever. And we feel that we have this support, but probably we need even more. And we ask everyone to clear the sky, if it is possible, because we want to save as more Ukrainian people as it is possible, you know?

BROWN: Yes.

TSILYK: Because -- yes. They just crossed all the red lines already, because they are attacking everything and everyone. Hospitals, kindergartens, museums with paintings, I don't know, everything. And, yes, I worry about my people and I really ask the whole civilized world to help us and to help you guys as well. Because, you know, for example, the fact that the Russians to control on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, or some other strategic objects, is really, you know, it's something about not only us but about the whole planet.

And taken into account that Putin, yesterday, started to blackmail the world with the nuclear power, means that we need to struggle, we need to resist altogether.

BROWN: I want to ask you before we let you go, if you could talk to Vladimir Putin, what would you tell him?

TSILYK: I don't think that I want to talk to him. And I don't think that he's able to listen, because I truly believe that we see their real dictator who believes in this powerful kingdom of false mirror that he has been building for years. And, you know, yesterday he has declared that he is taking responsibility for this Ukrainian question. And I know this rhetorical already, Hitler used the same about the Jewish question. So Putin just declares that Ukraine and Ukrainians should not exist. I don't really think that we need to talk to him.

BROWN: Iryna Tsilyk, thank you. Stay safe. I know that takes on a whole new meaning when you're in a war zone like you are right now, but we are all just hoping and praying that you and your son will be OK through this. Thank you for your time tonight, giving us this critical perspective right outside of the capital city in Ukraine.

Well, fierce resistance by Ukrainian forces and armed civilians stopped at least one attempt by Russian troops to advance into a major city today. CNN's Alex Marquardt has more on that. Alex?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Pam, the Ukrainians are defying expectations in this fight, so far keeping the Russians at bay from the major cities with a success that is frankly surprising everyone. Not only are the Russians coming at this city, the capital Kyiv, from all different sides but they're also targeting the second biggest city in this country, Kharkiv. And we have just seen and verified new video that shows the kind of stiff resistance from the Ukrainians that the Russians are now running into.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (voice-over): A Russian unit moves cautiously through the outskirts of Kharkiv, their goal to seize a nearby military airfield and factory. Their slow progress makes them an inviting target for Ukrainian defenders hiding nearby.

Suddenly an ambush, the Russians fall back. Their soldiers trying to shelter behind their Humvee type vehicles. Their chaotic retreat scene here from another angle, one more example of the stiff resistance the Russians are encountering from mobile Ukrainian units who know the lay of the land. But the Russians can't escape. They run into further trouble, apparently surrounded. At least one of their trucks is disabled. A resident telling a Reuters journalist, one of the Russians was killed in a firefight.

YEVGENIY, KHARKIV RESIDENT (through translation): After we've killed this one, the others run away. They were some 12 to 15 people. That's it. We will win. They won't take Kharkiv. They have run back to where they came from.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): Ukrainian soldiers surround the abandoned vehicles, celebrating a small victory in a conflict where they should have no chance of holding off the enemy.

Off camera, one of them says --

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MARQUARDT (voice-over): And that's how we meet the (inaudible) Russian army.

[22:15:00]

But this Ukrainian platoon's day is not over. The enemy is still in the area, they dash forward to fire off RPGs. A ragtag army vet for now is holding off a far superior force. But for civilians here, the Russian offensive is terrifying, this apartment block in Kharkiv hit by artillery fire on Saturday night. Thankfully, most of the residents were sheltering in the basement. Authorities say one woman was killed.

Alexander Datsenko (ph) says all the apartments are damaged, it's very bad. Even as Ukraine resists, its people are still suffering.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: As this Ukrainian resistance grows, so does the international support. The European Union tonight has just announced that they are sending another $500 million of lethal military aid to Ukraine. That comes just days after the US announced that it was sending $350 million worth. That aid, that weaponry is certainly welcome here in Ukraine. But at the end of the day, they know that their forces are fighting alone against one of the biggest militaries in the world. Pam?

BROWN: Thank you, Alex. And with me again, CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. And I want to start with this convoy of Russian military vehicles on the road, at least, to Kyiv. They have been identified as fuel trucks, some tanks and artillery pieces. Are you alarmed by this or do you think that this could just be a show of force by Putin? What do you make of this?

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Pamela, I would definitely, if I were in the Ukrainian shoes, I would definitely be alarmed by it because it seems like a really long column and one that would be a very ripe target, though, for Ukrainian efforts to stop it. That column could be interdicted as we say in the military, which means basically stopped and cut off from its goal, its objective. And that would be what I would be trying to do at this point.

BROWN: It's clear that Putin is not making the headway and Ukraine that he had hoped. Are you concerned that Belarus, an ally of Russia, will try to aid Putin's endeavors here and send in its own troops?

LEIGHTON: Well, that makes it really interesting given the fact that, you know, they're supposed to be peace talks on Belarus and the Ukrainian border territory get starting tomorrow, there seem to be a cross purposes. But yes, I am concerned that Belarus is involved as directly as it is.

I was concerned that Russia was using Belarus territory for its -- the purposes of staging its invasion forces. And now that Belarus is actually sending its militaries paratroopers into this, that, you know, just proves that it's just an appendage of Moscow, and it needs to be held to account just like Russia needs to be held to account.

BROWN: Ukraine claims it launched successful drone attacks against Russian forces using that supply of Turkish made drones that it got just within this past year. How do you see the fight that Ukrainians are putting up? And did the Russians miscalculate what they were getting into?

LEIGHTON: The Russian definitely miscalculated what they were getting into, Pamela. And, you know, one of the key things here is that they should have looked at the last Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Drones were used in that, Turkish drones were used in that war to great effect. And the Armenians paid a heavy price for that.

The same thing is happening with Ukraine. I believe they have a total of six Turkish drones at this time. They call it the Bayraktar drone. And it is capable of using GPS-guided munitions which, of course, are highly effective against convoys and other stationary and even moving objects. So these are highly effective weapons that are very cheap, and they can stall out in major offensive very quickly if used correctly.

BROWN: And that brings me actually to another question I've been hearing from a lot of viewers. They want to know exactly what kind of weaponry does the -- do the Ukrainians have? And with these other weapons that are coming in from Western allies, how are they going to make its way to the Ukrainians in need, given the fact that Russia surrounds Ukraine right now?

LEIGHTON: Well, it surrounds Ukraine on three sides. There's a fourth side that's still open, and that includes the Polish-Ukrainian border. So a lot of the weapons are going to flow through the Polish-Ukrainian border and potentially other borders like the Romanian-Ukrainian border. So that gives a possible way in.

The weapons systems that the Ukrainians use are a mix of predominantly old Soviet equipment, and it does include some of the frontline fighters that the Soviet Union used to have like the SU-27.

[22:20:03]

However, these weapon systems are old and they are not quite a match to the highest end of Russian weapons that currently exists. But they can definitely be used and there were certainly, at least, anecdotal stories of the Ukrainians using their old Russian weapons to great effect. And as far as integrating the Western weapons into the Ukrainian military, that is takes a little bit of finesse.

And the Ukrainians seem to be pretty adept at integrating newer technologies, sometimes technologies that are fairly simple to use into their arsenal. And you see that with the drones, the Turkish drones that we just talked about, and those are the kinds of things that they can do to not only expand their force size, expand their power, but also use those weapons in a very good operational sense.

So it gives them kind of a synchronized -- synchronization capability, I should say, that they otherwise would not have. They couldn't have better weapons but, of course, we did not provide those weapons in time for this conflict.

BROWN: All right. Colonel Cedric Leighton, we have to leave it there. Thank you.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Pamela.

BROWN: And just two days amid a war, pandemic and more, President Biden will give his first State of the Union Address. And coming up, what we're learning about how he'll balance everything that is going on and his message to the American people. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: President Biden delivers his first State of the Union speech on Tuesday, and Capitol Police are putting up fencing around the building where the President will address a joint session of Congress. Law enforcement is bracing for possible protests from truckers who opposed COVID restrictions. CNN's Arlette Saenz is with President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware where he is spending the weekend. Arlette, what are we likely to hear from the President on Tuesday?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, the White House views this State of the Union Address from President Biden as an opportunity to highlight his leadership, not just domestically but also on the global stage.

[22:25:11]

White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying that leaders lead during crisis, and this will be a State of the Union not just watched by folks here at home but also by allies, as the US and its allies continues to strongly denounced Russia's actions when it comes to Ukraine, which Psaki says will be a focus of the speech. Take a listen.

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JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think there's no question that in the State of the Union, the American people and anybody watching around the world will hear the President talk about the efforts he has led over the past several months to build a global coalition to fight against the autocracy and the efforts of President Putin to invade a foreign country. That is certainly something that is present in all of our lives and certainly in the President's life in this moment.

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SAENZ: Of course, this will not be the first time that war has loomed over a speech. You can look back at State of the Unions from President George W. Bush, as well as President Bill Clinton. But ahead of the speech on Tuesday, tomorrow President Biden will be holding a secure call with allies and partners to talk about that tension, those attacks from Russia on Ukraine as well as the coordinated response.

You saw the United States and its allies over the course of the weekend really step up their security assistance to Ukraine, as well as slapping those punishing sanctions against Russia. The US is trying to show that they are united with their allies as they are seeking to punish Putin and Russia for their actions.

BROWN: All right. Arlette Saenz live for us from Wilmington, Delaware, late on the Sunday night. Thank you, Arlette.

Well, first lady Jill Biden has just addressed anxiety so many of us are feeling about the ongoing war in Ukraine and the uncertainty of the future. The first lady writing on Twitter, "I imagine many of us are feeling the weight of what is happening in Ukraine over recent days.

Parents are sitting in front of the television with their children, explaining reports from 1000s of miles away. Teachers are standing in front of classrooms, answering questions of why and what is going to happen next. Our military families are acutely aware that events taking place in Europe may have a rippling effect on the future of their loved ones in uniform."

"In this difficult time, there are no easy answers and that may cause a feeling of uncertainty. It is OK to ask for help. If you are a loved one or looking for someone to talk to, I encourage you to turn to mentalhealth.gov. For active duty, National Guard, Reservist, military families and survivors, Military1Source offers resources. Veterans, service members and their families can access counseling at their local Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Centers."

"Joe and I continue to pray for the brave and proud people of Ukraine. Our hearts are with our troops and our military families, including those who are stationed throughout Europe demonstrating solidarity with our allies. We are profoundly grateful for your service."

Up next, what lawmakers in Congress are telling me about plans to make Russia pay for its invasion of Ukraine. We'll be right back.

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[22:30:00]

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BROWN: All night, we've been showing you images of Ukrainians fleeing the country they call home. Many forced to wait for hours in the cold to crossover to safety. We're going to take a look at this clip from DC based chef and humanitarian Jose Andres so he decided to travel there to help out the way he knows best.

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JOSE ANDRES, CHEF AND HUMANITARIAN: You're going to see is that people don't stop arriving. People are called, families are called, they carry with them whatever they can bring. It's really a suit case but they are bringing in children. It's freezing cold. I don't know how people make it. But what you see is that they're escaping (inaudible).

And we're telling them, guys, there's many ways to fight. Some people fight just making sure that people are fed. And those are our people and we're going to be supporting them in one neighborhood at a time, one restaurant at a time. You can take care of the neighborhood. It's worth more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: In a tweet chef Andres writes, "I am meeting so many refugees, families who are escaping and don't know what's next. We will do our best not to let them down." Just incredible from him. Well, I've spoken to a number of members of Congress tonight, Republican and Democratic, about what they believe the United States and its allies need to do next when it comes to the Russian war in Ukraine. Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania told me, the United States should sanction Russia's energy sector, even if it means Americans have to pay more.

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REP. BRENDAN BOYLE (D-PA): As far as the US sanctions specifically targeting the energy sector, I believe we need to go there. And I say that recognizing that there will be some cost to us that ordinary Americans will be paying a little bit higher at the pump. But frankly, I think that is a sacrifice that we need to pay, because we'll pay far more later if we don't successfully stand up with Putin on this.

I do think, however, there are two things that the administration can do to mitigate that sort of pain that we might feel at the pump. First, release some of our reserves in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We have that reserve for a reason, frankly, a situation such like this. And then the second thing we can do is lean on those countries in OPEC, especially Saudi Arabia, to increase the level of production. This is a time for them to step up and we will be noticing, and taking note of what decisions they made.

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BROWN: And Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton who served in the Iraq War told me that he agrees with most of the steps that Biden administration has taken so far. But he thinks that it has been too slow to act and he detailed the questions that he wants answer during a congressional briefing planned for tomorrow.

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REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): The biggest question I have is what is the long term plan here? I mean, we're all following the news hour to hour for how Russian forces are advancing on Kyiv, on the capital, this reckless decision today to put Russian nuclear forces on a high alert, of course adds tension to the situation. We're going to want to understand that in more detail.

But the biggest question that I've had all along is what happens next? Where does this go? And are we prepared for what happens if Ukraine falls? Are we prepared to strengthen NATO so that we can ensure that Putin stops here?

[22:35:29]

When I was at the Munich Security Conference with world leaders last weekend, or the weekend before, I sat down with Secretary Blinken. And this was my question to him, what happens next? Are we thinking two or three months ahead? Because, frankly, the administration has been doing all the right things but I think they could be doing them sooner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And had tomorrow's expected meeting between a Ukrainian delegation and a Russian delegation, Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, who grew up in Ukraine, said, the world needs to give diplomacy another chance, even though she doesn't believe Vladimir Putin is serious about pursuing peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. VICTORIA SPARTZ (R-IN): I think diplomacy would be tough in this point, you know, actually, I grew up in the city of Chernihiv, right, at border, that heroically is able to deter Russian army where it's getting shelled nonstop from Bela-Russia and from Russian direction, you know. So I think, you know, people -- when I talked to my friend she said, Victoria, we will never be Soviet Union. There is no way. There is no chance.

People are going to be fighting there. A lot of blood already, you know, was, you know, I think from both sides, but from Ukrainian side, you know, they will have more for eight years. So a lot of kids, young kids were killed. So it's very difficult to have. But now, when they have, you know, full invasion of the country, killing civilians, shelling them with ballistic rockets, where civilians have to stand up in front of tanks, where they see that, you know, they have an aggression to try to destroy their citizen, family and the country, very difficult to have talks, very difficult to have diplomacy.

But we need to have a diplomacy chance. We need to at least have some conversations -- they can have ceasefire and have a discussion because this can escalate in a very, very significant crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, who visited Ukraine last month, echoed Congresswoman Spartz in saying, the US needs to keep giving Vladimir Putin off ramps to end this unprovoked war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. SARA JACOBS (D-CA): What we want is to make Vladimir Putin change course, to change direction to take a different path. And so, it can't just be escalation, escalation, without anything on the other side. It can't just be throwing everything at the wall.

Now, it was clear that what we had been doing wasn't enough to get to him to change course, which is why this new round of sanctions, I believe, was warranted. But the key now is to make sure that every time that we escalate sanctions or continue to apply pressure, we're working to create conditions and off ramps so that Vladimir Putin can take another path.

He has to be willing to do so but we need to be continuing to have those opportunities for him to do it. Because the last thing we want is with him, with his back against the wall where he feels like he has no other option but to double down and continue escalating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Russia's invasion is costing them on the pitch too, as the World Cup approaches later this year. The penalties the Russian soccer team is facing and the dwindling number of teams that even want to play them, up next.

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[22:41:55]

BROWN: Tonight, the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is spilling over into the sports world. FIFA, which governs World Soccer, banning Russia's name and flag from next month's World Cup qualifiers, and announcing that the Russia team will have to play its matches at a neutral site without spectators. Let's bring in CNN World Sports host Don Riddell. Hi, Don.

So, denying Russia some soccer game seems kind of petty in the grand scheme of things, when people are fighting and dying in Ukraine. But this is another price that Russia is paying for this aggression. How big is this move by FIFA?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS HOST: Yes. Hey, Pamela. You could say it's petty. Others would say that is not gone far enough, that FIFA is used to calling the shots. But right now they are really struggling to keep pace with the global backlash following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Poland are due to be playing Russia next month. Poland had already indicated they were very uncomfortable with this game. FIFA came out with their plan, which you've just detailed, but the Polish FA has since responded and this is their quote. He said, "We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact. Polish national team will not play with Russia no matter what the name of the team is."

Now, Russia and Poland, and Sweden and the Czech Republic are in this little kind of mini playoff. And one of them will go to the World Cup later this year. Sweden and the Czech Republic have also indicated that they feel the same way as Poland does, which means FIFA has a decision to make. Do they kick Russia out or do they give Russia a free pass to the World Cup later this year? And how would that look?

And this is going to be a really difficult decision for FIFA because they have become really tight with Russia over the last few years, following the hostilities between Russia and Georgia in 2008, and then with Ukraine in 2014. Russia still got to host the World Cup in 2018. And the following year, the FIFA President Gianni Infantino accepted the Medal of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Infantino has not said whether or not he's going to give it back.

The FIFA finds themselves in a very similar position to the International Olympic Committee. You may remember when Russia hosted the Sochi Winter Games in 2014, subsequently discovered that they were conspiring in a state-sponsored doping program of its athletes. Russia still get to compete at the Games, no flag, no anthem, but everybody knows it's still Russia. And, of course, in Beijing very recently, we saw another allegation of Russian doping, which really did mar the games.

Pamela, FIFA need to figure this out quickly, Poland and Russia are due to be playing within a month, March the 24th. And this is a huge decision that they now have to make.

BROWN: Yes, time is of the essence. And we're also hearing about a powerful show of support for Ukraine that happened during this match in Portugal today. Tell us what happened there.

RIDDELL: Yes. We've actually seen very similar scenes all throughout the weekend, but this one was really poignant. Benfica were playing in Portugal, and then Ukrainian player Roman Yaremchuk came on as a substitute.

[22:45:03]

And it was just a remarkable scene. The crowd applauding him, showing their support and their empathy for the situation, many of them holding blue and yellow Ukrainian flags. And Yaremchuk was just absolutely overwhelmed. He was just overcome with emotion.

And we're seeing images and scenes like this all over the world game at the moment. These Ukrainian players are still having to compete with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but they are getting so much love and support from other players and from the fans too.

BROWN: Oh, it's so nice to see, as they should. The world is standing with them. Don Riddell, thank you.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are back in person tonight, CNN's Chloe Melas will show us how Hollywood is pushing for peace in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRAN DRESCHER, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS PRESIDENT: I once heard the Dalai Lama say that world peace is not a world without problems. It's a world where we decide to solve our problems peacefully. The fate of Ukraine is being decided right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: First, I would like to extend prayer to the people of Ukraine, that is how Fran Drescher, who is the president of the Screen Actors Guild, began her comments during tonight's SAG Awards. CNN entertainment reporter Chloe Melas joins me now.

So the Guild is pledging its support of Ukraine. How did that support show up during the award show, Chloe?

[22:50:17]

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Good evening, Pamela. Well, when Brian Cox took the stage to accept the award for Best Drama ensemble on behalf of HBO's "Succession." He immediately called attention to actually Russian actors. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN COX, ACTOR: The thing that's really distressed me is what's happening in Russia. To my fellow actors and actresses, and performers, and writers, and critics, they are told under pain of high treason that they cannot say a word about Ukraine. And I think that is pretty awful. And I think we should all stand together. And also for those people, the people in Russia who don't like what's going on, and particularly the artists, and I think we should really join and celebrating them, and hoping that they can actually make a shift, as I believe they can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MELAS: He received a standing ovation, Pamela. And other celebrities mentioned Ukraine in their speeches this evening including Michael Keaton. Also Leslie Odom Jr. opening the show. And he said that, you know, we're going to pray for Ukraine. So it was just a theme throughout the evening that was mentioned.

BROWN: And husband and wife actors, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively took to social media to pledge their support for Ukraine. What are they doing?

MELAS: Yes, so really incredible. So, Ryan Reynolds took to social media as with Blake Lively, to reveal that they are going to match every donation, up to a million dollars to the United Nations Refugee Agency for those fleeing the war in Ukraine. They posted this pledge to social media. And, you know, it has gotten, you know, hugs from people all over the world, and likes and retweets. And so many people really happy that they are setting the bar high for others who have a platform and a means to do so.

You've seen Angelina Jolie, you've seen Miley Cyrus and many other celebrities take to social media, but it is a big show of support to actually put their money where their mouth is.

BROWN: Certainly, yes. And we're also seeing these pictures of Sean Penn in Ukraine where he is making a documentary. What do you know about what he's doing while there?

MELAS: Yes. So here is some information because I know that this is a question that so many people are asking me over the last few days. So we saw those photos that President Zelenskyy is off his put out of Sean Penn at a press briefing, many people wondering what he's doing. So he's filming a documentary in partnership with Vice World News. And in a statement on behalf of President Zelenskyy's office, they said that Sean Penn is demonstrating bravery. They called him a true friend of Ukraine. They're happy to have him there.

So don't forget that Sean Penn, he's actually the founder of CORE, which aids and humanitarian efforts around the world. And he also did, Pamela, another documentary about relief efforts for those in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. So he's no stranger to putting himself in the center of disaster areas or on the front lines. But, you know, for those criticizing the fact that he's there, it appears at least, you know, he has the support of the Ukrainian president and many people there.

BROWN: All right. Chloe Melas, thanks for staying up late for us. We appreciate it.

MELAS: Thank you.

BROWN: While the world tries to help from afar, every day Ukrainians are rising up to oppose Russia. A look at some remarkable scenes of resilience as their resistance in terms of fifth day, up next.

[22:53:55]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Since Russia launched its attack, hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been killed, thousands injured, and hundreds of thousands have fled in fear. But the Ukrainian people are showing amazing resilience in the face of so much aggression.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last night in Ukraine was brutal. They're fighting against everyone. They're fighting against all living beings.

OKSANA MARKANOVA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: We are ready for peace talks but we are defending the country at the moment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They say they're not hitting civilian infrastructure, look at this damage around Kyiv.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Putin's rockets may have shattered glass but not dented the anger here.

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This is a time to be vocal and condemn the actions of President Putin.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKERS (in unison): USA support Ukraine. Save lives, (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been seeing Russians on the streets of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. In fact, about 26, 27 cities so far who've been showing up and protesting. They are very quickly usually detained and arrested.

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our leaders are not at all taking enough actions to help Ukraine, where our neighbors and our friends.

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So far around 300,000, Ukrainians has come to the EU member states. And I'm really impressed of the strong solidarity that EU citizens are showing towards the Ukrainians coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have any estimation on how many refugees might be in the future?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, but I think we need to prepare for millions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 36 to 48 hours, walking and waiting out in the cold.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The stories we're hearing about these overnights in these freezing temperatures, with no food, no water, no bathroom, with little children. And then as they get closer to the actual border crossing from the sheer panic and the emotional agony of it all, it ends up largely being a free for all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: For more information about how you can help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, go to cnn.com/impact.

Thank you so much for joining me, I'm Pamela Brown. And I'll see you again next weekend. CNN continues right now as we leave you with this shot of the sun coming up over the capital city in Ukraine, Kyiv.